While My Guitar Gently Weeps ☮ Beatles (acoustic)

HD/HQ music video for initial acoustic demo by George Harrison in 1968, as released on the Beatles Anthology 3 CD.

"I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
I look at the floor and I see it needs sweeping
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know why nobody told you how to unfold your love
I don't know how someone controlled you
They bought and sold you.

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps
I don't know how you were diverted
You were perverted too
I don't know how you were inverted
No one alerted you.

I look at you all see the love there that's sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps
Look at you all...
Still my guitar gently weeps."

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/While_My_Guitar_Gently_Weeps

Inspiration for the song came to Harrison when reading the I Ching, which, as he put it, "seemed to me to be based on the Eastern concept that everything is relative to everything else... opposed to the Western view that things are merely coincidental." Taking this idea of relativism to his parents' home in northern England, Harrison committed to write a song based on the first words he saw upon opening a random book. Those words were "gently weeps", and he immediately began the song. As he said:

"I wrote "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" at my mother's house in Warrington. I was thinking about the Chinese I Ching, the Book of Changes... The Eastern concept is that whatever happens is all meant to be, and that there's no such thing as coincidence - every little item that's going down has a purpose.

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" was a simple study based on that theory. I decided to write a song based on the first thing I saw upon opening any book - as it would be a relative to that moment, at that time. I picked up a book at random, opened it, saw 'gently weeps', then laid the book down again and started the song."

The initial incarnation was not final, as Harrison said: "Some of the words to the song were changed before I finally recorded it." A demo recorded at George's home in Esher includes an unused verse:

I look at the trouble and see that it's raging,
While my guitar gently weeps.
As I'm sitting here, doing nothing but ageing,
Still, my guitar gently weeps.
As well as an unused line in the very beginning:

The problems you sow, are the troubles you're reaping,
Still, my guitar gently weeps.

This line was eventually omitted in favour of the one appearing on The Beatles. An early acoustic guitar/organ take of the song, released on Anthology 3 and also used as the basis of the Love remix, featured a slightly different third verse:

I look from the wings at the play you are staging,
While my guitar gently weeps.
As I'm sitting here, doing nothing but ageing,
Still, my guitar gently weeps.

The band recorded the song several times, including a version with a backward guitar solo (as Harrison had done for "I'm Only Sleeping" on Revolver), but Harrison was not satisfied. On 6 September 1968, during a ride from Surrey into London, Harrison asked Eric Clapton to add a lead guitar solo to the song. Clapton was reluctant—he said, "Nobody ever plays on the Beatles' records"—but Harrison convinced him and Clapton's solo was recorded that evening. Harrison later said that in addition to his solo, Clapton's presence had another effect on the band: "It made them all try a bit harder; they were all on their best behaviour."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• George Harrison
• While my guitar gently weeps
• The Beatles
• Beatles
• acoustic
• ビートルズ
• The Beatles (white album)
• Martin Scorsese
• Living Material World
• ジョージ・ハリスン

[chasefukuoka61]

A personal note- about those orangutans- I had a large male stare me down at a zoo once. His gaze was penetrating, like he was saying "I'm in here and you're not. And you know damn well I shouldn't be here"

[venniey]

@chasefukuoka61 My heart aches to see such images. The callousness of so many humans is sad sad sad. I have done some serious cat rescue, trap/spay-neuter/relase and maintain. People have such little awareness of the suffering of animals on the this planet. We are to be stewards, that is part of reason for existing, I believe. By our actions we will be judged. I don't know how or by what, but it all matters how we step up, if we step up.

[chasefukuoka61]

@venniey - Yeah, there's so much suffering in this world, that needn't be happening. All we can each do is try and reduce that in some small yet meaningful way, like you're doing. Hopefully as more and more folks take responsibility the joy and love in the world will increase, and the sorrow decrease.

[venniey]

So moving. Thank you for this. Thanks for the heads up on the documentary

[chasefukuoka61]

@venniey - thanks for watching. its sad to think about some of the madness around us, but we can't turn away if we hope for REAL change.

[mythtree]

I weep for all sleeping,

missing,

those resting in peace

[chasefukuoka61]

((( @mythtree )))

[shigureism]

I'm only 14 years old and my dad got me obsessed with the beatles, janis jopin, jimi hendrix, etc. and i love him forever cuz he taught me how to appreciate real music written by real people so thumbs up if you agree with mah!!

[Rollup96]

With Something this the most beautiful George's song :)) <3

[paulpiercerocks1]

this is the better version BY FAR!!

[RinseWash]

The acoustic version is the better one!

[lalalandslide]

this version also has more intensity and depth to it. the acoustic crying stays true to the name.

[lalalandslide]

gorgeous.....

[Julikera7]

こんばんは！おお！いいです！特にサビなんか凄くジョージっぽい­ですがｗ

フォトもかっこいい！

[megalee2004]

This is the best version of this song.one of my all-time faves.it means a lot to me.

[xxkeepitsurrealxx]

omg..love u George..ty

[111theflash]

@shigureism same here and I'm 13 but my mom introduced me to the good music when I was little too so I've always liked this stuff