For You Blue

For You Blue is a George Harrison composition based on a 12-bar blues structure. George sings lead vocals, but John plays lead guitar (a slide guitar, using a shotgun shell for the slide). Paul plays piano in addition to bass. The group had met for recording in the famous "Get Back" sessions of January, 1969 at Apple Studios, and laid down the main track of this song on January 25. More tracks were added in late February and late March, and then Phil Specter had George re-do the vocal tracks on January 4 & 8, 1970. A total of 18 takes were made in all. The song was released as the b-side to Let it Be in May of 1970. For You Blue is also found on the Let it Be album. Earlier takes from the January 25, 1969 recording session are available on the Anthology 3 and the Let It Be... Naked CD's.

The song is about Pattie Boyd, George's wife, who also is the subject of George's song, It's All Too Much. George wanted to write in the blues style, but with an upbeat, carefree subject. Ironically, Pattie left George after that to be with George's good friend, Eric Clapton, and Clapton then wrote Layla about her (appearing on Clapton's Unplugged album). Using a shotgun shell, Lennon plays slide guitar as lead on this song.

John's shotgun slide guitar sounded much like Elmore James' blues style, prompting George to say, "Go Johnny, Go!" in the solo and making another reference to Elmore James.