When George Harrison released “Got My Mind Set On You” in 1987, it felt like sunlight breaking through clouds — a joyful, infectious burst of optimism from an artist so often associated with introspection and spirituality. It was the sound of George rediscovering not only his musical fire but also his playful spirit. After years of quiet reflection and distance from the spotlight, he returned with something beautifully simple: a song about love, persistence, and the quiet conviction that some things are worth fighting for.
Though originally written by Rudy Clark and recorded decades earlier by James Ray, George made it entirely his own. With his signature slide guitar shimmering like laughter in the distance, and Jeff Lynne’s bright, layered production, the song became both timeless and unmistakably Harrison. It was pop at its purest — joyful, spiritual, and human all at once.
“It’s gonna take money, a whole lotta spending money…” George sings with a smile you can hear. But beneath the humor, there’s sincerity. He’s not just talking about effort or cost — he’s talking about devotion. About putting your whole heart into what truly matters. That’s what makes “Got My Mind Set On You” so enduring: beneath its lighthearted rhythm lies a message of steadfast love and quiet determination.
What makes the song so powerful is its energy — that rare spark where faith meets fun. George, the most contemplative of the Beatles, reminds us here that spirituality doesn’t always wear a solemn face. Sometimes, it dances. The track pulses with life, buoyed by bright horns, driving percussion, and that unmistakable voice — relaxed, assured, full of joy. It’s the sound of a man who’s made peace with the world, and is simply enjoying it.
When the song reached No. 1 in America, it became a full-circle moment. George — once seen as the “quiet Beatle” — was suddenly louder than ever, reclaiming his place not through angst or ambition, but through joy. The music video, with its playful, self-aware humor, showed him smiling, surrounded by levitating furniture and dancing objects — a visual metaphor for how love and happiness can lift the weight of everything else.
And yet, beneath that levity lies something profound. “Got My Mind Set On You” isn’t about obsession — it’s about focus. About faith. Whether directed toward love, purpose, or even the divine, it’s a declaration of alignment — the heart and the spirit moving in the same direction. That’s the essence of George Harrison: a man who found eternity in simple things.
Listening now, the song still feels fresh — bright, uplifting, full of motion. It’s proof that optimism, when sung with truth, never grows old. George wasn’t trying to sound young again — he simply sounded alive.
And in those moments — in that effortless swing of his voice, in the shimmer of his guitar, in the laughter behind every lyric — you can hear something sacred: the joy of a soul at peace with the world, and still deeply in love with life.
Because that’s the secret George left behind in this song: enlightenment doesn’t always whisper. Sometimes, it sings, and sometimes it dances.