What Is Life (4:24)

“What Is Life” is a song by George Harrison and is the first track on side two of his 1970 solo album All Things Must Pass. It was released as the second single from that album in the United States on February 15, 1971 with another album track, “Apple Scruffs,” as the B-side. On March 27, “What Is Life” peaked at #10 in the Billboard Hot 100.

The song was written for Billy Preston in 1969, but Harrison decided not to ask Preston to record the song during his “funky” phase, seeing the song as too much of a “catchy pop tune”.

An instrumental outtake version of the song appears on the 2001 re-release of All Things Must Pass. Featuring a piccolo trumpet and oboe, it was discarded because Harrison “didn’t like the feel”.