3:51
All Things Must Pass, 1970
Written by George Harrison
In this song, Harrison warns against mistaking the illusions of the material world for life's deeper truths, a theme that runs through much of his post-Beatles work. His association with the Radha Krishna Temple (made most famous in the hit "My Sweet Lord") had convinced him that spiritual enlightenment mattered far more than worldly possessions and ambitions, and the lyrics here reflect that conviction. Harrison wrote later that "the lyrics are self-explanatory." Well, perhaps if you're as acquainted with Buddhist teachings as Harrison was: "Beware of soft shoe shufflers / Dancing down the sidewalks / As each unconscious sufferer / Wanders aimlessly / Beware of Maya." In Buddhism, Maya is the cosmic illusion that the ever-changing world is the real truth. Musically, the song is a gorgeous, slow-burning piece of folk-rock, with a stately acoustic foundation, delicately interwoven guitars, and a haunting melody that gives the lyrics an almost prophetic quality. Harrison's restrained vocal delivery makes the warnings sound less like a sermon than hard-won advice, while the arrangement gradually builds in intensity without sacrificing its meditative atmosphere.
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