George Harrison originally wrote ‘Cheer Down’ for Eric Clapton’s ‘Journeyman’ among others
George Harrison originally wrote “Cheer Down” for Eric Clapton’s 1989 album, journeyman. However, director Dick Donner heard the song and snapped it for his 1989 film Deadly weapon 2.
George Harrison wrote “Cheer Down” with Tom Petty and based the song on something his wife said to him
In 1988, George and Tom Petty became bandmates in The Traveling Wilburys. They also became close friends. George asked Petty to help him write Cheer Down.
In a Rolling Stone special, Remembering George, Petty explained that he and George based “Cheer Down” on something George’s wife, Olivia, said to him when he was overly excited.
“Olivia said that to George when he got a little too happy,” Petty explained. “He got a burst of enthusiasm and she said, ‘Okay, cheer up, big guy.'”
George’s original plan for Cheer Down was to give it to longtime friend and collaborator Eric Clapton.
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George planned to give “Cheer Down” to Clapton
During an interview with Timothy White for Goldmine in 1992, George explained that he originally planned to give “Cheer Down” to Clapton.
“Movie director Dick Donner asked me to give him a song because I’m friends with the guy who does the music, Michael Kamen,” George explained. “And I’d met Dick Donner a few times. I think Eric should do it.
“I wrote this song to give to Eric for his ‘Journeyman’ album: I wrote the melody and then Tom Petty helped me write the lyrics. Eric asked me for some songs for the Journeyman album. So I wrote about four tunes that I brought him and this was one of them.
“He did one of the songs on ‘Journeyman’ called ‘Run So Far’ and there was another one that was an outtake but we got to do it on the ‘Nobody’s Child’ album ‘Romanian Angel’ (Appeal). ‘ use a song called ‘That Kind of Woman.’
“Dick Donner heard ‘Cheer Down’ and asked if he could have it for the film. It’s in the credits of ‘Lethal Weapon 2’.”
However, acc George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and EncountersGeorge said in a 1989 interview that he saw the action film before writing the song.
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George feared the song would disappear
“Cheer Down” appeared on the accompanying soundtrack Deadly weapon 2. George later added it to his 1989 album The best of Dark Horse 1976-1989. Eight years after George’s death, his estate added the song to that of 2009 Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison.
George was happy to have performed the song live during his and Clapton’s 1991 tour of Japan. He feared the song would have disappeared if he didn’t perform it on the tour. Warner Bros. movies and records didn’t quite get along with that.
He told White, “Then something funny happened between Warner Films and Warner Records. And instead of putting out the video and the parts of the film and the soundtrack album and all that, they kind of screwed it all up.
“Because I thought that would be a good single, so I’m glad I did it in concert because I didn’t want that song to go away. A lot of people heard it on film but probably didn’t relate it the way they would on an album.”
The tour of Japan allowed George to perform some of his songs that he had not previously known. He got to refresh her with a new live performance and remind his fans of her, and “Cheer Down” was one of them. However, it’s odd to imagine what would have happened to the song if Donner hadn’t snagged it.
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https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/george-harrison-initially-wrote-cheer-down-among-others-eric-claptons-journeyman.html/ George Harrison originally wrote ‘Cheer Down’ for Eric Clapton’s ‘Journeyman’ among others
