| "Run of the Mill" | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:George_Harrison_%22Run_of_the_Mill%22_sheet_music.jpg) Cover of the original Hansen Publishing sheet music for the song | |
| Song by George Harrison | |
| from the album All Things Must Pass | |
| Released | 27 November 1970 |
| Genre | Folk rock |
| Length | 2:49 |
| Label | Apple |
| Songwriter(s) | George Harrison |
| Producer(s) | George Harrison, Phil Spector |
"Run of the Mill" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released on his 1970 triple album All Things Must Pass. Harrison wrote the song shortly after the Beatles' troubled Get Back sessions in early 1969, during a period when his growth as a songwriter had inadvertently contributed to the dysfunction within the Beatles' group dynamic. It is commonly asserted that the lyrics reflect the toll that running their company Apple Corps had taken on relationships within the band, especially between Paul McCartney and the other three Beatles, as well as Harrison's dismay at John Lennon's emotional withdrawal from the band. Many commentators recognise "Run of the Mill" as one of several Harrison compositions that provide an insight into events behind the Beatles' break-up, particularly the difficulties surrounding Apple.
The song's release coincided with a falling out between Harrison and McCartney, which, perhaps, contributed to the latter taking legal action to dissolve the Beatles partnership. The musical arrangement for "Run of the Mill" bears the influence of the Band, with whom Harrison had spent time in Woodstock before starting work on the Get Back project. Co-produced by Phil Spector, the recording features contributions from Gary Wright and former members of Delaney & Bonnie's Friends band, including Jim Gordon, Jim Price and Bobby Whitlock.
Biographers and reviewers have variously described "Run of the Mill" as an essay on karma, a tale of lost friendship, and a love song to the Beatles. Olivia Harrison has named it among her favourites of all her late husband's compositions. An alternative version of the song, performed solo by Harrison on acoustic guitar, appears on the 2012 compilation Early Takes: Volume 1.