If I had to bottle everything that made George Harrison such a special artist into one song for someone unfamiliar with his music, then What Is Life would be the potion I’d hand them. It captures everything that was so kind, warm and peaceful about George as a person, yet also reveals the high-spirited, joyful side of his music.
More than almost any other song he recorded, he sounds like a born entertainer here. It has a touch of Motown about it, while also carrying the huge Wall of Sound production style of Phil Spector. In fact the song was originally written with Billy Preston in mind before Harrison decided to record it himself which helps explain why the song has such a strong soul and Motown feel.
George always came across as such an affable and grounded person despite his fame and talent. Olivia Harrison has spoken of the peaceful atmosphere surrounding his passing, and described the room being filled with a brilliant light as he died. Whether taken literally or spiritually, it seems a fitting image for someone who brought so much warmth into the lives of others. George’s music is the gift that keeps on giving since I’m yet to hear a bad song by him.
What Is Life is so rich, dynamic and uplifting that I struggle to think of many songs with a more vibrant and irresistible groove to kick-start the week. It’s an upbeat, soulful burst of pure joy and one of the highlights from George’s 1970 masterpiece, All Things Must Pass.
All four former Beatles enjoyed immediate success after the band’s breakup, but artistically I think Harrison made the biggest statement straight out of the gate with All Things Must Pass. It wasn’t just a successful solo debut; it was one of the finest albums released by any of the Beatles. Yet George somehow remains the group’s quiet and often unheralded champion.
It’s remarkable to think how talented The Beatles were when George Harrison was often regarded as only their third-best songwriter. By the final years of the band it must have been frustrating to have so many strong songs waiting in the wings while the Lennon-McCartney partnership naturally dominated the albums. Music writer John Harris noted that Harrison’s transformation as a solo artist really began in late 1968 when he spent time in Woodstock with Bob Dylan and The Band, an experience that helped broaden his musical confidence and direction.
When you also consider his post-Beatles achievements, his influence on other artists, his tireless work in organising the Concert for Bangladesh, his commercial resurgence during the 1980s, and his role in forming the supergroup Traveling Wilburys, George Harrison’s death at just 58 still feels like a profound loss. One cannot help wondering how much more wonderful music he still had left to give.
Snippets from Wikipedia:
- “What Is Life” is one of several Harrison love songs that appear to be directed at both a woman and a deity.
- (What is Life) was the second single from the album and became a top-ten hit in the United States, Canada and elsewhere, and topping singles charts in Australia and Switzerland.
- Harrison’s backing musicians on the song include Eric Clapton and the entire Delaney & Bonnie and Friends band, with whom he had toured during the final months of the Beatles.
- Rolling Stone magazine has variously described it as a “classic” and an “exultant song of surrender”
[Verse 1]
What I feel
I can’t say
But my love is there for you any time of day
But if it’s not love
That you need
Then I’ll try my best to make everything succeed
[Chorus]
Tell me, what is my life (What is my life)
Without your love? (Love)
And tell me, who am I (Who)
Without you (You)
By my side?
[Verse 2]
What I know
I can do
If I give my love now to everyone like you
But if it’s not love
That you need
Then I’ll try my best to make everything succeed
[Chorus]
Tell me, what is my life (What is my life)
Without your love? (Love)
And tell me, who am I (Who)
Without you (You)
By my side?
Tell me, what is my life (What is my life)
Without your love? (Love)
And tell me, who am I (Who)
Without you (You)
By my side?
References:
1. What is Life – WIkipedia
“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand
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