In The Beatles’ final years together as a band, the group was engaged in a number of feuds and arguments. During the recording of their final album, Let It Be, and the shooting of the documentary of the same name, tensions continued to rise, sparking disagreements that would eventually lead to the eruption of the band. George Harrison, in particular, had issues with Paul McCartney. He later explained how the Hey Jude singer was to blame for his biggest downfall.
Harrison was frequently pushed to the side by McCartney and John Lennon while they were songwriting.
As Lennon and McCartney had been writing tracks together for decades, it came as second nature to them. They even started the official Lennon-McCartney Songwriting Partnership to copyright their songs alone.
When they did give Harrison a chance to express his creativity, however, he would write some truly remarkable tracks. The star, who was the youngest member of The Beatles, wrote such iconic songs as Something, Here Comes The Sun and While My Guitar Gently Weeps.
Despite these unbelievable successes, McCartney’s constant habit of pushing Harrison aside left a mental mark on him that he couldn’t shake. And eventually, Harrison felt as if he had snapped.
Harrison later confessed during an interview: “I had no confidence in myself as a guitar player having spent so many years with Paul McCartney.”
He scolded: “He ruined me as a guitar player.”
This method of thinking was blatant in the infamous fight shown off during the Let It Be sessions caught on camera. In the heated moment, Harrison and McCartney got caught up in the technicalities of how to write a song, prompting Harrison to famously hit out at McCartney.
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Harrison told McCartney in a fit of anger: “OK, well, I don’t mind. I’ll play – ya know – whatever you want me to play. Or I won’t play at all if that’s what you want. Whatever it is that’ll please you, I’ll do it!”
It was obvious to everyone that Harrison was being pushed aside in one way or another.
His close friend and musical confidant Bob Dylan even commented publicly on the disagreements The Beatles were enduring behind the scenes.
Dylan said: “George got stuck with being the Beatle that had to fight to get songs on records because of Lennon and McCartney. Well, who wouldn’t get stuck? If George had had his own group and was writing his own songs back then, he’d have been probably just as big as anybody.”
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Harrison’s wife at the time, Pattie Boyd, also spoke out about how The Quiet Beatle was feeling behind the scenes.
She recalled Harrison would come home after a recording session and be utterly furious.
She said: “The Beatles made him unhappy, with the constant arguments. They were vicious to each other. That was really upsetting, and even more so for him because he had this new spiritual avenue. Like a little brother, he was pushed into the background. He would come home from recording and be full of anger. It was a very bad state that he was in.”
Ultimately, she blamed McCartney for Harrison’s mood swings.
Boyd said: “George saw Paul as difficult. They would tolerate each other, but I think George basically didn’t like Paul’s personality. I just think they really didn’t love each other.”
It seems Boyd was right, considering after The Beatles split Harrison wrote a few pointed tracks aimed directly at McCartney.
He penned the tracks Wah Wah and Sue Me, Sue You Blues, which included a plethora of references aimed at the singer.
