George Harrison was tired of being the "quiet" one. By 1968, he was sitting on a mountain of songs that John Lennon and Paul McCartney—the undisputed heavyweights of the band—weren't exactly rushing to record. But then came a melody. It was fluid, soulful, and felt like it had existed forever. The opening line, though? That was a bit of a "borrow." When people talk about The Beatles Something in the way she moves, they are usually diving into the greatest love song ever written, but the story starts with a young, nervous American songwriter named James Taylor.
Honestly, it’s one of the best "thievery" stories in rock history. Taylor was the first non-British act signed to Apple Records. He had this song called "Something in the Way She Moves." George heard it, liked it, and basically lifted the entire first line for what would become his crowning achievement on the Abbey Road album. He didn't hide it, either. George later admitted that he just couldn't get the tune out of his head. He thought he’d eventually change the lyrics, but the words stuck. They fit the vibe perfectly.
Why That Opening Line Almost Didn't Happen
George was a bit of a sponge. He took what he heard in the hallways of Apple and turned it into gold. At the time, James Taylor was just a kid with a guitar. Imagine being James Taylor, sitting in a room, and hearing George Harrison—a literal Beatle—play back a song that starts with your own lyrics. Taylor later said he felt immensely flattered, though he joked that he should have probably copyrighted the phrase earlier.
The song wasn't just about a girl. Sure, Pattie Boyd (George's wife at the time) is usually cited as the muse. She even wrote in her autobiography, Wonderful Tonight, that George told her he wrote it for her. But music is rarely that simple. George also mentioned in interviews that he was thinking of Krishna or a more divine, universal love. It’s that ambiguity that makes it work. It’s a love song that feels like a prayer.
The Struggle in the Studio
Recording the track wasn't a walk in the park. The Beatles were falling apart. If you’ve seen the Get Back documentary, you know the tension was thick enough to cut with a dull knife. George initially pitched "Something" during the Let It Be sessions in early 1969. He showed it to John and Paul, and they... well, they didn't do much. John actually suggested George keep working on it, famously telling him to just say whatever words came to mind. When George was stuck on the line "Attracts me like...", John shouted out, "Attracts me like a pomegranate!"
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They used that as a placeholder for a while. Seriously.
When they finally got into the studio for Abbey Road, the energy shifted. Everyone knew this was the one. Even Frank Sinatra eventually called it "the greatest love song of the last fifty years," though he famously and hilariously used to introduce it on stage as a Lennon-McCartney composition. George just laughed it off. He was used to being overshadowed, but "Something" was the moment he finally stood taller than the two men beside him.
The Anatomy of the Sound
What makes the track "Something" actually move? It’s the bass. Paul McCartney’s bass line in this song is busy. Like, really busy. In any other context, it might have been too much. It dances around the vocal, filling every gap with these melodic runs that shouldn't work but somehow anchor the whole thing.
Then there’s the solo. George didn't overplay. He used a Les Paul through a Leslie speaker cabinet to get that swirling, watery guitar tone. It’s a masterclass in phrasing. Every note feels like it’s weeping—not in a sad way, but in a "this is too beautiful to handle" way.
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A Quick Breakdown of the Track's Evolution:
The first demo was just George and a piano. It sounds raw, almost like a blues track. Then came the Joe Cocker version. Little known fact: George actually gave the song to Joe Cocker before The Beatles recorded their definitive version. Cocker’s version is gritty, but it lacks the polish and the sweeping orchestral arrangement by George Martin that eventually defined the Abbey Road cut.
The strings were the final touch. Martin wrote an arrangement that didn't just sit in the background; it soared. It gave the song a cinematic quality that made it feel much larger than a standard pop hit. It was the first time a Harrison song was released as the A-side of a Beatles single. That was a huge deal. It signaled a shift in the band's internal power dynamic, even if it was happening right as they were calling it quits.
What People Often Get Wrong
There’s a persistent myth that George wrote the song purely as a tribute to Pattie Boyd. While she was certainly the immediate inspiration, George's headspace in 1969 was heavily influenced by Hindu philosophy and the Hare Krishna movement. To George, "she" wasn't always a woman. Sometimes "she" was the divine. He looked for the sacred in the secular.
Also, people forget how much John Lennon actually loved this song. John was notoriously prickly about other people’s songwriting, but he touted "Something" as the best track on Abbey Road. He recognized that George had finally tapped into that universal frequency that he and Paul had occupied for years.
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The Lasting Legacy of the "Borrowed" Phrase
It’s funny how music circles back. James Taylor wrote a line, George Harrison made it a hit, and then hundreds of artists covered it. Elvis Presley did it. Ray Charles did it. Smokey Robinson did it. It’s one of the most covered songs in history, second only to "Yesterday."
The connection between The Beatles Something in the way she moves and the original James Taylor track remains a cool bit of trivia for die-hard fans. It shows that even the greats aren't afraid to take a spark from someone else to light a massive fire. George took a simple observation about a woman's movement and turned it into a monumental statement on devotion.
If you want to truly appreciate the song, stop listening to the remastered digital versions for a second. Try to find an original vinyl pressing or a high-quality mono mix. You’ll hear the grit in George's voice. You'll hear the way the drums hit a little harder in the bridge. It’s a reminder that before it was a "classic," it was just four guys in a room trying to capture a feeling before the band dissolved forever.
How to Listen Like an Expert
To get the full experience, listen to the Abbey Road "Take 39" version found on the 50th-anniversary box set. It’s the version before the orchestra was added. You can hear the interplay between the four Beatles more clearly. You can hear the moment they realized they weren't just backing George up—they were helping him create a masterpiece.
Go back and listen to James Taylor’s original "Something in the Way She Moves" from his 1968 debut. Notice the phrasing. Then jump straight to the Beatles track. It’s like watching a black-and-white sketch turn into a Technicolor film.
Next Steps for the Superfan:
- Check out the "Something" isolated vocal tracks on YouTube to hear George’s incredible double-tracking technique.
- Compare the 1969 studio version with George's live performance at the Concert for Bangladesh in 1971; the live version has a much more soulful, desperate edge.
- Read Pattie Boyd's memoir for the "other side" of the story regarding the song’s emotional impact on her life.