Many artists rose to the occasion with tributes to John Lennon in the immediate aftermath of his death. You could make the argument that it took those that were closest to him and shared in the experience of The Beatles to do it best. Paul McCartney’s “Here Today” tried to imagine how Lennon would react to such a tribute. And George Harrison’s “All Those Years Ago” reflected Lennon’s unique standing in the culture as a polarizing figure, while also reconciling Harrison’s own feelings about his departed friend.
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What went into Harrison creating the song? How did it evolve based on Lennon’s death? And what made it a kind of Beatles reunion record? Let’s go back to how it got started with, oddly enough, a rejection.
The Evolution of a Tribute
Many of Ringo Starr’s greatest solo successes came courtesy of, you guessed it, a little help from his friends. Specifically, Harrison had a hand in writing two of Starr’s biggest singles: “It Don’t Come Easy” and “Photograph.” Harrison intended the same thing with a song he wrote entitled “All Those Years Ago.” He thought it fit his old bandmate, and Starr recorded the song with the help of Harrison and others in 1980.
But Starr just wasn’t feeling the finished results. He thought it wasn’t quite right for his vocal register, and he didn’t think the song had the potential of those other smashes. Harrison held onto that recording, however, and he would use it as the backing track when he released the song on his own.
Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980, and Harrison thought of this unused recording as the basis for a potential tribute. The track itself was jaunty and smooth, featuring Starr’s steady drumming, Al Kooper’s funky electric piano, and Harrison’s soulful contributions on both synths and lead guitar. Harrison then changed around the lyrics to fit the new purpose and recorded his own lead vocals.
Harrison’s wry sense of humor came out in these newly-written lines, including when he sings, You were the one that they said was so weird. In a 1987 interview, he explained to Creem magazine what he meant by that:
“What I was saying is there’s all these weird people who don’t actually believe in God and who go around murdering everybody, and yet, in the broad sweep, it’s like they were the ones pointing fingers at Lennon, saying he’s a weirdo. Sometimes my lyrics get a bit abstract in place—I get so many thoughts coming from different angles, I’m not sure if they come across right. But I think that’s what I was trying to say.”
Harrison came up with a wonderful idea to top off the track. He had been asked by McCartney to add overdubs to one of the tracks McCartney was recording for this 1982 album Tug of War. But the intent of the session changed when Harrison instead employed McCartney, his wife Linda, and Wings member Denny Laine to sing backing vocals on “All Those Years Ago.” It thus meant that all three surviving Beatle members would appear on this tribute to Lennon.
What is “All Those Years Ago” About?
Harrison strikes just the right tone throughout “All Those Years Ago.” He honors his friend not with lofty platitudes, but by telling it straight in terms of Lennon’s accomplishments and how he was treated. I’m shoutin’ all about love / While they treated you like a dog, he begins, a striking opening couplet that sets the table for what’s to come.
He sprinkles in references to Lennon songs like “All You Need Is Love” and “Imagine.” Harrison refuses to shy away from the darkness surrounding the murder (calling out the devil’s best friend). The balance comes from the spiritual matters mentioned in the lyrics, with Harrison imagining Lennon existing Now in the world of light.
Perhaps the song’s most touching moment comes when Harrison refers to his own personal relationship with Lennon. Living with good and bad, he sings. I always looked up to you. Harrison was the youngest Beatle, and these lines make clear that he appreciated Lennon’s guidance.
You said it all, though not many had ears / All those years ago / You had control of our smiles and our tears, Harrison sings, with Starr’s drums peppering away and McCartney’s voice joining him in harmony. “All Those Years Ago” succeeds as an expertly constructed and insightfully written track all on its own. When you add the context and consider the pressure that must have weighed on George Harrison to do something great in John Lennon’s memory, it’s nothing short of a miracle.
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Photo by Steve Morley/Redferns
