I, Me, Mine: The Extended Edition

by George Harrison

Cherished by fans and collectors since its first publication in 1980, I, Me, Mine is now available in paperback. The closest we will come to George Harrison's autobiography, it features George in conversation with The Beatles' spokesperson Derek Taylor, discussing everything from early Beatlemania to his love of gardening. The lyrics to over 80 of his songs, many in his own hand, are accompanied by his uniquely intimate and humorous commentary. Fifty archival photographs of George with The Beatles and solo capture a journey of creative and spiritual transformation. Brimming with the wit, warmth, and grace that characterized his life, and with an introduction by his wife, Olivia, I, Me, Mine is a treasured portrait of George Harrison and his music.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Biography Memoir, British Literature

Unknown Binding

First published December 1, 1980

About the author

George Harrison, MBE, was an award-winning English rock guitarist, singer, songwriter, author and sitarist best known as the lead guitarist for The Beatles. Following the band's breakup, Harrison had a successful career as a solo artist and later as part of the Traveling Wilburys super group where he was known as both Nelson Wilbury and Spike Wilbury. He was also a film producer, with his production company Handmade Films, involving people as diverse as Madonna and the members of Monty Python. After Harrison embraced Hinduism in the 1960s, his spiritual convictions were often evident in his music and public activities.

Reviews

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book countless times. It isn't a typical autobiography. Anyone who wants the intimate details of George's personal relations, some scuttlebutt on Paul McCartney, or other types of ankle deep nit picking won't find it here. Instead, "I, Me, Mine" is like a fireside chat with a classy, fascinating, witty, and dignified friend. We read about George's history and interests, brief mentions of his enormous cast of friends, and details on each song.

Derek Taylor's editorials are delightful. It's easy to love Derek right alongside George. I wish the pair had lived much, much longer, to enjoy more wry humor and garden strolls, and also (selfishly) an updated copy of the book.

God bless George. He is one of a kind.

[Lars K Jensen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an autobiography by George Harrison. I repeat: This is *not* an autobiography by George Harrison. It even says on the back of the book, that "I Me Mine is the closest we will come to George Harrison's autobiography".

If you open this book expecting an autobiography, you are in for certain disappointment. If you, on the other hand, expect to get a little closer to Harrison, understand him at little better and learn more about his views of life, other people and death while he also lifts a little on the lit covering the secrets of how one of the world's greatest songwriters ever handles his craft; then you are in for a treat.

The first part of the book is Harrison in conversation with his friend Derek Taylor ("an English journalist, writer and publicist, best known for his work as press officer for The Beatles"), after Taylor has briefly introduced himself and how he got to know Harrison and the other Beatles.

The major part of the book (and for me the pièce de résistance) is a lot of Harrison's lyrics - all introduced (some more briefly than others) by the man himself. Some of these songs have been played probably everwhere thousands of times and it's interesting to hear how they came about and what they mean to him.

Some of the highlights from the book (for me) are not among the lyrics, though, but some quotes by Harrison from the first part of the book:

"Friends are all souls that we've known in other lives. We're drawn to each other. That's how I feel about friends. Even if I have only known them for a day, it doesn't matter. I'm not going to wait till I have known them two years, because anyway we have met somewhere before, you know. [...] Those people who you know much more easily or more quickly are people whom you've already known in other lives."

"The Beatles were doomed. Your own space, man, it's so important. That's why we were doomed because we didn't have any. It's like monkeys in a zoo. They die."

And his answer when asked the question if the (ex-)Beatles are a bit removed from reality:

"Reality is a concept. Everybody has their own reality (if they are lucky). Most people's reality is an illusion that 'I am this body'. I am not George. I am not really George [karma name only]. I am this living thing that goes on, always has been, always will be, but at this time I happen to be in 'this' body. The body has changed; was a baby, was a young man, will soon be an old man, and I'll be dead. The physical body will pass but this bit in the middle, that's the only reality. All the rest is the illusion, so to say that somebody thinks that we, the ex-Beatles, are removed from reality is their personal concept. It does not have any truth to it just because somebody thinks it. They are the concepts which become layer upon layer of illusion. Why live in the darkness all your life. Why, if you are unhappy, if you are a miserable time, why not just look at it. Why are you in the darkness? Look for the light. The light is within. That is the big message."

What a guy.

