Originally written on November, 18, 2017.
The lyrics to the song “Here Comes the Sun” are uplifting and inspire hope for better times. While the melody is simple and catchy, the rhythm is quite unique. The verses and chorus are in 4/4 time, but during the bridge, the meter jumps to 2/4, then 3/8, 5/8, and finally back to 4/4. It feels rather complex. The chords are in the key of D major, but Harrison played them with a capo on the 7th fret, making the song sound in A major.
Positivity and optimism characterize this composition by Harrison, though that was hardly the atmosphere within the band at the time it was written. Following the death of Brian Epstein, the members had to handle the business side of things themselves, which likely didn’t suit them well. George, in any case, was bored to death by these business meetings. The atmosphere wasn’t helped by the fact that John and Paul were constantly bickering over whom to hire to sort out their finances.
George himself recounted that he once skipped one of these tedious meetings. Instead, he visited his friend Eric Clapton, who lived in Surrey, England, at the time. In Clapton’s backyard, he composed the song on one of Eric’s guitars. He said the spark for the song was the relief of being out there in the sun rather than at the meeting. Personally, I find it more likely that the sun itself was the catalyst; we all know how one’s spirit lifts just by seeing the spring sun break through after a long and dark winter.
At the height of Beatlemania between 1961 and 1967, the collaboration between the four was renowned. One would bring a song idea, and the others would improve upon it with their criticism, comments, and suggestions. After 1967, this began to change. “Here Comes the Sun” was recorded for the Abbey Road album at Abbey Road Studios in July and August of 1969. John was nowhere near the recordings, as he was either recovering from a car accident or simply being stubborn, as he was not very willing to play on George’s songs at that time. Paul and Ringo, along with George, recorded the bass, drums, and rhythm guitar on July 7th, and on the 8th, Paul helped with the vocals. George then handled the rest.
I learned to play “Here Comes the Sun” many years ago and, for some reason, I never get tired of it. I play the song in a fingerpicked arrangement, whereas George played it with a guitar pick. In both cases, the melody is played throughout. I had never considered playing the song with a pick before. It occurred to me that it might be a good exercise to try and master it that way as well, so now I am practicing playing the song with a pick.
Below is a recording of me playing “Here Comes the Sun.” Here, I am using a capo on the 7th fret, though sometimes I just play it in D major.
