I Me Mine

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"I Me Mine"
"I Me Mine" cover
Song by The Beatles
from the album Let It Be
Released May 8, 1970
Recorded January 3, 1970 & April 1, 1970
Genre Rock
Length 2:25
Label Apple, EMI
Writer(s) George Harrison
Producer(s) George Martin, Phil Spector
Let It Be track listing
"Across the Universe"
(3)
"I Me Mine"
(4)
"Dig It"
(5)

"I Me Mine" is a Beatles song, written and sung by George Harrison. The final recording session for this song is also the last recording made by The Beatles (at least until the Free As A Bird/Real Love reunion sessions), though many people feel that the session "doesn't count" as John Lennon was absent. Those that hold this opinion would argue that the session for "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" or "The End" is actually the last, as both were among the last songs recorded collectively by all four Beatles.

Quoted from Harrison: "[I Me Mine is] about the ego, the eternal problem." The Bhagavad Gita 2:71-72 says "They are forever free who renounce all selfish desires and break away from the ego-cage of "I," "me," and "mine" to be united with the Lord. This is the supreme state. Attain to this, and pass from death to immortality."

George, after receiving his "eternal problem" inspiration, played some chords to the 6/8 time signature, and added a bluesy bridge. The song was played during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions many times and was slated for inclusion on the album. However, no "good" recording of the song existed, so the remaining three Beatles - Paul, George, and Ringo - met in the studio on January 3-4 1970 to record a new version of the song — since the song was already in the Let It Be film, it had to be included on the album. This version of the song begins with George stating, "You all will have read that Dave Dee (Lennon) is no longer with us, but Mickey and Tich and I (Paul, Ringo and George), have decided to carry on the good work that's always gone down in number two", (meaning Abbey Road Studio Two). Their final rendition lasted a mere 1:45 (this original version would later be included on The Beatles Anthology Vol. 3 CD), so Phil Spector extended it by copying and repeating sections. The final version as "re-produced" by Spector was featured on the re-titled Get Back album, Let It Be. A similar edit, without Spector's overdubs of strings, is available on 2003's Let It Be… Naked.

It is also the title of George Harrison's autobiography, published in 1980 as a hand-bound, limited edition book by Genesis Publications. Limited to 2,000 signed copies, I Me Mine also featured a foreword by Derek Taylor. The Genesis limited edition sold out soon after publication. I Me Mine was re-published, with a new Foreword from Olivia Harrison, in 2002.


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