[Bruce · Rating 2 out of 5]

Beatle George was a mere 36 when this was “written”. As autobiography, this being the only attempt at the form by any of the fabs, it’s terribly disappointing. The first section is comprised of ‘anecdotes’, some of them interesting, recalled by George in taped conversations with Derek Taylor, the Beatles’ publicist and apologist. Then there is a lengthy section of pictures, followed by an even lengthier collection of reproductions of scribbled-on sheets of paper, mostly hotel letterhead, torn spiral notebook pages, record company stationery, and napkins. These contain nascent and completed song lyrics and notes, and the occasional doodle. To these George adds comments about how each song came about, again, some more interesting than others, usually in a paragraph or less. This lengthy section contains commentary on many of George’s lesser works, and there are plenty of those in his solo career. George is famously known as ‘the quiet one’ and became terribly fame-averse and fiercely private after the Beatlemania period. So I guess it’s natural he came up with a patently unrevealing autobiography. And a really lazy job of it, too.

[Elizabeth Sowden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently, my mother accused me of being more obsessed with George than she was in the 60s. I denied it, but then this came in the mail and I realized I had no argument. It’s a gorgeous book with lovey photos, though many are familiar. The book does provide some interesting insights into George’s character and creativity and Derek Taylor’s contributions are witty. Highly recommended for Beatle fans and collectors.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Harrison tells in his own words about his life with and after the Beatles. He takes his music seriously, but is not afraid to parody himself and the Beatles as his collaboration on the Rutles with members of Monty Python proves. Harrison had to fight for his space on the Beatles records. Two of the Beatles biggest songs, "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" were Harrison tunes. After the breakup of the group his songwriting skills flourished on the classic album "All Things Must Pass". His mega hit "My Sweet Lord" was penalized by a lawsuit for "unconscious plagiarism". Lots of interesting stories here as one might imagine from a member of the Beatles and buddies with Eric Clapton. The one known as "the quiet Beatle" has a lot to say in this book.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immersed in the middle of In Search of Lost Time (about 2/3 into my second reading of The Guermantes Way) and stuck at the beginning of Robert Fagle’s translation of The Iliad: that pretty much sums up my reading life for the past two months. Not to get too personal, but 2016 has been a rather trying year and it has been difficult finding the desire or concentration to read lately, and I’ve found Homer and Proust to be particularly challenging to continue on with at this time. I felt I needed to read something lighter, and George Harrison’s “autobiography” (if it can justly be called that), I Me Mine, proved to be just the sort of read I needed – light as angel’s food cake, but not mere fluff.

In a review of another work I made it clear that of the four Beatles, George is undoubtedly my favorite. Maybe John and Paul were superior songwriters in terms of quality and overall output, but George wrote some of my favorite Beatles songs: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “I Me Mine,” “For You Blue,” “Within You, Without You,” “Something,” “You Like Me Too Much,” “If I Needed Someone,” “Savoy Truffle,” “Love You To,” “The Inner Light,” “Only a Northern Song,” “Old Brown Shoe.” This output was great enough that I can forgive him for the amusing, but slightly self-indulgent commentary that is “Piggies” (though I did find it amusing while reading this book to discover that George’s mother contributed the line, “What they need’s a damn good whacking!”). And post-Beatles the music of both George and John have given me endless hours of enjoyment.

But not only is it that I appreciate George’s music – and particularly his guitar playing ability – but George’s spiritual journey has always been very interesting to me. He and John, as he explains in this book, dabbled in psychedelic drugs together (a couple of year before Paul and some time before Ringo), which both expanded their consciousness and drew them closer together. Yet, whereas for George these experiences led him on a search for the universal and divine, John was more the skeptic. George felt he had found Something on his spiritual journey, whereas John tried to find something – anything – but found nothing. To John the material world was all there was – manifested in love-ins, creating social change, Yoko, Sean – but to George there was more – a universal consciousness, immense potential in every individual, endless quantities of artistic inspiration.

More than this I think I’m drawn to George because he seemed the least egocentric of the Beatles – “the quiet one” or the thoughtful one – and in this respect really the anti-McCartney. For George, being human, possessed that little something we call an “ego,” but he was in constant battle trying to suppress it or overcome it (many times without success), and in this sense George seemed to be very honest – almost to a fault and often to the point of embarrassment. If he liked someone he’d write a song for them or just simply tell them. When it came to subjects like love and religion, he shared his feelings on the matters honestly and often very simply, knowing that others may find his views puerile, but exposing himself and his weaknesses nonetheless.

