George Harrison Wrote This Song for Bob Dylan—and It Became One of Rock’s Most Beautiful Love Songs

When The Beatles officially broke up in 1970, things had been over for a while, even if it hadn't been announced. Each of the Fab Four had been plotting their next move for a long time, and George Harrison, in particular, had been wanting to make it on his own for a long time. His first release after The Beatles broke up was a triple album, filled with songs he had been writing during the last few years of the band. All Things Must Pass was a huge success, making Harrison the first Beatle to achieve a number 1 album after the breakup. The opening track is titled "I'd Have You Anytime," a love song credited to both him and Bob Dylan. But what a lot of people don't know is that the song is actually a reflection of the deep bond between these two legendary musicians.

George Harrison's Love Song to His Best Friend

George Harrison first met Bob Dylan when The Beatles toured the United States in 1964, and the experience forever changed them. The Beatles were huge fans of Dylan, and they later shared on The Beatles Anthology that he was the one who introduced them to marihuana. In time, Dylan became as much a fan of the band as they were of him, but his deepest bond was undoubtedly with George Harrison. Their personalities matched very well, and their friendship grew steadily throughout the '60s.

In late 1968, Harrison was working in the U.S., producing an album for one of Apple's (The Beatles' record label) first signings. After working in Los Angeles for a couple of months, Dylan invited him up to his house in Woodstock, New York, for Thanksgiving. The two of them spent several days together there, but while they were playing together and enjoying each other's company, Dylan wasn't his best self. At the time, he was recovering from a serious injury from a motorcycle accident. Seeing his friend so down sparked an idea for a love song that proved just how deep and meaningful their friendship was.

Harrison started writing "I'd Have You Anytime," and later brought Dylan into the songwriting process. This track is both a plea for connection and a promise of unconditional love and acceptance. The lyrics open with, "Let me in here, I know I've been here, let me into your heart." In the chorus, Harrison bares his soul and seems to be telling his friend that, even in the dark times, he will be there for him. "All I have is yours, all you see is mine. And I'm glad to hold you in my arms, I'd have you anytime."

Harrison and Bob Dylan's Enduring Friendship

All Things Must Pass came out in 1971, but "I'd Have You Anytime" was far from their last collaboration. Through the years, they worked on each other's albums and played live shows together. In 1988, the two of them finally started a band together, alongside three other legends: Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne from Electric Light Orchestra. The supergroup only stayed together for a few years, as Roy Orbison passed away shortly after the release of their first album, but they still had several hits. The four surviving members remained friends, collaborating with each other occasionally, and Dylan and Harrison especially remained as close as ever.

Years later, in the George Harrison documentary, Living in the Material World, Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison, spoke fondly of her husband's friendship with Dylan, describing it as one of "George’s most important relationships."

"I mean, George… “I’d Have You Anytime,” the song that George and Bob wrote together. He was talking directly to Bob because he’d seen Bob, and then he’d seen Bob another time and he didn’t seem as open. And so, that was his way of saying, 'Let me in here. Let me into your heart.'" She went on to say that Harrison "was very unabashed and romantic" about it his friendships. "You know, I found that he had these love relationships with his friends. He loved them."

Indeed, Harrison was not afraid to rely on his friends. While this love song was about his friendship with Dylan, he recruited a lot of people for All Things Must Pass. As happy as he was to finally be embarking on his solo journey, he was also nervous, and having Dylan and other musicians he loved play on the album helped his confidence. He had Eric Clapton play on "I'd Have You Anytime" as well, and the collaboration with two of his closest friends was what made him want to use the song as the opening track of the album.

"Subconsciously, I needed a bit of support. I had Eric playing the solo, and Bob had helped write it, so it could have been something to do with that,” Harrison said about the track in one of his last interviews in 2001.