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13 September 2023
4.02pm
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Joe
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‘Cheer Down’ was a standalone single released by George Harrison in 1989.

Harrison originally offered the song to Eric Clapton, who declined to record it. It then caught the attention of Michael Kamen, who was working on the soundtrack of Lethal Weapon 2. See more…

There’s a song here, when Eric was doing the Journeyman album, and I wrote this song for him, but he didn’t use it. I think we made an attempt at it, we just ran through the song, and at that time he was working with Michael Kamen doing the music to Lethal Weapon 2, and the director Dick Donner heard this song, and he wanted it in the film. And Eric didn’t really want it – he didn’t want to have a single out from the movie – so Dick Donner asked me if I’d record the song, which I did.

I wrote it for Eric originally, and Tom Petty helped me write the lyrics to it. It’s called ‘Cheer Down’. So this is one of my newer songs that was included in the Live In Japan set.

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21 January 2016
2.27pm
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meanmistermustard
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One of the best George tracks, one of the best solo Beatles tracks. I love the theme of the track (you dont need to be happy and cheerful for me to love you and want you around), the guitar parts are stunning, love the descending piano parts, and it includes one of my favourite George’ lyrics anywhere:

If your dog should be dead
I’m gonna love you instead

No doubt considered by many to be garbage I love idea of ambiguity in the lines; is George saying he’ll love you instead of the dog if it’s dead? Probably not but the thought is there, well me for at least.

This is the George track that brightens my being every time I hear it and a damn good reason to keep watching ‘Lethal Weapon 2’ just to hear it (which is probably where I heard it first).

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Beatlebug

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21 January 2016
3.08pm
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pepperland
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I find it odd that near the end of the song, the drumming starts to go haywire and pans to the left on random snare hits. Is it something wrong with the master tapes or a mistake in the making of Let It Roll? I’m assuming that it is not deliberate. a-hard-days-night-ringo-7I noticed it in another George song but I can’t recall which.

Times I find it hard to say / With useless words getting in my waySuprised about this one.Sad about this one

21 January 2016
3.38pm
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Beatlebug
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I’d not noticed that before! Listening now and I see what you mean– it’s not Let It Roll because I’ve got it on the Best Of Dark Horse compilation. 

Fab song it is anyway, despite the barmy mixing. Little Girl and I have a running joke about the lines you mentioned: she doesn’t like that word ‘dead’ so I always make sure to sing along with it nice and loud. a-hard-days-night-john-1 I always feel cheered up– I mean, down– when I hear it. As the phrase was coined by Olivia (so I hear), I like to think of it as sort of her attitude toward George, as if she’s telling him, ‘Don’t worry, because if things go wrong, I’ll still be here for you.’ Of course I’m just making stuff up, but that’s how I like to see it. 

I like Olivia. a-hard-days-night-paul-7 

I also like the guitar solo. And that ridiculous one-minute-forty-second-long coda, which is like George saying, ‘Okay, I’ve got the song lyrics and structure out of the way; let’s jam!’ And the way he draws out the word ‘crasssssshhhhhh’. And Jeff Lynne forgetting himself and contributing a ‘Cheer down!’ And the very ending.

It’s a great song, a droll lyric, and it’s got that sort of ‘I demand your full attention’ vibe, with that beat and George’s loud and determined slide, and his excellent, also loud and determined vocal. I like it. 

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13 September 2023
4.13pm
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Joe
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Live in Japan performance:

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Richard

Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

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