George Harrison Said He Felt ‘Uncomfortable’ Working With Bob Dylan for the First Time: ‘He Seemed Nervous’
George Harrison and Bob Dylan were longtime friends who met through music. The two wound up becoming part of George Harrison’s popular post-Beatles band, The Traveling Wilburys. The two always had nice things to say about each other — and that friendship had to start somewhere. Still, Harrison once reflected in his memoir that the first time he actually got to know Dylan was a bit awkward.
George Harrison and Bob Dylan developed a close friendship
Dylan and Harrison were just two guys trying to make it in the rock and roll industry, and their first encounter actually happened years before their friendship — and music partnership — started. Back in 1964, Harrison was in New York City playing concerts as a member of The Beatles. The band was staying at New York’s Delmonico Hotel, which is where they first spent time with Dylan — who offered them some marijuana.
According to Beatles Bible, Brian Epstein’s then-assistant Peter Brown said that Dylan misinterpreted The Beatles’ “I Want to Hold Your Hand” lyrics to say, “I get high,” when they actually say, “I can’t hide.” From there, though, the band members — including Harrison — continued to be friendly with Dylan. But it wasn’t until four years later that Dylan and Harrison got together as individuals looking to make some more music.
George Harrison recalled his first solo meeting with Bob Dylan
In 1968, several years after Harrison and Dylan initially spent time together, Harrison decided to make the trip to Dylan’s home in Woodstock with the hopes of getting to know him and making music with him. Harrison revealed that, though he was welcomed into Dylan’s presence, things were a bit awkward at first.
“He seemed a little nervous, and I felt a little uncomfortable,” Harrison wrote in his “I, Me, Mine” memoir, per Cosmic Magazine. “Anyway, on the third day we got the guitars out and loosened up and I was saying to him, ‘write some words.’” The two eventually penned a song together, “I’d Have You Anytime,” and Harrison continued to think highly of Dylan. Harrison’s “Behind That Locked Door” was inspired by Dylan; Dylan had been in seclusion for quite a while, and the song was written about him opening himself back up to the music scene.
Bob Dylan spoke out about George Harrison following his death in 2001
Harrison and Dylan continued to remain close friends, and of course famously later belonged to The Traveling Wilburys. They were friends up until Harrison’s untimely cancer death in 2001 at just 58 years old, and Dylan was quick to honor Harrison by releasing a statement.
“He inspired love and had the strength of a hundred men,” part of Dylan’s statement read. “He was like the sun, the flowers and the moon, and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him.” Dylan also noted that Harrison was “a great, great soul, with all of the humanity, all of the wit and humor, all the wisdom, the spirituality, the common sense of a man and compassion for people.”
