A Song of Impermanence, A Gentle Farewell, and George’s Deepest Meditation on the Seasons of the Soul
When George Harrison wrote “All Things Must Pass,” he was stepping into a profound transformation — personal, musical, and spiritual. Though drafted during the final years of the Beatles and inspired by George’s blossoming connection to Eastern philosophy, the song did not fully bloom until 1970, when it became the emotional centerpiece of his monumental triple album. In a world that often clings to what is familiar, George offered a different truth: everything — joy, sorrow, confusion, love, even life itself — flows, changes, and ultimately passes.
The song opens with a calm, steady confidence, its melody shaped like a slow sunrise. Acoustic guitars shimmer gently, and George’s voice enters with a warm, contemplative tone. Unlike many breakup songs or laments of loss, he does not sing from the wound — he sings from the wisdom that comes after the wound.
“Sunrise doesn’t last all morning…”
These first words could have come from a scripture or a meditation. George had spent years studying the teachings of impermanence, and here he distilled them into the simplest, most comforting poetry. Everything is temporary — the bright days and the dark ones. Nothing stays. Nothing is fixed.
The emotional center of the song arrives in one of George’s most enduring lines:
💬 “It’s not always going to be this grey.”
It is a message as soft as a whisper and as powerful as a prayer. George is not denying that grey days come — he is reminding us they do not last. The line feels like something spoken between friends during hard times, offering reassurance without minimizing pain.
Musically, the song reflects this gentle truth.
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The tempo is unhurried, like the natural rhythm of seasons.
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The harmonies expand like open sky.
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The production, guided by Phil Spector but anchored in George’s spiritual calm, creates a glowing, cathedral-like atmosphere.
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Subtle horns and organ textures lift the melody without weighing it down.
It is a song of release, not resistance.
Though many fans interpret the track as George’s farewell to the Beatles, the meaning is broader and more timeless. George is not singing goodbye to a band — he is singing goodbye to attachment, to ego, to the illusion that anything in life can be held forever. Yet the song never feels cold. In fact, its warmth comes from acceptance: when you stop fighting change, peace flows in naturally.
Over the decades, the song has become a refuge for listeners navigating grief, transition, or uncertainty. Its melody is gentle enough to soothe, but strong enough to carry meaning. And as George grew older, his performances deepened. His voice grew softer, wiser, touched with experience — and the lyric “all things must pass” took on layers of beauty and sorrow he could never have foreseen in his youth.
After George’s passing in 2001, the song became something transcendent. It was no longer just a reflection on impermanence; it became his own farewell to the world — not a cry of sadness, but a blessing. A reminder that he understood the journey, embraced it, and found peace in the flow of time.
Ultimately, “All Things Must Pass” is not a song of loss, but of liberation.
A guide for moving through the seasons of life with grace.
A reminder that every grey sky eventually opens.
And a testament to George Harrison’s greatest gift:
teaching the world that letting go
is its own form of love.