Plus, George’s quirky sense of humor (he was after all good friends with Eric Idle of Monty Python and produced Monty Python’s Life of Brian), which shines throughout this work (in lines like: “BLUE JAY WAY was [written] at a time when I’d rented a house in Los Angeles on – Blue Jay Way, and I’d arrived there from England. I was waiting around for Derek and Joan Taylor who were then living in L.A. . . . The mood [of the song is] slightly Indian. Derek Taylor is slightly Welsh”), has always had a sort of magnetism for me because I, too, have a bit of an unusual sense of humor and, also like George, I am not beyond doing things like writing a piece on some obscure subject that might appeal only to a handful of other people if it is of personal interest. As George explains, it wasn’t beyond him to create songs that might be classified as “piece[s] of personal indulgence . . . things nobody else knows or cares about, except maybe two people.” Why waste time just trying to please others?

Now all that said, about the book itself. I suppose if I had to rate it I would assign it 3.5 stars: 2.5 stars to the very uninformative autobiographical section, which was short and choppy and 4.5 to the second part, song lyrics plus commentary. That first section was co-written by George and Beatles publicist Derek Taylor and at about 70 pages it was scant on detail and covered very little of George’s life, more like a very casual conversation with one who is easily distracted – the sections written by Derek Taylor were italicized and made up about half of the 70 pages. Published when George was merely 37 – twenty-one years before his untimely departure from this material world – and with George largely dismissing his years as a Beatle, there was not much ground to cover and many things a reader might want to know more about – his relationship with Eric Clapton, the years with Pattie Boyd, his marriage to Olivia, musical or other influences, etc. – were hardly mentioned let alone discussed in any detail. This first part was, to say the least, disappointing. And the photos included at the end of this section were fun to see, but poorly labeled – one has to flip to a caption section at the end of the book for image details. And throughout the whole book there were a few typos, which was a bummer considering that the work has been republished since 1980, my copy being a 2012 edition.

As disappointing as I found the first part of the work, though, I found the second part, containing lyrics and commentary to many of George’s best-known songs, fascinating and very informative. Here are a few of my favorite tidbits:

- “Don’t Bother Me,” George’s first song was written simply as “an exercise to see if [he] could write a song”
- “See Yourself” is about Paul’s experiences with LSD and the fact that he admitted it to the press
- “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” came about because George – then highly influenced by the I Ching and the notion that all things are relative to something else – opened a book at random while visiting his parents’ house and saw the words “Gently weeps” and decided to make a song based on those first words he read upon opening the book, believing the words (and thus the song) would be relative to that particular moment in time
- Eric Clapton’s sweet tooth was the inspiration for “Savoy Truffle” and the different sweets listed in the song were actual names of candies in a box of “Good News” chocolates that George had lying on his table
- “Here Comes the Sun” was written while walking around the garden at Clapton’s home
- The Cream song “Badge” was co-written with Clapton and got its title because Clapton couldn’t read George’s handwriting – mistaking the part of the song labeled “Bridge” as “Badge”
- George’s favorite cover of “Something”: the James Brown version (he’s also fond of Smokey Robinson’s cover; he would later write the song “Pure Smokey” about his admiration of the iconic songwriter/Miracles front man)
- “What is Life” was originally written for Billy Preston
- “I’d Have You Anytime” was written while in Woodstock, where he’d been invited by The Band – and where Bob Dylan (who contributed some lyrics to the song) was also staying at the time
- “The Art of Dying,” to which there is a lengthy two-page note, is about certain laws of Karma (very interesting to read about)
- “All Things Must Pass” was influenced by Robbie Robertson and The Band
- Like John Lennon’s “How Do You Sleep,” George’s “Run of the Mill” can also be read as a criticism of McCartney (as can a few other songs)
- “Wah Wah” came from the “headache” that was Let It Be and the breakup of the Beatles, when four very big egos clashed (this difficult period also being the inspiration for “I Me Mine”)
- “Behind That Locked Door” is about Bob Dylan and was jotted down on a record sleeve
- “Deep Blue” dealt with the passing of George’s mother and with human mortality in general
- “You” was originally written for Ronnie Spector, but after an unsuccessful go it was abandoned for several years
- “Sail Away Raymond” – recorded for Ringo’s Ringo album (Ringo joined by George and most of The Band) – was inspired by Donovan and Irish folk music
- “So Sad” is musically and lyrically one of George’s favorites, but is a sad reminder to him – the song about his split with Pattie Boyd
- The Miss O’Dell in Miss O’Dell is a real person: Chris O’Dell, a friend who worked at Apple
- Sir Frank Crisp was again a real person, and it was his house that George bought following his success with the Beatles; the words to “Ding Dong” came from a carving on a wall of the estate from Lord Tennyson: “Yesterday—today—was tomorrow/Tomorrow—today—will be yesterday”; “The Answer’s At the End” also came from something Sir Frank had painted on the walls of the estate
- “Far East Man” was a collaboration with Ronnie Wood; the title came from the wording on Wood’s t-shirt
- “Dear One”: written for Paramhansa Yogananda
- “Learning How to Love You”: written for Herb Alpert
- “Crackerbox Palace” was inspired by a story told to George by George Greif (mentioned in the lyrics of the song) about the comedian Lord Buckley
- “This Song” was essentially “light comedy relief” written amidst the “He’s So Fine”/“My Sweet Lord” lawsuit
- Nature and his experiences in Hawaii inspired most of the songs on the George Harrison album
- “Blow Away” was inspired by George’s desire to write a song for the Formula One racers with whom George had become chums

