"The biggest break in my career was getting into the Beatles in 1962. The second biggest break since then is getting out of them"
About this Quote
George Harrison distills a paradox of artistic life: the same institution that launches you can also threaten to erase you. Joining the Beatles as their lineup, sound, and fortunes crystallized in 1962 gave him a global stage, access to George Martin, and the crucible in which he learned arrangement, studio craft, and the rigors of professional touring. It was the big break any young guitarist would dream of. Yet the scale of that success also created a machine that ran on the Lennon-McCartney engine, leaving the youngest member to fight for room. Harrison contributed searing guitar work and, increasingly, standout songs, but the hierarchy meant only a couple of his compositions made each album.
The tensions sharpened as his interests widened beyond pop orthodoxy. Exposure to Indian music, mentorship from Ravi Shankar, and a deepening spiritual search pushed him toward textures and themes the band was not built to prioritize. The grind of fame, the end of touring, business turmoil around Apple, and the fraught Get Back sessions made the confines of the Beatles both creative and personal. By the time he brought songs like Something and Here Comes the Sun, it was clear he had a voice large enough to require its own room.
Leaving was not a rejection of the Beatles myth but a reclamation of self. The second break he names is liberation: the chance to record All Things Must Pass with the breadth the group could not accommodate, to score a No. 1 with My Sweet Lord, to stage the Concert for Bangladesh, and later to find camaraderie without crush in the Traveling Wilburys. Gratitude and relief sit together in his line. Fame gave him a name; departure gave him authorship. He points to a truth many artists face: the first breakthrough turns you into someone the world recognizes, and the second lets you become the person you actually are.
The tensions sharpened as his interests widened beyond pop orthodoxy. Exposure to Indian music, mentorship from Ravi Shankar, and a deepening spiritual search pushed him toward textures and themes the band was not built to prioritize. The grind of fame, the end of touring, business turmoil around Apple, and the fraught Get Back sessions made the confines of the Beatles both creative and personal. By the time he brought songs like Something and Here Comes the Sun, it was clear he had a voice large enough to require its own room.
Leaving was not a rejection of the Beatles myth but a reclamation of self. The second break he names is liberation: the chance to record All Things Must Pass with the breadth the group could not accommodate, to score a No. 1 with My Sweet Lord, to stage the Concert for Bangladesh, and later to find camaraderie without crush in the Traveling Wilburys. Gratitude and relief sit together in his line. Fame gave him a name; departure gave him authorship. He points to a truth many artists face: the first breakthrough turns you into someone the world recognizes, and the second lets you become the person you actually are.
Quote Details
| Topic | Music |
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