In late November 1968, during Thanksgiving weekend, George Harrison visited Bob Dylan at his home in Bearsville, near Woodstock, New York. At the time, Bob Dylan was going through a difficult period. Two years earlier, he had been in a serious motorcycle accident. He stopped touring, stayed mostly out of the public eye, and was slowly rebuilding his confidence.
George Harrison wrote in his 1982 book I, Me, Mine that Dylan seemed nervous when he arrived. Harrison said he even felt a bit uncomfortable at first, which felt strange since they were meeting in Dylan’s own home. Still, the two musicians gradually relaxed, picked up their guitars, and began playing together. This quiet weekend eventually led to a creative spark that influenced Harrison’s future as a solo artist.
Writing Together
During this weekend, Harrison and Dylan co-wrote two songs. One of them became “I’d Have You Anytime,” which would later open Harrison’s famous solo album All Things Must Pass in 1970. The song is gentle, emotional, and shows the connection the two artists shared.
They also wrote another song called “When Everybody Comes to Town.” This song was later renamed “Nowhere to Go.” Although it didn’t make it onto Harrison’s album and was never officially released, the lyrics reveal how Harrison felt at the time. He was tired of being known only as a “Beatle” and wanted to express himself more freely.
Some lines even joke about this frustration:
“I get tired of being Beatle Jeff…
I get tired of being Beatle Ted…”
These lyrics showed how much Harrison wanted to grow beyond the image people had of him.
A Friendship That Lasted
This weekend marked the beginning of a strong friendship. Though Dylan had been closer to John Lennon at first, he and Harrison discovered a deep musical and personal connection. They would continue to stay friends and work together for decades.
Years later, they teamed up again as part of the Traveling Wilburys, where they co-wrote songs like “Handle With Care” and “End of the Line.”
In 1993, during a celebration for Dylan’s career, Harrison said something that showed just how much he admired him:
“Can you imagine what a world it would be if we didn’t have a Bob Dylan? It would be awful.”
Why This Weekend Matters
This Thanksgiving meeting wasn’t just a casual visit—it was an important moment in music history. It helped Harrison gain confidence in his own songwriting and showed him he could stand on his own outside of The Beatles. It also strengthened a lasting friendship between two of the most influential musicians of the 20th century.
A quiet weekend in 1968 became the beginning of a new chapter for both artists, and the songs they created together still echo that connection today.