Being a fan of George’s music, I greatly enjoyed reading the lyrics to songs that I had heard so many times but never really paid enough attention to catch all of what he was saying. And, more than this, I was fascinated in learning about the things that influenced George’s musical output: friends, acquaintances, experiences, philosophies.

I suppose if one asked me which Beatle I would most liked to have met I would have to say George, because to me he is a kindred spirit, and I believe in a way – not unlike George or someone like André Breton or Jack Kerouac– that we may be drawn to certain things and people for a reason. Breton postulated that certain objects find us. And George that (drawing on the ideas of Paramhansa Yogananda) the people we get to know most quickly are people we’ve known in other lives; that souls are attracted to one another and sometimes these may cross generations. Sir Frank Crisp (who died 24 years before George was born) influenced – directly or indirectly – several songs that George wrote and he (George) feels he was magnetically drawn in some way to have lived in Sir Frank’s former estate. Whether or not any of this is true I don’t know – and no one can know this with any certainty. But in line with this I do feel that we may be attracted to those people or things that are at a given time meant for us. Reading this book by George was in some ways like visiting hidden corners of my own mind and in other ways like spending time with a dear friend, someone I’ve known all my life. And so, seeing George as a friend on this road of life, despite his flaws as a storyteller or writer, despite his egoistic impulses that contradicted so often his life philosophy, I feel that I should take his lyrics in “The Answer’s At the End” and apply them here, overlooking his faults and focusing instead on his strong virtues of character and his strength as an artist (and it's for this reason that I give this work 4 stars instead of 3):

Scan not a friend with a microscopic glass
You know his faults now let his foibles pass
Life is one long enigma my friend
So read on, read on, the answer’s at the end

And don’t be so hard on the ones that you love
It’s the ones that you love, we think so little of
Don’t be so hard on the ones that you need
It’s the ones that you need, we think so little of

The speech of flowers excels the flowers of speech
But what’s often in your heart is the hardest thing to reach. . . . .

You know my faults now let my foibles pass
Life is one long enigma my friends
Live on, live on the, the answer’s at the end.

And so Let it Roll.

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much fun to go through storage every now and then. Yes, I have a first edition. Not as valuable as an 1850 illustrated "Bocaccio's Decameron" (X-rated, I might add) but fabulously groovy. George was, when all is said and done, the HOT one. Besides, he gave us the best thing the Beatles ever produced: his own "All Things Must Pass."

[Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big Beatles fan, and George is my favorite of the 4. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, this book does not focus on those years. The format starts with a nice couple of chapters of introduction and talking about George's early years in grade school, partly written by Geo (my nickname for George) and partly by transcribed from Geo's dictation and partly recollections of Derek Taylor, who was connected first as a publicist of the Beatles but became a long-term associate/friend of Geo's (not sure if he kept up with the other 3 or not.) There is a photo section from all times, some with funny captions. The rest of the book has many (all?) of the songs Geo had written up to that point, with mostly short comments on the song origin and all of them with copies of the original notes as Geo developed the song or facsimiles of them if the original notes were lost. Geo's voice comes through in even the smallest snippet of writing.

