Cat Stevens pays tribute to George Harrison with comforting cover of ‘Here Comes The Sun’ at Glastonbury

26 June 2023, 15:28

There's a reason why it's called the 'Legend's Slot'.

Every Sunday at the gargantuan Glastonbury Festival, the mid-afternoon set is primed for a bonafide legend of music to work their magic.

After a long weekend of partying, exploring, and immersing in all the festival has to offer, festival-goers need a little lift to propel them through the final night ahead.

There's nothing more revitalising than hearing the songs that have soundtracked our entire lives.

In 2023, the coveted Legend's Slot was handed to Yusuf/Cat Stevens, who certainly got the memo when it came to soothing the masses.

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The transcendental folk-pop icon not only performed a rousing set of his own songs, but he also included a handful of beloved crowd-pleasers too.

One of which was a touching tribute to a former member of The Beatles and fellow mystic musician, George Harrison.

And the song he chose couldn't have been a better pick to comfort the crowd and keep spirits high: 'Here Comes The Sun'.

Paul McCartney was also in the audience, frequently seen in the rafters of the Pyramid Stage absorbing the sounds Glastonbury had on offer.

So after acknowledging that 'Take The World Apart' when it came to an end "could have been a tip of the hat" to Macca, Stevens paid tribute to his former bandmate instead.

"I would like to pay tribute to another inspiration of mine, and he inspired us to take a trip," nodding to George's spirituality.

Though, after instantly recognising that "trip" could've been mistaken with the acid-inspired culture of the time, he jokingly corrected himself.

"Actually, to take a journey, eastward towards the light: George Harrison," told the massive audience before sweeping into the unmistakable guitar intro of the Abbey Road song, which has since become Harrison's signature anthem.

It was a sweet and serene coming together of two musicians who shared a similar intrigue for a higher power or greater meaning, and were often spoken about in the same breath by the public because of it.

Cat Stevens spoke about his rationale for taking the opportunity to perform at Glastonbury Festival ahead of his Legend's Slot performance.

"It’s kind of predestination, you may say. It’s natural for me, I suppose, as I have got to this point, now, where I’ve got a really good catalogue of songs which stretches back to 1965 or 1966 let’s say."

"So I’ve been there, done that," he added. "And I’ve gone through this whole kind of – of course, I went away for a while too."

"So I got a life, and I came back. I mean, I’ve got a story to tell. I think it’ll be very suitable. Oh, and I’m looking forward to it greatly."

And his unmatched storytelling was precisely what the Glastonbury masses required, not to mention those at home watching in their millions.