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5.58am
17 March 2012
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Is it just me, or are most of George’s songs dark and creepy? (With the Beatles, not after the break up)
2.29am
3 March 2012
Offline I wouldn’t say creepy. Or dark… I mean “Here Comes The Sun “? I see what your saying on some tunes but in the end? Pretty diverse.
A square is not a square when the sides are less than four...
2.47am
3 March 2012
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…ontherun said
I wouldn’t say creepy. Or dark… But… Well… “Here Comes The Sun “? I see what you’re saying on some tunes but in the end? Pretty diverse.
However… George could be a tad dark at times. I don’t totally dismiss the premise.
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2.51am
3 March 2012
Offline Which is to say I’m of two minds and am having serious issues editing my posts after the fact!
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4.17am
7 November 2010
Offline LennonCloset said
Is it just me, or are most of George’s songs dark and creepy? (With the Beatles, not after the break up)
Could be the heavy Indian influence. (Notably in Love You To and Within You Without You .)
I remember not really understanding WYWY when I first listened to it, aged about 7 or 8, and I thought it sounded quite creepy as well. It was just so unlike anything I’d ever heard before, and I don’t think I fully appreciated any George songs until a couple of years ago. I’m sure they’ll grow on you too.
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5.00am
1 May 2010
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I agree. but if you think about it, John and Paul had their share of creepy songs, and George wrote some cheerful and romantic ones.
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
3.35pm
1 December 2009
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“Creepy” isn’t the word I personally would use, although “Blue Jay Way ” and the last 30 seconds of “Long Long Long” are pretty sonically spooky indeed. But yeah, now that you mention it, I’ll bet that if you made a list of all of George’s Beatles recordings and had to classify each one as positive or negative, the results would be something like 55-60% on the negative side of things, depending on how you interpreted his Indian-instrumentation numbers (which were lyrically kinda ambiguous.)
GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty.
10.03pm
5 November 2011
Offline LennonCloset said
Is it just me, or are most of George’s songs dark and creepy? (With the Beatles, not after the break up)
It’s just you; I think most of his Beatles songs are pretty excited. The only one of his Beatles songs that I would call dark or creepy is Only A Northern Song , and I guess Blue Jay Way too.
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7.09pm
2 October 2011
Offline I also think that “creepy” is not the exact word to describe “those kind” of songs, but I agree that “Blue Jay Way ” and “Only A Northern Song ” are a bit “weird”. Okay, maybe this word sounds wrong too, but I just wanted to say that they have weird sounds on them, like the Hammond organ intro on “Blue Jay Way ” that sounds a bit spooky. However, I love George’s music, it’s something different from the others’ 
8.23pm
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1 May 2011
Offline I dont think any of Georges songs are creepy. Blue Jay Way is not happy happy or straightforward, far from it, more slow and, yeah darker. The music fits the songs frame of mind – something George was great at. IANS is understated, but there is a whole lot of chaos going on behind the scenes on that song. I suppose if those two are being mentioned then Long, Long, Long should be too what with Pauls low organ, Ringos drum work which disrupts the quietness, and George’s passionate longing vocal.
Outside of those there isnt anything else. The Indian trio (Within You, Without You, The Inner Light , Love You) could only be seen as creepy if you find Indian music that way inclined.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
12.01pm
19 April 2010
Offline I know just enough about music to be a danger to myself and those around me, so I am sure a more educated person will be able to clarify the point I am trying to make.
The relationships George uses between his melody notes and the chords he places them over have a tendency to create more darker or minor tonal sounds. I.e., minor chords tend to sound sad, major chords sound happy, major 7th chords sounds “romantic” (the second chord in Something is a major 7th), regular 7th chords sound bluesy etc.
George uses lots of minor sounding chords and then the melody keys he uses over them drives the sound even more darker, then the instrumentation even more so. His first venture Don’t Bother Me – lots of minor chords.
Some people like it, some don’t – but it is clearly darker than say When I’m 64. This why Here Comes The Sun stands out – – major chords throughout.
What John and Paul were able to do which George never really mastered, was their ability to use minor chords in exciting “up” ways. Anytime At All – starts with a minor chord but doesn’t sound minor.
my 2 cents.
"She looks more like him than I do."
1.16pm
26 March 2012
Offline robert said
I know just enough about music to be a danger to myself and those around me, so I am sure a more educated person will be able to clarify the point I am trying to make.The relationships George uses between his melody notes and the chords he places them over have a tendency to create more darker or minor tonal sounds. I.e., minor chords tend to sound sad, major chords sound happy, major 7th chords sounds “romantic” (the second chord in Something is a major 7th), regular 7th chords sound bluesy etc.
