10 Songs That Prove George Harrison’s Solo Years Were Better Than You Think
5. All Those Years Ago
Meeting as teens and working together in The Beatles for over a decade, John Lennon and George Harrison didn’t always see eye to eye. John was hurt to discover that in George’s autobiography, I, Me, Mine Lennon’s Name appears on just three occasions.
He would have no doubt been touched however by this tribute, written in the aftermath of Lennon’s assassination by Mark Chapman.
All Those Years Ago also features Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney, marking the first recording featuring all three of them in over a decade.
The song carefully balances anger and regret with an uptempo backing track that makes the song feel celebratory of a life rather than mournful over its end.
Chapman isn’t mentioned by name, simply as, “One who offended all” but Harrison paints Chapman as part of a wider scene filled with those who opposed or misunderstood Lennon. “They treated you like a dog,” he claims, “you were the one they backed up to the wall.”
Ultimately the song ends on a more positive note. “You had control of our smiles and our tears/All Those Years Ago. “