I found a used first edition hardcover at a reasonable price ($17) and really enjoyed the small decorative flourishes in it. After one song he wrote at Olivia's request, there is a tiny heart after the lyrics. There are some either pen and ink or woodcut illustrations in the first part, showing places from Geo's childhood that are marvelous. I have no idea if the paperback edition has these touches but they are part of the charm of the book.

From the moment I held the volume I fell in love with it. It's like having a bit of Geo with me. Highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of the inimitable George Harrison.

[Nikki · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of George Harrison and was so excited to read this book. I was so disappointed. I found the first third of the book difficult to follow. Attimes it was unclear if it was George speaking or Derek Taylor. It was seemed to jump back and forth in time, so it was confusing. There were also printed sketches in this first section, with out any captions. It wasn't until I got to the second and middle section of photos that I was able to figure it out....none of these pictures had any captions either; so frustrating. Well at the end of the book there was a table that had the page numbers of the sketches listed with a description of each. The same was true for all the photos. This was so annoying. You had to keep flipping back and forth to read what the sketches and photos were of. The book just seemd so poorly put together.

I was also looking forward to reading all about George's songs. That too was disappointing as for the majority of them all George had to say was where or he was when he wrote the song and when it was, or what chord or instrument he used. It seemed to be more about the music end of it and not so much about the meaning of the lyrics or what inspired a song. There were a few in which George did delve into the meaning behind a song, but not for the most part.

This book could have been so much better..............

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of the book is a strange mélange of commentary from George Harrison's second wife Olivia, a friend named Derek Taylor who conducted a number of tape recorded interviews with George from which he quotes, and those quotes from George Harrison himself. Olivia's and Derek's commentary are in italics, and George's own words are in plain text, but it's still hard to follow sometimes whose commentary you're reading. I would have expected things to be arranged chronologically, but they're not in an order I can figure out. Then come some 30-40 picture plates. The rest of the book is lyrics to George's songs - the lyrics typewritten and then a reproduction of his original written lyrics with edits on different papers and so forth. George writes some amazing music, but I wasn't expecting an autobiography to be half song lyrics; I was expecting it to be all about his life. I haven't finished reading the first bit, but skimming it, I've seen no comments at all about later years like his time with the Travelling Wilburys or his hit "Got My Mind Set On You" (which he'd actually written many years earlier). I feel like I learned more about his life (at least his early life and fame) from reading his first wife Pattie Boyd's autobiography.

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a bit apprehensive about reading this because of the reviews I saw on Goodreads, but in my insatiable quest to soak up as much information about the Beatles (and my favorite Beatle) as possible, it was obvious I had to read this.
Anyone who knows anything about George "the quiet Beatle that never shut up" is that he wasn't one to talk about himself too much so of course this was bound to be hilarious, straight to the point, and more about the music than him.
Whatever this book is, I loved it. It's always great to discover new songs when I think I've covered all the "good" one's so this was awesome.
Now if I could just follow through with my Here Comes the Sun tattoo then I think my obsession would be complete...

[Pete daPixie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a true story. Last month I bought myself a copy of George Harrison's Concert for Bangla Desh, coz I had never bought this on c.d. + it was a Unicef donation, which was cool.
Anyway, the other day I lift this book off the library shelf to read. Only half a dozen chapters of recorded George, talking about his childhood, Liverpool, Beatles, his soul and racing cars.
The book contains a photo section, mainly pics I've not seen before, and a section on his song lyrics, with some explanations of how they were composed.
It's only when I'm into the book that I discover it's the 25th of February. Happy birthday George!

[Sannie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this a few months after The Lyrics from Paul McCartney, it's actually obvious that I, Me, Mine served as a prototype for what McCartney ended up publishing. George Harrison's I, Me, Mine: The Extended Edition is less personal and more insightful into his own songwriting process than McCartney's own memoir, but nevertheless still giving an intimate look into who George Harrison was as a person.

The first part of the book is George talking about himself in terms of how he grew up and his love of India, gardening, and race cars. He doesn't talk much about his time in The Beatles and touches on it only briefly, noting that his time in the Fab Four was really only a very short few years of his life. He reminds us readers that he is a whole person beyond the Fab Four, and I got the feeling that he was just kind of over being associated with The Beatles, unlike Paul McCartney. But then again, who wouldn't? George was in the Beatles for a mere 12 years of his life, from 1958 to 1970, when he was 15 years old until he was 27. His solo career extended from 1970 until his death in 2001; his time in the Beatles was a drop in the bucket compared to everything else.

