Beatles Member George Harrison's Released Two of the Greatest Love Songs Ever Written

George Harrison was, without a doubt, one of the reasons the Beatles remain an unforgettable and remarkable band. While often overshadowed by the group’s primary songwriting duo, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the guitarist proved he could write original songs just as well. In fact, he is the songwriter behind some of the band’s most beloved tracks, including “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and the massive fan favorite — and currently the most-streamed Beatles song on Spotify — “Here Comes the Sun.” Although considerably underappreciated at first, Harrison emerged as the Fab Four’s greatest lyricist, even arguably surpassing the Lennon-McCartney partnership. Unsurprisingly, his solo career took off immediately after the band disbanded, thanks not only to his time with the Beatles but also to his exceptional talent for writing meaningful, introspective songs. And some of his most tender material was inspired by a far more personal source: his son, Dhani Harrison.

While labeled as the “Quiet Beatle,” Harrison’s talent was far from quiet. Some of the Beatles songs Harrison wrote include “Something,” “Taxman,” “Within You Without You,” “Love You To,” “Don’t Bother Me,” “If I Needed Someone,” and “Think for Yourself,” among others. These are in addition to the songs he helped craft but was not formally credited for. After his time with the Beatles, Harrison soon began exploring his spirituality and musical identity even more profoundly. The result was a string of songs laced with spiritual depth. When he eventually married Olivia Harrison, they welcomed a son together, whom they named Dhani. With that, his journey into fatherhood began. It’s no secret that some of Harrison’s best work came from his solo career, and two of the most notable — and arguably his finest — are those written for his son: 1978’s “Soft Touch” and 1982’s “Unknown Delight.” These songs showcased how fatherhood helped shape his creative output years after the Beatles disbanded, further solidifying his legacy as one of the world's greatest songwriters.

"Soft Touch" Is a Tender Ode to Early Parenthood

Some of the best songs from our favorite artists are often inspired by their personal experiences. Some write about heartbreaks, relationships, loss, and even the pressures of fame. In Harrison’s case, it’s one written about early fatherhood. In the song, he sings about his unconditional love for his newborn son and the joy of welcoming his little one into the world. The lyrics read, “My whole heart is melting / As a warm sun rises into joy / I'm sailing / To your soft touch baby.” “Soft Touch” — from Harrison's self-titled eighth studio album — is perhaps one of the singer-songwriter's most emotional songs, though it wasn’t initially intended to be about Dhani. Eventually, however, he switched things up to reflect his experience as a new father.

“[‘Soft Touch’] actually came from a remark Jim Keltner made in one of his lighter moods about me being a soft touch,” said Harrison. “I had Dark Horse Records at the time, and people think that you’re a bank and come to you for money. By the end of the song, though, I’d changed some of the words so that it became more about my baby boy.”

George Harrison Celebrates His Son More Profoundly With "Unknown Delight"

Harrison’s lore is an interesting journey. He had been a Beatle (one of the most celebrated bands in the world) and was labeled as the “Quiet Beatle,” only to flourish with his solo career, on top of being a spiritual seeker. But one of our favorites was Harrison as a father, which ultimately gave us two of the best songs in his catalog, including “Unknown Delight” from his tenth studio album, Gone Troppo. Released in 1982, the song is a laid-back track, standing out for its reflective lyrics, most especially for its heartfelt tribute to his son. Olivia herself revealed that the song was created after she suggested writing a song about their son. She said:

“There’s a song he wrote about our son when he was born that I really love, and it’s become a favorite. It’s called ‘Unknown Delight’, and it’s on the Gone Troppo album. He was saying, ‘What should I write about? What should I write a song about?’ I said, ‘Write a song about Dhani.’ And he wrote this beautiful song which was very prescient, actually.”