George Harrison was tired. By 1970, the Beatles weren’t a band anymore; they were a legal headache and a collection of bruised egos trapped in a boardroom. When you actually sit down and listen to the Run of the Mill lyrics, you aren't just hearing a folk-rock tune from All Things Must Pass. You’re reading a breakup letter. But it’s not a romantic one. It’s a weary, frustrated sigh directed straight at Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and the crumbling foundation of Apple Corps.
It’s personal.
Most people hear the bright horns and George’s steady acoustic guitar and think it’s just another "peace and love" track. They're wrong. If you look at the lines about "everyone has choice" and "deciding for yourself," it becomes pretty clear that George was done playing the role of the "quiet" younger brother. He was thirty years old and felt like he was losing his mind trying to keep everyone happy.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Meaning
A lot of fans assume this song is about a girl. It’s an easy mistake to make because pop music has conditioned us to think every "you" in a song is a lover. But George wasn't writing about a girlfriend here. He was writing about the "people who are around me," specifically his bandmates who couldn’t see past their own noses.
The title itself is a bit of a trick. "Run of the mill" usually means something ordinary or boring. George uses it to describe the predictably disappointing behavior of his friends. He’s basically saying, "I expected better from you, but this behavior is exactly what I should have expected."
The lyrics mention how "another day" can mean a lot or nothing at all. He’s talking about the Let It Be sessions. Those long, grueling hours at Twickenham Studios where nobody wanted to be there. He felt that the others were "losing the chance" to actually be a family again. It’s a heavy realization. Imagine being in the biggest band in history and realizing your friends are just becoming coworkers you can’t stand.
The Paul McCartney Connection
It's pretty well-documented that George and Paul had a friction-filled relationship toward the end. Paul wanted to lead; George wanted to contribute. When George sings about someone being "responsible for your own happiness," it’s a direct nudge. He was tired of the finger-pointing.
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During the Apple business meetings, things got ugly. Allen Klein was in the mix. Court cases were looming. George used his songwriting as a sort of therapy. He wasn’t trying to start a fight. He was just trying to find some peace.
He didn't hate them. That's the nuance people miss. He was disappointed. Disappointment is way heavier than anger. You can get over anger, but disappointment lingers in the back of your throat like a bad taste.
Breaking Down the Key Lines
Let’s look at the first verse. He talks about everyone having a choice to make. It sounds simple. It isn't. In the context of 1970, the "choice" was whether to keep the Beatles together or let it die.
- "Everyone has choice": This is George asserting his independence. He didn't have to be the lead guitarist for hire anymore.
- "When you've decided for yourself": This refers to the lack of consensus in the band. Everyone was making solo moves while pretending to be a unit.
- "No one to blame": He’s taking the high road here, sort of. He’s saying that if the band fails, it’s because they chose for it to fail.
The horn section on the track, arranged by Bobby Keys and Jim Price, gives it this triumphant feel, but the words are almost funeral-like. It’s a weird contrast. It works, though. It feels like a celebration of moving on.
The Philosophy of Choice
George was deep into Vedic philosophy by this point. This wasn't just "rock star drama." He genuinely believed that our internal state creates our external reality. So, when he sings about being "run of the mill," he’s warning his friends that if they stay focused on the mundane, petty bullshit of the music business, their lives will become mundane and petty.
He wanted something higher. He wanted the "Golden Age."
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Honestly, the song is a masterclass in passive-aggression. But it’s the most polite passive-aggression you’ll ever hear. He’s not screaming. He’s just nodding his head and walking away.
Why the Production Matters
Phil Spector produced All Things Must Pass, and he’s famous for the "Wall of Sound." Usually, that means layers and layers of noise. But on this track, there's a certain space. You can hear the pick hitting the strings.
George’s vocals are dry and upfront. He wanted you to hear the words.
He recorded this at Abbey Road, which is ironic given the subject matter. He was using the very studio where the Beatles’ magic happened to document its disappearance. There’s a demo version on the Early Takes: Volume 1 release that is even more heartbreaking. It’s just him and a guitar. Without the horns, you can really hear the exhaustion in his voice. He sounds like a man who has stayed up for three days straight trying to solve a puzzle that has no solution.
The Legacy of the Song
You don't hear "Run of the Mill" on classic rock radio as much as "My Sweet Lord" or "What Is Life." That’s a shame. It’s a deeper cut that rewards the listener for actually paying attention.
It’s been covered by a few people, but nobody quite captures that specific "Harrison" blend of sadness and spiritual resolve. It’s a unique vibe. It’s the sound of a man finding his own feet after standing in someone else’s shadow for a decade.
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If you’re going through a friendship breakup or leaving a toxic job, this is your anthem. It tells you that it’s okay to walk away. It tells you that you aren't responsible for someone else’s inability to grow up.
How to Better Appreciate the Track
To really "get" what George was doing, you should try these specific steps next time you listen:
- Listen to the 1970 original followed immediately by the 2021 remix. The 50th-anniversary remix by Paul Hicks cleans up some of Spector’s reverb, making the lyrics feel even more intimate and conversational.
- Read the lyrics while watching the "Get Back" documentary. Specifically, watch the scenes where George is trying to suggest a song and gets shut down. The lyrics suddenly act as a perfect commentary on those exact moments.
- Focus on the bass line. Klaus Voormann plays bass on this, not Paul McCartney. It has a different "swing" to it—more laid back and less melodic. It reflects George’s desire for a different musical atmosphere.
- Look for the "mill" metaphor in your own life. Identify the "predictable" behaviors in your social circle that you’ve outgrown. It helps bridge the gap between a 50-year-old song and your current reality.
George Harrison wasn't just the "third Beatle." He was a man who realized that his time was the only thing he actually owned. The Run of the Mill lyrics serve as his official declaration of ownership over his own life.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you want to dive deeper into this era of George's life, look into the influence of Ram Dass and the book Be Here Now. George was reading this kind of material during the songwriting process, and it explains the "choice" and "happiness" themes much better than any tabloid report could. Also, check out the song "Wah-Wah" from the same album. It’s the "angry" version of "Run of the Mill." Listening to them back-to-back shows you the two sides of George's frustration: one is a scream, the other is a sigh.
Stop looking at the Beatles as a perfect unit and start looking at them as four guys who were desperately trying to grow up in different directions. That’s where the real story lives.