As a result, anyone who is reading this to get more insight into George as a Beatle will be sadly disappointed. However, if you want to know more about George outside of The Beatles, I, Me, Mine offers a very intimate portrait into a thoughtful, spiritual man with a wicked sense of humor. His songwriting takes inspiration from a great many places, though generally I realized that I am less familiar with his body of work than the other ex-Beatles. I came to the conclusion that much of it has to do with the fact that his songs very often have spiritual themes, which unfortunately me is unrelatable.

The extended edition from Genesis Publications is truly extensive, including facsimiles of handwritten lyrics and photos from George's life. This edition is probably less interesting to casual fans, but for anyone who really loves George, a definite must-read. For me personally, it was a great read that showed that George made his own contributions to rock history and it was amazing to see how he developed as a songwriter.

[Marco Navarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He buscado una palabra que defina a este hombre. 'Valiente' se acerca, pero tiene una relación bastante próxima con el sufrimiento. Por lo tanto, he llegado a la conclusión de que, con lo pirata que es, la palabra 'audaz' le hace más justicia, puesto que él es, verdaderamente, el hombre más audaz que conozco".

Buen título que nos lleva a conocer el proceso creativo de George Harrison y las memorias más relevantes de su vida. Lo mejor del libro son sus fotografías y sus letras de puño y letra. Un archivo increíble.

Por otro lado, es importante mencionar que cumple cabalmente con lo que ofrece (letras de sus canciones y memorias), aunque personalmente creo que el contenido relativo a sus memorias es un tanto escueto, que te deja con ganas de saber más. Así también, la edición en español tiene una traducción terrible, lo que le resta puntos a la obra. Lo dejaría en un 3.5 estrellas.

Aún así, creo que es un libro que todo beatlemaniac debería leer y/o poseer. No me arrepiento de haberlo adquirido y tenerlo en mi biblioteca personal.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s not much packed into I Me Mine. Harrison and journalist/press agent/pal Derek Taylor spend about sixty unenthusiastic pages of biography/interview, you get a selection of photos, and the balance is made up of lyrics with a couple of lines from George on each song’s background and inspiration.

By all accounts Harrison was a great guy to be around, in contrast with his grouchier public image. I Me Mine does more to reinforce the grumpy take, though he sure wasn’t kidding around when it came to his dedication to Hinduism and his spiritual journey.

[Adrien]

I expected an autobiography and instead i got 80 pages of george and a friend of his talking about his life and then 400 pages of pictures and lyrics (with often explications to go along with them).
Disappointed, but it’s my fault for not doing my research, hence no rating.
Did have some interesting anecdotes and reflections though (done by George, his friend seemed really uninteresting to me)
That’s all for me folks

[Keith Kavanagh]

although expected from the quiet beatle, be warned ! this is not a biography but essentially a glorified magazine interview followed by all of harrison's songs, which I've never understood; why would I read the lyrics when I could just listen to the music ? it's like putting a bagel into a CD player

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Found this between the shelves at the public library, and wondered why it didn't actually have a spot in the book shelf but hey, I got to see and to read it. George Harrison a former beatle, shows his life through his own words, pictures and summaries of what his songs actually mean. I really enjoyed that part of the book, seeing where a lot of the meanings came from. I didn't really like the fact that he wrote songs for other people fairly quickly, as to ponder. Did they mean anything? But they might as well have. I loved his religion and the way he saw himself. How he talked about the ego, and the way too many people are into that. My favorite part of the book is when he says, "I am this living thing that goes on, always have been, always will be, but at the time I happen to be in 'this' body. The body had changed, was a baby, was a young man, will soon be an old man, and I'll be dead. The physical body will pass, but this bit in the middle that's the only reality." I just agree completely, from the way he sees himself, not even basking in limelight, just saying the obvious that we all will learn. we are inside these bodies, the actual being of our subconscious, our minds, mentality, our source of life, just everything. we are not our bodies, we grow with our bodies, we are attached to them so that we can exist among others. But the way we look, does not make us. No, the way we actually are, is what makes us. I just love the analogy that George uses, when he says, "I am not George," and precedes with the line above.
But other than that, he lived a very giving life, one that let him enjoy the casualties of everything.
I do wish like many people before me that the book contained more than lengthy pages of pictures and the actual pages he wrote the book in. But it gives it a unique touch, that George himself could supply words for it, but that it also had his touch on the book. Being that it was about his life, it is just the way it very well could of been intended to be.

