Love You To

Album: Revolver (1966)
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Songfacts®:

  • George Harrison wrote this, and aside from some assistance by Ringo Starr on tambourine, is likely the only Beatle to play on the track. It was a step on his journey toward Eastern philosophy and Indian music, which was fully realized a year later on Harrison's Sgt. Pepper track "Within You Without You," the first Beatles song to use only Indian instruments.
  • This was the first Beatles song completely based on Indian music, and the first one George Harrison wrote on sitar. An earlier song, "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)," also used a sitar, but was only partly influenced by Indian music. Harrison was learning the sitar from Ravi Shankar, who inspired him to learn more about Indian music and Eastern religion.
  • The lyric is about the pressures Harrison was facing and how he felt like he was being used:

    There's people standing round
    Who'll screw you in the ground


    The words are at odds with the aesthetic of Indian music, but Harrison had yet to immerse himself in Eastern religion. His later songs in this vein take a much more philosophical approach.
  • On this track, Harrison played the sitar, but he brought in musicians from a collective in London called the Asian Music Circle to play other Indian instruments, including a tabla, which is an Indian drum played with the hands, as well as a tambura. Anil Bhagwat played the tabla, but its not known who played the other instruments. Harrison also added acoustic and electric guitar to the track.
  • In 1968, this was included in The Beatles movie Yellow Submarine.

