Thursday, July 05, 2007

A Deft Touch


I trust you are enjoying the Fourth of July! Stay safe!

I've taken to surfing through the YouTube files doing searches for my favorite performers, looking for old songs I can remember, and some I can’t. Naturally I’ve played a lot of the Beatles’s videos there, grabbing a bit of nostalgia with the performances. And at times I do a search for the individual Beatle, curious to see what’s there.

Here’s a song from twenty years ago, one that I’d fairly well forgotten, though it was a bit of a hit in 1987. It’s a George Harrison tune, from the Cloud 9 album – remember albums? – and highlights George’s deft touch at light songs. Given his slight voice, when compared to his bandmates, it’s refreshing to hear him sing this. It’s also a pretty song with all the trademark Harrison slide guitar touches.

We’ve always rather forgotten George Harrison, over-shadowed as he’s been by such talents as Paul McCartney and John Lennon, not to mention the popularity of Ringo Starr. But George could display a deft touch with a song, especially with a love song, or a mood song. This is one of his mood songs, I think, but the melody is easy to remember, something not every song reaches. And it’s nice, also something not every song attains.

It’s called “This Is Love”



This Is Love
~ by George Harrison


Precious words drift away from their meanings
and the sun melts the chill from our lives
helping us all to remember what we came here for
this is love
this is la la la la love
this is love
this is la la la la love

Little things that will change you forever
may appear from way out of the blue
Making fools of everybody who don't understand
This is love
this is la la la la love
this is love
this is la la la la love

This is love, this is love
this is love, this is la la la la love

Since our problems have been our own creation
they also can be overcome
When we use the power provided free to everyone
this is love
this is la la la la love
this is love
this is la la la la love

This is love
this is la la la la love
this is love
this is la la la la love

8 comments:

Hopalong Cassidy said...

It seems we share the same expierences for I have done the same thing at YouTube, only in respect to different singers i.e. Ricky Nelson, The Everly Bros., Buddy Holly etc. I watched the George Harrison video, good song!!

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If so, you will see among other things Roy Rogers rob Gene Autry then Gene Autry fight Roy Rogers. Any western movie fans that read your blog are also welcome.

camojack said...

I miss George, even though we never met...

WomanHonorThyself said...

aw thanks for bringin back memories Benning!..long time no see stranger~! :)

Anonymous said...

George seemed like a decent sort.

Jack Steiner said...

Oops. That last comment was me.

Anna said...

Hey benning, just wanted to drop in and say, "Hey!" Hope you are well.

Always liked the music even if I didn't like much of their politics.

Always On Watch said...

Benning,
From Wiki:

In 2003, Harrison was ranked number 21 in Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

A talented musician, but most know only his song "My Sweet Lord."

Bob's Blog said...

I had not heard that song, and I like it! Especially the last part about using the power that is available to everyone.