(The Beatles) While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Gabriella Quevedo
How To Unfold Your Love
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” was written by George Harrison and released on November 22, 1968 for The Beatles’ eponymous double album. Though Eric Clapton was not given any formal credit, the song featured him as the lead guitarist. His presence during the recording eased the building tension in the studio though Harrison had to convince him to show up.
- Number 136 on “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time” by The Rolling Stone magazine
- Number 7 on the Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time”
Inspiration for the song came to Harrison when reading the I Ching, which, as Harrison put it, “seemed to me to be based on the Eastern concept that everything is relative to everything else… opposed to the Western view that things are merely coincidental.” Taking this idea of relativism to his parents’ home in northern England, Harrison committed to write a song based on the first words he saw upon opening a random book. Those words were “gently weeps”, and he immediately began writing the song.
This was Harrison’s most celebrated song in the entire White Album. It was because of Clapton’s presence, at Harrison’s request, that the band took the track seriously. It was eventually completed on September with Clapton playing his famous but uncredited guitar solo.
An early acoustic guitar and organ demo of the song featured a slightly different third verse.
It may not have been a chart-topper upon its release but it definitely is one of the most enduring and unforgettable Beatles songs! Gabriella sure did a great job at covering it!