[Daria Zeoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your typical memoir, "I, Me, Mine" is comprised of some anecdotes and then, for 3/4 of the book, lyrics (handwritten and printed) and brief descriptions of Harrison's songs.

If you aren't well-versed on Beatles lore, you might be disappointed. I am, therefore I'm not. I wouldn't mind owning a copy of this book for the lyrics alone.

[Nessa Borealis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet George, in his own words. I especially loved the careful recollections of his songwriting...how the lyrics emerged and took shape.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I miss George... more than I have ever missed John.

I feel somewhat guilty about that, but I rated his solo work and his more unasuming personality.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I first read it - some 20 years ago - and I really enjoyed revisiting it in "Extended Edition" form. Such a great, and understated concept.

[Phil reading_fastandslow · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Harrison doesn’t try to mythologize himself, and that’s precisely the appeal of his autobiography. Originally published in 1980, the book reads like a series of late-night conversations with a delightfully wizened yet cantankerous friend.

The book covers the major beats: a working-class Liverpool upbringing, the tidal wave of the Beatles, and the spiritual odyssey that defined his later years. But Harrison’s voice is what makes it sing: earthy, wry, and uninterested in the legend. He’s just as inclined to write about growing vegetables at Friar Park as he is about his deep reverence for Indian spirituality. His reflections on songwriting—paired with the lyrics themselves—offer genuine insight, not just into his music but into a worldview shaped by both joy and disillusionment.

Harrison’s tone is often blunt, even sardonic, but there’s a warmth beneath it, too—a man who’s just as comfortable poking fun at himself as he is contemplating the divine. I, Me, Mine isn’t a sensational rock memoir, nor is it trying to be. It’s an honest account of a man more interested in truth than glory, a book that lets Harrison’s voice shine through in all its spiritual, stubborn, and very human glory.

[Pierre Nilsson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this wasn’t what I expected from a biography, mainly because it is less of a autobiography (although to some extent) and more of a conversation with George. Reading the book feels like having a beer with George and his friend Derek (the editor who in the book fills in with background and information) discussing and joking around about what was important in his life; friendships, spirituality, creativity (and LSD), privacy and of course gardening. I found it a wonderful read and would recommend it for those who are more intrigued by George the person rather than George the Beatle.

One of my favourite quotes from the book:
“There were disasters all around at that time. Some were great, some were awful, some were drawn out, painful, miserable. Some were not disasters after all, but the thing about Sir Frank with his advice, like “Scan not a friend with a microscope glass…” I mean that helped me actively to ease up on whomever I thought I loved, gave me that consciousness not to hang on the negative side of it, to be more forgiving.”

[Kai · Rating 3 out of 5]

**2000s non-extended edition**

it's a bit strange to read Harrison's autobiography from (before the 8th of December) 1980.

Much of what was still to come, important moments in his life (and songs) are missing in this book.

There are 80 pages of autobiography and then about 300 pages of lyrics, facsimilies of his notes and some background info on the song by Harrison. Some of which are very interesting and some boil down to "Well, I wanted to write a song in E."

Pick this book up at a charity shop, if you can.

[Mary K · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the first half of this book some time back and read the second half today although there wasn’t much to read: a paragraph or so on each of Harrison’s songs every few pages. You really have to be a Harrison fan to enjoy this book. The first half is his autobiography and apparently his friend recorded him talking and typed it up verbatim while adding his own thoughts in whatever Harrison is talking about. Booooorrrrrring......

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feeling a bit conflicted over this one. On one hand, most people /do/ bore me and I’d rather hang out with a tree; on the other, it’s not a good look for a millionaire to complain about taxes while having a seemingly tenuous grasp on how they work…

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its 80% song lyrics/explanation ?? George you lazy ass
The memoire part is cool tho so 3 stars for that
Also it has pictures to document some passages so cute extra point for that

[kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just a beautiful book. I loved reading through all the lyrics and listening to song I’d never heard and discovering more songs of his that I love. This book only made me love him more and reinforced George being my favorite Beatle and he just warms my heart endlessly.

[Jordan Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

the best part was reading about how he wrote all of his songs.