Anyone who knows me knows that I have been obsessed with the Beatles forever. In fact, my 40th birthday present was a convertible VW Beetle with the license plate Fab 40. While I’ve been in love with Paul McCartney (yes, even with Wings) since I was in the womb, the songs by the quiet George Harrison comprise 3 of my top favorite tunes mostly for his simple lyrics. While I walked down the aisle to an acoustic version of ‘Here Comes the Sun,’ and my first dance was to ‘All You Need is Love,’ there is just something about ‘Something,’ that gets me in my throat every single time.
George began writing the song in 1968, during a session for the Beatles' White Album. In his autobiography, he remembered writing the melody on a piano, and initially abandoned the song, believing that as the tune came to him so easily, he might have accidentally stolen the tune from another song. It was no secret that the opening line was lifted from the title of 'Something in the Way She Moves', a song by Harrison's Apple Records mate James Taylor, but the melody was completely his own.
I’m not alone when I say ‘Something’ might rank highest of all when people run down George’s best work. Not only did Paul and John say it was George’s greatest track, but it is the most covered song of all time by other musicians. Frank Sinatra even proclaimed it was the best love song he’d ever heard, and I second that emotion.
George didn’t try to hide the source of the line, which was really just a starting lyric for a very different song. He even thought of trying to change the words, but since they were the words that came when he first wrote it, he decided to keep it. The lyrical borrowing certainly didn’t bother Taylor at all. Actually, Taylor said it was ‘flattering’ George used the line because it only helped his own song's success.
While a copied line in a song might strike some as bad form (or even plagiarism), it’s wasn’t a big deal for several reasons. For one, the lyric itself isn’t particularly remarkable. To Taylor, it was barely worth mentioning. He stated that all music is borrowed from other music, so he completely let it pass. He found it very flattering if George consciously or unconsciously took a line from one of his songs. And Taylor went out of his way to note how “borrowed” music was over the years. And for good reason. Ironically the last line of ‘Something in the Way She Moves,’ is “I feel fine” a famous line from the Beatles song of the same name, to close his own tune.
When you get as old as I am, you kind of believe there's nothing new under the sun, but there's always a fresh way of looking at something. In today’s world of social media, it seems everyone is a copycat. So, whether you are borrowing something to create your own version, give credit where it is due. In the end, something old can be something new to someone else. Sometimes you have to reach back to move forward. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, it takes real imagination to make it uniquely yours. God only creates masterpieces, so you are already an original, and one of his favorites, too.
Copycat Chipotle’s Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 2-pounds chicken thighs, boneless
- 1 12 oz can chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, using paste only or 2-3 peppers, optional
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ - 2 teaspoon salt, add more to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1-2 tablespoons oil, olive or vegetable (more if you would like to add to the marinade)
- Cilantro Lime Rice, recipe below
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
- Add the chicken thighs, olive oil, chipotle adobe paste, peppers (if using), and spices to a large bowl. Mix all together to coat the chicken evenly in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least one hour up to overnight for the most flavor. If you don’t have time, don’t worry. It will still be delicious!
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. If necessary, add oil to the pan. Add the chicken, making sure not to crowd. Cook in batches if needed. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Flip over. Allow the other side to brown, about 6 minutes. Add a splash of chicken broth to the pan to scraping to cut all the flavorful bits stuck to the bottom. Turn the heat to low and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove chicken from skillet and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces. Add juices from your pan to the chicken for extra flavor. Add chop cilantro if using and mix.
- Serve over cilantro rice and pile on your favorite Chipotle’s toppings such as black or pinto beans, Pico de Gallo, sour cream, cheese, guacamole, and shredded lettuce. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Chipotle’s Cilantro Lime Rice
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain basmati rice rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic finely minced
- 2 1/2cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water
- 1 1/2teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- juice of 1 whole lime, about two tablespoons
- juice of half a lemon, about two tablespoon
- 1/4 to 1/3 cup cilantro finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve with cool water until the water runs clear to remove any excess starch. Drain well.
- Bring 2 1/2 cups of broth or water to a boil in a pan.
- To a pot over medium heat, add the olive oil, butter, garlic, and rice. Stir to coat all the rice grains with butter and oil. Toast the rice for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the hot water, salt, and bay leaf. Stir and then bring to a boil. Once boiling, drop the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12 minutes.
- After 12 minutes, turn off the heat. Leave it covered for 5 to 10 minutes until the rice is perfectly cooked and tender.
- Take off the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Transfer the rice to a bowl. Add the lime juice, lemon juice, and chopped cilantro and mix. Serve warm.
