Musing

Cheer Down: Thursday Inspiration

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Thursday Inspiration #283 –
“Share the Land”. Here’s my 2¢ worth.

image is unaccredited

For this week’s Thursday Inspiration prompt, Jim Adams asks us to respond to the challenge by either using the prompt word “down,” or going with the above picture, or by going with anything else we think fits. The first thing that popped into my head when I saw the prompt word was a song by one of my favorite performers of all time, the wonderful George Harrison … and that song is“Cheer Down”.

George Harrison’s solo career didn’t have much momentum heading into the second half of the ’80s. To most of the world, Harrison didn’t seem to care much about it, preferring a private lifestyle over the commitment to recording and touring that his fellow surviving Beatles seemed to prefer. Little did anyone know that Harrison was gearing up for a stunning comeback.

The catalyst was Jeff Lynne, the leader of the hit-making band ELO. Lynne had decided to back off from recording in favor of production duties, in particular for Harrison, an artist he very much admired. Harrison and Lynne became great friends ane worked throughout 1987 on the album that would become Cloud Nine, which would include a #1 single and eventually pave the way for the creation of the supergroup, Traveling Wilburys (George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison).

Among the songs that Harrison worked on for the album was “Cheer Down”, which took its title from a phrase his wife Olivia would occasionally use when George got too hyped up. “Cheer Down” didn’t make it onto the record, but, as Harrison said, it wasn’t a total loss. In addition to Jeff Lynne as producer, the song is also a kind of Wilburys mini-reunion, as Tom Petty helped write the lyrics. The studio pros that recorded it were aces as well, as former ELO member Richard Tandy adds piano and Deep Purple’s Ian Paice sits in on drums. Harrison’s weeping slide guitar adds the finishing touch.

“Cheer Down” features some cleverly funny lyrics from Harrison and Petty, as the narrator reassures a downhearted companion that he’ll be in her corner, no matter what. The slightly askew title phrase works great in this context, since it seems to give the disheartened girl the go-ahead to feel bad if she needs to. Compare that to somebody telling you to cheer up all the time, which can get quite annoying.

The narrator can see that the girl is trying to hide her sorrow, what with her trembling within and the smile that’s out of place. Even if things go bad, such as crashing stock shares or balding hair, he’ll be there. In the final verse, he gives her a promise with some gallows humor that Harrison’s Monty Python buddies would appreciate.

“Cheer Down” was intended as a giveaway, but was fated to belong in the catalog of the sardonic George Harrison. The Wry Beatle was always a better description than the Quiet Beatle anyhow.

This is “Cheer Down” by George Harrison


LYRICS

I can see by your grin
That you’re trembling within
It’s all over town, cheer down
And the smile on your face
Is sometimes out of place
Don’t mind, no frowns, cheer down

If your hair should fall
If your shares should crash
You’ll get by even without getting a rash

There’s no tears to be shed
I’m gonna love you instead
I want you around, cheer down

When your teeth drop out
You’ll get by even without taking a bite

If your dog should be dead
I’m gonna love you instead
The world loves a clown, cheer down
I want you around, cheer down

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: George Harrison / Tom Petty
Cheer Down lyrics © BMG Rights Management

Thursday Inspiration #283 Share The Land

Big thanks Jim Adams for this inspiration. Thanks to you all for stopping by for a look and a listen.

That’s all she wrote. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2025

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy’s Notes 🖊️🎶, The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, The Rhythm Section, et al., and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

23 thoughts on “Cheer Down: Thursday Inspiration”

  4. Thank you so much Nancy, ..we can always count on dropping in and being entertained, …🎶and what a wonderful song, 🎶 …I’m listening to George as I’m badly typing this comment, …(I’m checking for typos as I go)…🙏…I’ve also listened to Blue Jay Way,…earlier on, …a mention of it was on someone’s blog earlier, …wow! I’m being so spoiled… 💫🤗💕💫

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    1. An incredible choice by the Wilburys! I love Roy’s guitar resting on the rocker; such a loving tribute. If I had a genie’s lamp and could make one wish it would be to spend as much time as possible hanging out with the Traveling Wilburys. That would be the ultimate dream come true. 🎶♡😎

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