The Only Song George Harrison and Son Dhani Harrison Co-Wrote—First Recorded by Jools Holland—Became the Former Beatles’ Final Recording

After the birth of his first and only child, Dhani, in 1978, George Harrison‘s wife, Olivia, encouraged him to write a song about their newborn son. The result was the tender calypso-like “Soft Touch”—You’re a soft touch baby / Like a snowflake falling / My whole heart is melting—released on his 1979 self-titled album. Several years later, Harrison wrote another song about Dhani, “Unknown Delight,” from his 1982 album Gone Troppo.

It was nearly 20 years later before both co-wrote a song together. Written by George and Dhani, “Horse to the Water” was originally recorded by Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra and Friends for the 2001 album Small World, Big Band. 

On the track, Dhani played guitar, along with his father, who also recorded vocals while battling cancer. Their parts were recorded in Switzerland and sent to Holland, who worked in the rest of his band at his London studio.

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[The Lost Song George Harrison and Bob Dylan Wrote Thanksgiving Weekend, 1968]

Recorded nearly two months before Harrison’s death, “Horse to the Water” marked the final recording by the Beatle and alludes to his refusal to quit smoking despite knowing its dangers.

You can take a horse to the water but you can’t make him drink
Oh no, oh no, oh no

A friend of mine in so much misery
Some people sail through life, he is struggling
I said, “Hey man, let’s go out and get some wisdom”
First, he turned on me, then turned off his nervous system

You can take a horse to the water, but you can’t make him drink
Oh no, oh no, oh no
You can have it all laid out in front of you, but still won’t make it think
Oh no, oh no, oh no

Someone I love has got a problem
Some people thirst for truth, he would like a drink
I said, “Hey man, this could be risky”
He said everything’s okay, as he downed another bottle of whiskey

Keeping his sense of humor until the end, Harrison copyrighted “Horse to the Water” under “R.I.P Music Ltd” instead of his usual music company, “Harrisongs.” The song was released in December of 2001, just days after Harrison’s death. A year later, Holland performed the song during the Concert for George, a tribute to Harrison, with Sam Brown on vocals.

Dark Horse Legacy

In the decades following Harrison’s death, Dhani continued working on preserving his father’s music and legacy, including overseeing the remastering of the 2014 box set The Apple Years. In 2020, Dhani, along with David Zonshine, relaunched Dark Horse Records, the label his father founded in 1974. There, Harrison’s catalog is preserved, from his 1968 debut Wonderwall Music through his 12th and final album, Brainwashed, released in 2002, a year after his death. The latter album is one Dhani also helped complete for his father with the help of Jim Keltner and Traveling Wilbury Jeff Lynne.

Billy Idol, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Benmont Tench, Steve Perry, and the music of Joe Strummer, Nina Simone, and George Harrison’s friend and collaborator, Ravi Shankar, are among the artists under the label today.

Dhani has also contributed to two tributes to his father, including the live Concert for George, recorded in 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England and produced the 2016 live album and concert DVD, A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison, which was recorded from the George Fest tribute concert held at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, California in 2014.

Harrison received his first Grammy in 2022 for remastering the 50th anniversary release of his father’s classic 1970 solo album, All Things Must Pass.

When asked by Conan O’Brien in 2014 about protecting his father’s legacy, Dhani said, “It’s a labor of love.”

Photo: Lester Cohen/Getty Images