Comments: 41

  • Grimtraveller from North West LondonSorry Curd, but you are talking rubbish here.
  • Curd from Heidelberg, GermanyI can assure you all, that the Nr.3 guitarplayer at the end of the song "The end" was not George Harrison, but must have been Eric Clapton. You can tell, when you are a professional guitarplayer. Harrison wasn´t able to play like this, but Eric was, and they were friends. This is why here at "Love you to" I´m led to suspect, it wasn´t Harrison playing the sitar. It must have been Ravi Shankar, his sitar-teacher. Harrison didn´t have the time of practise, necessary for all of these bends, pulls, etc. Sherlock Holmes speaking here!
  • Steven from Glendale, NyI always thought (and heard somewhere I can't remember) that someone asked George, "You really need a name for this song. Would you like me to think of a title for it?" and George replied "Love you to."
  • Allyson from Waverly, NyI love the opening notes!!
  • George from Belleville, NjThis song is a very unusual and interesting listening experience.It was during this time that the Beatles were experimenting and they came up with their most unique ideas.This is an awesome piece of music,underneith all the Indian music is a strangely beautiful melody.Harrison was developing into a formidablesongwriter.
  • Nikolai from Los Angeles, CaThere's a bunch of comments about how they blend Indian instruments with rock instruments on this song, but there aren't any rock instruments in this, it's just straight Indian instruments.
  • Orrin from Austin, TxGeorge Harrison did not play the sitar on this song. I love the Beatles and George Harrison, but there is no evidence that he was a good Sitar player. There is no film footage of him playing a sitar. He quit playing in 1968. He could not have played as well as the sitar player on that song. To me, the Beatles are the greatest band of all time. I love George Harrison, and I think he was a great guitar player.
  • Dnnz from Aqp, PeruGreat great song it's awesome the mix of indian music and electric guitars George Harrison was so good at doing that great song
  • Percy from Gold Coast, AustraliaDoes anyone know the hindu song this is based on?
    It was playing in a temple when i was in Dehli.
    Percy
  • Breanna from Henderson, NvThis song is great. This and Within You and Without You, opened me up to a new love, Indian Music! George was the best at those, and his message was so great with those songs.
  • Kristina from Albuquerque, NmSo many Beatles song about love, but not many talk about sex, which is another way that this song broke new ground--actually saying "make love." I love the line "You don't get time to hang a sign on me."
  • Superllama from Tallehase, FlThis song is great! I LOVE GEORGE!!!! :) But, has anyone noticed that the lyrics are kind of explicit? I mean, "make love all day long", or "screw you in the ground"? No one ever talks about it! But still, great song! I love all of George's Indian songs, especially Within You/Without You. Very philosophical! :)
  • Peter from Birmingham, United KingdomI've never heard George Harrison say why he chose this particular title and it seems a bit vague. However, the word 'love' is mentioned a lot in the lyrics the penultimate line of the song is "I'll make love to you", so I guess I agree with Beverly. But the 'Love You To' meaning would be, for example, love you to call around, not love you as well (too).
  • Modernrocker79 from Kearny, NjFirst song in rock music to emulate non-western music in instrumentation, style and rhythm.
  • Nick from Cincinnati, OhI completely agree with steve.
  • Steve from Fenton, MoI'm not a big fan of George's Indian songs. I would have traded the whole lot of them for a couple of more songs like I Need You. But I did think the sitar was a nice touch on Norwegian Wood.
  • Joe from Hackensack, NjIndian ensemble with rock instruments surely this must have sound strange to people when this came out.
  • Krista from Elyria, OhI love George's Hundu songs! They are so relaxing!
  • Ruby from Cc, Tx*cough* Meaning George Harrison, you know.
  • Ruby from Cc, TxIt is Love You To. Love you to, George.
  • George from Yonkers, NyThe Beatles break new ground when this song came out Traditional Indian music with rock music.
  • Stephen from Gosford, AustraliaThis is clearly my favorite Indian song George Harrison wrote when he was with the Beatles. George makes it sound so easy and effortless when he sings this! I love the way the song speeds up at the end to create a different effect! A perfect blend of voice and instruments! Does anyone else think that this song would have come as a surprise to Beatle listeners when they heard it for the first time? I think it was great that George liked Indian music. I wonder what his favorite Indian food was? Now I don't think Wikipedia will tell me that!
  • Joe from Montvale, NjThis song actually starts with sitar harmonics and it has backward guitar from a from a fuzzbox, it's also in mix meter and combines backward tapes with Indian music a great mix
  • Sal from Bardonia , NyThis is the first rock song that combines classical indian with rock all the other songs like see See My Friends or Eight Miles High or some of the Beatles earlier efforts except maybe Norwegian Wood in just Indian influnced.
    Sal Bardonia,NY
  • Akshay from Allahabad, IndiaAMAZING SONG! I just go in a trance listening to the melody,even lyrics. Really good song .
  • Nathan from Bruges, BelgiumI love the sitar on this song.And it's "Love You To" for God's sake.
  • Joe from Lethbridge, CanadaThanx, Stephanie! I love that! "I buried Flanders"! Priceless!!!
  • Jon from Tucson, AzThanks for the link, Stephanie. Love You To, Tomorrow Never Knows, Up Town Girl, and Strawberry Fields Forver all in one!
  • Stephanie from Crofton, MdThey actually used this song with a Simpsons twist in the end credits for The Simpsons episode "D'oh-in' in the Wind" Check it out: http://www.simpsoncrazy.com/downloads/music.shtml
  • Laura from Santa Fe, NmHa that would be funny carrisa. Interesting thought.
  • Carissa from La Mirada, CaLove You To is the correct title. It's only on the albums that way. Has anyone ever noticed that in the beginning of the song it kind of sounds like the beginning of The Simpsons theme. Perhaps the show was influenced by this wonderful song?
  • Clare from Hmilton, CanadaTHANK YOU JORDAN! I thought I was going crazy. The track title on the album is LOVE YOU TO!!!! PLease change this Songfacts Spelling Authority People
  • Jordan from Wimette, IlIt's Love You To!!!!!
  • Cheyanne from Allegan, MiThe song was originally title "Granny Smith"
  • Mark from Levan, UtThe song isn't gramatically incorrect. It has an implied subject. For instance "I'd love you to". This in my opinion is one of the greatest songs of all time. George Harrison was a musical genius.
  • Josh from Plainview, NyThe song is definitely supposed to be Love You To. The CD spells it this way and so does the US LP. Although I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean...
  • Christopher from Greenfield Center, Ny"Love You Too" = I love you also. Whenever my girlfriend says, I love you, I ans. with love you too.
  • Beverly from Westerville, OhShouldn't the song be called "Love to You"? That's what it sounds like to me.
  • Paulo from New York, NyIt is indeed "Love You To" (not 'Too').
  • Tzipora Leah from Cedarhurst, NyMayhap it's not supposed to be "Love you Too", but rather- "Love You To" and they just didn't fill in the verb after the word "To"

    But that leaves us with another question...
  • Adam from Beaver Falls, PaAny clue why the title is grammatically incorrect?
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