Song of the Day

Yes, already.

Song: Within You, Without You

Artist: George Harrison, Beatles

Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Year: 1967

Source: Radio Paradise. Check out their playlist. And the comments to this song.

Makes Me Think of: Lompoc, California, and the First Mrs. Pennington, mostly. But, like all Beatles albums, this one evokes so many memories it’s hard to single one out. I bought “Sgt. Pepper” when it was brand-new, stood in line to buy it. Sorta like a new Harry Potter book, today. "Sgt. Pepper" was a staple down through the years and it still is; I remember one of my friends digging it out of the vinyl collection and playing it New Years Eve of 1999. I had two copies of the album, one regular and one “half-speed mastered.” Ya gotta be a vinyl freak to understand those terms, I guess.

Lyrics:

We were talking - about the space between us all
And the people - who hide themselves behind a
wall of illusion
Never glimpse the truth - then it's far too late -
when they pass away.

We were talking - about the love we all could
share - when we find it
To try our best to hold it there - with our love
With our love - we could save the world - if
they only knew.

Try to realise it's all within yourself no-one else
can make you change
And to see you're really only very small,
and life flows on within you and without you.

We were talking - about the love that's gone so
cold and the people,
Who gain the world and lose their soul -
they don't know - they can't see - are you one
of them?

When you've seen beyond yourself - then you
may find, peace of mind is waiting there -
And the time will come when you see
we're all one, and life flows on within you and
without you.

“Within You, Without You” is oh-so-sixties. You’ve got the peace-love-dope themes (OK, you have to reach for the druggie bits, but it ain’t hard. Trust me.), the sitar, the references to Eastern religions, the whole '60s thing rolled into one song. I probably can’t count the number of “deep” conversations initiated by this song in the way-back. More than a few!

I never was a big Harrison fan after The Beatles broke up. I bought two of his solo albums, “All Things Must Pass” and “Dark Horse.” Neither got much play. It was refreshing to hear this cut from Sgt. Pepper, however, because it’s so rarely played. When the album first came out I was mesmerized by this song, because like most Americans, I was totally unfamiliar with the sitar. A sitar sounds strangely other-worldly to the uninitiated. Lots of people in my generation became Indian music fans because of this song, I’m sure.

But back to Harrison and The Beatles. George wrote some great songs with the Beatles. In no particular order, my favorites are:

Here Comes The Sun
I Need You
I Want To Tell You
If I Needed Someone
Something

Especially “Something.” Oh, yes. Something.

RIP, George.