How a 'Lost' George Harrison Song Became a Love Letter to Ringo Starr

George Harrison wrote an unreleased song, “Hey Ringo,” discovered by his widow in 2017. Olivia Harrison gifted the lyrics to Ringo Starr; he was surprised at their existence.  The song expresses mutual admiration between Harrison and Starr as bandmates.

The Beatles took the ’60s by storm, leaving an incomparable and lasting legacy in their wake.

As the remaining members continue to share their love for music, for peace—and, well, for love—with the world, we are reminded of the importance and power of sound. George Harrison was a masterful guitarist, lyricist, and friend.

Born on February 25, 1943, the Liverpool native joined forces with John Lennon and Paul McCartney when they were all still teenagers. By the time Harrison was 20, Ringo Starr was their drummer and Beatlemania was in full swing.

Harrison tragically passed away from lung cancer in November 2001, aged 58. He was survived by his second wife, Olivia Harrison, now 77, and their son, Dhani Harrison, now 47.

In 2017, Olivia revealed that she found a previously unheard song of Harrison’s, entitled “Hey Ringo.”

“There was a folder in George’s piano bench and inside I found a typed lyric for ‘Hey, Ringo.’ I think it dates from around 1970,” she said, according to NME. She then gifted the lyrics to Starr himself at a party celebrating Harrison.

“He’d never seen this song before,” she noted. “He said ‘What is this?’ He was so surprised.”

In a post shared to Instagram by Far Out Magazine, the handwritten lyrics are shared beside a copy of the typed ones.

“Wow! A beautiful sentiment,” wrote one commenter.  Another added: “That’s so cute, I can imagine their duet.”

The lyrics to “Hey Ringo” by George Harrison:

Hey Ringo now I want you to know

That without you my guitar plays far too slow

And Ringo let me say this to you

I’ve heard no drummer who can play it quite like you /

Wait a minute Mr G.

Stop flattering me

My drums sound bare

When your guitar’s not there /

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

Let me hear you playing /

Hey Ringo there’s one thing that I’ve not said

I’ll play my guitar with you till I drop dead /

Well, G. it’s really nice the things you say

But when you drop, please fall the other way