George Harrison - Simply Shady

About "Simply Shady"

"Simply Shady" is a song by English musician George Harrison that was released on his 1974 album Dark Horse. The song addresses Harrison's wayward behaviour during the final year of his marriage to Pattie Boyd, particularly the allure of temptations such as alcohol and drugs over spiritual goals. Harrison said the song was about "what happens to naughty boys in the music business".

Harrison wrote "Simply Shady" in Bombay in early 1974 during his first visit to India since 1968, when he and his Beatles bandmates had studied Transcendental Meditation at Rishikesh. In his lyrics, he reflects on the karmic consequences of his lifestyle in England and references John Lennon's "Sexy Sadie", a song inspired by the Beatles' time in Rishikesh. Harrison recorded the track at an impromptu session held at his Friar Park home studio with the L.A. Express, who were touring Britain as Joni Mitchell's backing band at the time. Two of the musicians, Tom Scott and Robben Ford, subsequently played with Harrison on his 1974 North American tour with Ravi Shankar.

Harrison's vocals on the track were marred by his contracting laryngitis towards the end of the sessions for Dark Horse – a result of his having overextended himself on business and musical commitments, as well as his punishing lifestyle. Partly due to Harrison's hoarse singing, "Simply Shady" has been viewed in an unfavourable light by many music critics and reviewers. Other commentators consider its confessional tone to be significant in Harrison's career, representing a departure from the spiritual certainties that typically defined his work following the Beatles.