“While my
Guitar Gently Weeps” from the Beatles White Album is one of their best, IMHO. I
love the guitar chords and the stories of how it became the version we know
today.
The song
was supposedly inspired by I Ching a
Chinese Book of Changes, which George Harrison found at his mother’s house one
visit. Some say Harrison had trouble convincing the band the song was any good.
After several attempts, the band had a little help from their friend, Eric
Clapton, and got it right.
Whatever
happened, it is hard to argue the beauty and longing in this song. It reminds
me of how change sometimes feels.
So many
changes happen in September: back-to-school, football, autumn, and transforming
leaves. I keep thinking how much our kids have grown this year, how much fun we
had this summer (most of the time), and that they’re heading back to school. It
makes me smile, and yet, I long for those seemingly simpler days when we went
everywhere together. It wasn’t really simpler, just different.
Our family
investigated the world and the kids asked a million questions, usually while I
was driving. It was fun, crazy, exhausting and…everything all at once. And it
was beautiful. So, in honor of change, and beauty, and longing, I’ve compiled
my top five versions of ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ by some truly great musicians:
The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Santana, India Arie, Prince, and Tom Petty, just to
name a few.
Let’s
listen, maybe weep a little, and get through the start of this new school year
together. Feel free to share your favorites too!
1. Santana,
Yo Yo Ma feat. India Arie
2. Beatles
“White Album” (with Eric Clapton)
3. Jake
Shimabukuro playing near Strawberry Fields
4. Eric
Clapton
5. Prince,
Tom Petty, Dhani Harrison, Jeff Lynne & Steve Winwood
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