George Harrison was often seen as the most reserved and diplomatic member of The Beatles, avoiding public feuds and unnecessary controversy. While he sometimes felt constrained within the band, he rarely made cutting remarks about fellow musicians. But behind closed doors, even The Quiet Beatle had strong opinions—especially when it came to one particular Neil Young song.
Neil Young has always been vocal about his love for The Beatles, crediting them as a major influence on his career. In a 1975 interview with Rolling Stone, he recalled his first live performance: “I remember singing Beatles tunes. The first song I ever sang in front of people was ‘It Won’t Be Long,’ and then ‘Money (That’s What I Want).’” Even decades later, Young praised Paul McCartney, calling him “one of the greatest songwriters ever” during the 1999 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
Given his admiration, Young likely would have been disappointed to hear what Harrison really thought of his work. In 1992, Harrison joined Dave Stewart in the studio for a session that was filmed and later leaked online. During their conversation, Bob Geldof brought up Young’s song Around The World, asking Harrison if he liked it. Harrison’s response? A blunt “I’m not a Neil Young fan.”
As Geldof continued praising the song, Harrison doubled down: “I hate it, yeah, I can’t stand it.” He even mocked Young’s guitar playing before recalling a live performance where he had to share the stage with him. Harrison described watching Young’s solo from the side of the stage, turning to Eric Clapton in confusion and saying, “What’s going on?” He even claimed that Young looked back at him as if to say, “Don’t look at me; it’s not me.”
It’s worth noting that Around The World is an obscure track, only performed live 11 times in 1986 before being included on Young’s 1987 album Life. The fact that Harrison even had an opinion on it suggests he paid more attention to Young than he let on.
While Harrison likely never intended for these remarks to go public, the leaked footage revealed a rare moment where he dropped his usual diplomacy. It turns out that even a legend like George Harrison wasn’t above a little backstage trash talk.
