The petty George Harrison remark that inspired a Paul McCartney classic
The ending of The Beatles could never exactly be described as cordial. Although the band may have been able to preach about the wonders that could come if everyone could find it in their heart to love each other, the band’s ending saw each member fall out over business decisions, all at the hands of business mogul Allen Klein. While the band may have been slaving away in business meetings at Apple, one remark from George Harrison would end up serving Paul McCartney well later down the road.
Famously known as the stifled one in the group, Harrison had every reason to be pissed going through their numerous business meetings. As much as he may not have wanted to discuss money, he was also being put to the side of John Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting team, only being able to get a word in once in a while amid the others.
Compared to his former bandmates, Harrison would often find inspiration when walking away from the rest of the band. After departing the group, he would eventually pen his solo track ‘Wah-Wah’ and write the beginnings of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ when playing hooky from one of their business meetings.
Once he arrived, though, the first thing on his mind was being able to leave the room and not have to look at all the accountants who had control over the band’s future. Recalling the time spent wasting away in conference rooms, McCartney remembered Harrison complaining that the sessions were going on endlessly, constantly repeating the phrase, “If we ever get out here”.
As McCartney started his new band, Wings, one of the group’s breakout songs ‘Band on the Run’ would feature the Harrison line front and centre for one of its sections. Simulating the sound of a band breaking out of jail, the song would become an integral part of the group’s live show, sprawling out over five minutes and telling the story of a band going from one town to the next.
When talking about Harrison’s remark, McCartney recalled, “That came from a remark George made at one of the Apple meetings. He was saying that we were all prisoners in some way, some kind of remark like that. ‘If we ever get out of here,’ the prison bit, and I thought that would be a nice way to start an album. A million reasons, really. I can never lay them all down. It’s a million things, I don’t like to analyse them, all put together. Band on the run – escaping, freedom, criminals. You name it, it’s there”.
Despite not getting any credit, Harrison was already on his way to solo success when McCartney got his first mainstream breakthrough. Having already struck gold with his debut All Things Must Pass, Harrison would spend the rest of the 1970s coaxing by on songs about his higher power, wanting to break free from the same confines that were keeping him down when working with Apple.
Although Harrison and McCartney wouldn’t come back together until The Beatles Anthology, ‘Band on the Run’ is the best example of the two boyhood friends cross-influencing each other. While they may have wanted to get as far away from each other as possible, they had much more influence than they could have imagined.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Beatles Newsletter
All the latest stories about The Beatles from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.