Isn’t it a pity
you don’t know what I’m talking about yet
but I will tell you soon
it’s a pity
isn’t it a pity
isn’t it a shame
yes, how we break each other’s hearts
and cause each other pain
how we take each other’s love
without thinking anymore
forgetting to give back
forgetting to remember
just forgetting and no thank you
isn’t it a pity
some things take so long
but how do I explain
why not too many people can see
that we are all just the same
we’re all guilty
because of all the tears
our eyes just can’t hope to see
but I don’t think it’s applicable to me
the beauty that surrounds them
child, isn’t it a pity
how we break each other’s hearts
and cause each other pain
how we take each other’s love
the most precious thing
without thinking anymore
forgetting to give back
forgetting to keep open our door
isn’t it a pity
isn’t it a pity
some things take so long
but how do I explain
isn’t it a pity
why not too many people
can see we’re all the same
because we cry so much
our eyes can’t, can’t hope to see
that’s not quite true
the beauty that surrounds them
maybe that’s why we cry
God, isn’t it a pity
Lord knows it’s a pity
mankind has been so programmed
that they don’t care about nothin’
that has to do with care
c-a-r-e
how we take each other’s love
the most precious thing
without thinking anymore
forgetting to give back
forgetting to keep open the door
but I understand some things take so long
but how do I explain
why not too many people
can see we’re just the same
and because of all their tears
their eyes can’t hope to see
the beauty that surrounds them
God, isn’t it a pity
the beauty that surrounds them
it’s a pity
we take each other’s love
just take it for granted
without thinking anymore
we give each other pain
and we shut every door
we take each other’s minds
and we’re capable of take each other’s souls
we do it every day
just to reach some financial goal
Lord, isn’t it a pity, my God
isn’t it a pity, my God
and so unnecessary
just a little time, a little care
a little note written in the air
just the little thank you
we just forget to give back
cause we’re moving too fast
moving too fast
forgetting to give back
but some things take so long
and I cannot explain
the beauty that surrounds us
and we don’t see it
we think things are just the same
we’ve been programmed that way
isn’t it a pity
if you want to feel sorry
isn’t it a pity
isn’t it a pity
the beauty sets the beauty that surrounds us
because of all our tears
our eyes can’t hope to see
maybe one day at least I’ll see me
and just concentrate on givin’, givin’, givin’, givin’
and till that day
mankind don’t stand a chance
don’t know nothin’ about romance
everything is plastic
isn’t it a pity
my God.
The track, one of Harrison’s finest songs, originally featured on his 1970 record All Things Must Pass which confirmed his ability as a spectacular songwriter to anyone who still doubted him. The song was one of the oldest to feature on the album with Harrison, he even considered giving the track away rather than using it for himself and almost handed it over to Frank Sinatra before having second thoughts. The song would go on to be covered a whole host of times.
“‘Isn’t It A Pity’ is about whenever a relationship hits a down point,” Harrison once confessed. “Instead of whatever other people do (like breaking each other’s jaws) I wrote a song. It was a chance to realise that if I felt somebody had let me down, then there’s a good chance I was letting someone else down. We all tend to break each other’s hearts, and not giving back – isn’t it a pity,” Harrison added on the track.
“It’s just an observation of how society and myself were or are,” he also said to Billboard about the origin of ‘Isn’t It A Pity’. “We take each other for granted – and forget to give back. That was really all it was about. It’s like love lost and love gained between 16- and 20-year-olds,” he added.
“But I must explain: Once, at the time I was at Warner Bros. and I wrote that song ‘Blood From A Clone’, that was when they were having all these surveys out on the street to find out what was a hit record. And apparently, as I was told, a hit record is something that is about ‘love gained or lost between 14- and 19-year-olds,’ or something really dumb like that. So that’s why I wrote ‘Isn’t It A Pity’ I thought, ‘Oh, I’ll get in on that!’”.
Harrison was reportedly a huge fan of Simone’s version of the track, which she released in 1972 and he even took influence from the cover. In his autobiography, Harrison says he was influenced by Simone’s treatment when he came to record his song ‘The Answer’s at the End’ in 1975 which bears a similar arrangement to her cover of ‘Isn’t It A Pity’. (sursa foto: aici)
