A so-called “dark day” for George Harrison led to the Quiet One of The Beatles writing one of his most brutal songs.
The track, which featured on his triple album, All Things Must Pass, has been interpreted as a knock at his former bandmates, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Though the pair were still working with Harrison at the time he wrote the song, it appears clear the words to Wah Wah are a chance for Harrison to channel his frustrations. Fans praised the Here Comes the Sun songwriter for his brutal honesty in both the song and a diary entry which has gone down as a legendary moment for the musician.
Studio session tensions bubbled over for Harrison during the Get Back rehearsals, prompting him to briefly quit the band. Ringo Starr had previously departed the band towards the end of The White Album recording but rejoined a short while later. Starr had felt he “wasn’t playing great” and that he was “an outsider” but after a holiday to Sardinia, he rejoined the band. Harrison’s departure from the Get Back sessions lasted five days and has since been immortalised in a diary entry.
January 10, 1969 saw Harrison write in his diary he had “left The Beatles”. The full entry reads: “Got up, went to Twickenham. Rehearsed until lunchtime – left The Beatles – went home.” One fan dubbed Harrison an “icon” for his diary entry and departing from The Beatles while another said it was a “dark day” for fans of the Fab Four. Harrison’s rather stoic attitude to The Beatles has been celebrated by fans in a Reddit thread, who shared similar stories about the Something and All Things Must Pass songwriter.
One user recalled: “I remember his son, Dhani, telling a story about how he was chased home from school once when he was 6 by bullies who were singing Yellow Submarine as a taunt. When George came home Dhani was still upset about what had happened and he said, ‘Dad, how come you never told me you were one of the Beatles?’ And George replied, ‘Oh, sorry, I probably should have told you that’.”
In the five-day downtime Harrison had after leaving The Beatles, he wrote Wah Wah, the song which features on his triple album, All Things Must Pass. Lyrical readings include jabs at Paul McCartney’s criticism of Harrison’s guitar playing to Lennon’s lack of interest in the Get Back project. He too would leave The Beatles, announcing his departure in a meeting Harrison was absent from.
Wah Wah was also the first song Harrison played live as a solo artist, and it was used as the opening song of his Concert for Bangladesh performance. The song was later performed at a remembrance concert, Concert for George, with McCartney, Eric Clapton, Starr, and Jeff Lynne all appearing.
Harrison did rejoin The Beatles but only after the rest of the band agreed to his terms, which included scrapping a proposed return to the stage and to move sessions to Apple Studio in Savile Row.
The band had previously been recording at Twickenham Studios, where Harrison offered All Things Must Pass, Let it Down, and Hear Me Lord. None were selected for the album. I Me Mine was also ridiculed by Lennon before featuring on Let it Be.