George uses lots of minor sounding chords and then the melody keys he uses over them drives the sound even more darker, then the instrumentation even more so. His first venture Don’t Bother Me – lots of minor chords.
Some people like it, some don’t – but it is clearly darker than say When I’m 64. This why Here Comes The Sun stands out – – major chords throughout.
What John and Paul were able to do which George never really mastered, was their ability to use minor chords in exciting “up” ways. Anytime At All – starts with a minor chord but doesn’t sound minor.
my 2 cents.
Very true and well put, robert. But I think people often think of George’s music as dark and creepy because of the lyrics as well as the music! Even “When I’m Sixty Four” would sound dark in the (minor) bridge if the lyrics were “I can sense your death.” 
The whole spiritual aspect which George uses a lot can be rejoicing and uplifting, yes, but more often than not George used it in quite a dark, ambiguous lyrical way, which is enhanced by the minor chords he throws in everywhere. And even when he writes non-spiritual songs (“Don’t Bother Me “, “Think For Yourself “, “I Need You “, “Taxman “, “I Want To Tell You “, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps “, “Piggies “, “I Me Mine “) the lyrics are in all of these cases either pessimistic, cynical, scathing, complaining or despairing.
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11.17pm
17 March 2012
Offline “Creepy” may not have been the best word, but when I was little and a Beatles song came on, I could instantly say, “This is a George song, right?” He had a very unique style and, yes, he did use many minor chords. So, if a Lennon song came on followed by a Harrison, many could tell the difference because of, in my opinion, his lyricism and way of singing, which, to me, is a somewhat wail…
2.59am
15 April 2012
Offline That is very true but they are usually AWESOME!!!! 
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6.51pm
17 March 2012
Offline George admitted Only A Northern Song was dark…. It’s in the lyrics!
9.40pm
3 May 2012
Offline I wouldn’t say that they’re creepy, just some are a bit different.But isn’t that good,isn’t that what The Beatles were about at the end of the day?Personaly, I love George’s songs!
Moving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.
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4.57am
17 March 2012
Offline I love them too Emily, but I’m just pointing out how different they are from John and Paul’s songs. Before I knew who wrote each song, I could barely tell the difference between John and Paul songs, but then a George song comes on and I’m like, “Whoa! That’s a total George song!”
9.26am
3 May 2012
Offline LennonCloset said
I love them too Emily, but I’m just pointing out how different they are from John and Paul’s songs. Before I knew who wrote each song, I could barely tell the difference between John and Paul songs, but then a George song comes on and I’m like, “Whoa! That’s a total George song!”
No, me neither. A Lennon-McCartney song would come on and I’d sit there through the whole song trying to work out if it was mainly John’s or Paul’s. Fortunately, those days are behind me. 
I suppose I get what you’re saying with some of George’s but I think they have depth and meaning, something to think about, behind them. Take, for example, I Me Mine . Everytime I hear it I have to stop whatever it is I’m doing and think about what he meant to say and what he was thinking while writing the song, about how most of us humans only think about ourselves, and how we can be so self-centred sometimes.
And, in my opinion, some of these tracks are among The Beatles’ best, and certainly among his best. In many ways, the world was blessed to have him, to make us just, think.
Moving along in our God given ways, safety is sat by the fire/Sanctuary from these feverish smiles, left with a mark on the door.
(Passover - I. Curtis)
4.15pm
12 November 2012
Offline George did describe himself as a Dark Horse , so I have no problem with people who think his songs are dark. He did write some cheerful songs though, like For You Blue and Here Comes The Sun . John and Paul had similar song writing styles because they wrote together. George didn’t have that partnership, so his songs are a complete reflection of what was on his mind.
"The world is a very serious and, at times, very sad place - but at other times it is all such a joke."-George Harrison
8.35pm
26 December 2012
Offline thewordislove94 said
George did describe himself as a Dark Horse , so I have no problem with people who think his songs are dark. He did write some cheerful songs though, like For You Blue and Here Comes The Sun . John and Paul had similar song writing styles because they wrote together. George didn’t have that partnership, so his songs are a complete reflection of what was on his mind.
I agree, spot on.. If you think George’s songs a tad creepy / dark sounding, then stay aways from thenewno2 albums, lol, I love them.. Paul & John had each other to bounce off, usually finishing each others middle eights etc. George wrote solo.. And beautifully, jmo
All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much.
- George Harrison
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