Paul Simon, David Crosby and Graham Nash Share ‘Here Comes the Sun’ in a Harrison Tribute
At the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden in October 2009, Paul Simon performed “Here Comes the Sun” with David Crosby and Graham Nash. The song links the musicians through George Harrison’s writing, while the arrangement centers on acoustic guitar and the blend among three voices.
The familiar composition gives the performance an immediate point of connection. Simon leads the song with acoustic guitar, and Crosby and Nash join him vocally. Though the concert took place in a large arena, the arrangement keeps attention on the musicians’ parts and the way they relate to one another.
The performance relies on a relatively simple musical frame. That restraint leaves the melody clear and gives the singers room to establish the familiar refrain. Rather than adding more production around the song, the musicians let the guitar and voices carry its direction.
The arrangement highlights the warmth and optimism associated with Harrison’s song. Crosby and Nash’s harmonies sit alongside Simon’s lead, creating a shared vocal sound without hiding the identity of each singer. The writing remains easy to follow, and the blend supplies the performance’s distinctive color.
Simon had a personal musical connection to the song before this concert. He had performed it with Harrison on “Saturday Night Live” in 1976. Returning to the composition decades later places that earlier collaboration in the background of the 2009 tribute.
Watch the performance
The 1976 television duet offers useful context for Simon’s place in this performance. That earlier appearance put him beside the song’s writer, while the later concert brings Crosby and Nash into the arrangement. The recordings show different moments in the song’s performance history.
In 2009, “Here Comes the Sun” functions as both a familiar song and a tribute to Harrison. Simon’s history with the composition gives the choice added context, while Crosby and Nash help shape a new live version. The performance stands on its own as a collaboration in the present.
Crosby and Nash bring their recognizable harmony sound to the arrangement. Their parts broaden the vocal texture while keeping the song’s melody in view. With the acoustic guitar providing support, the three voices create a clear musical center for the performance.
The collaboration brings together musicians with distinct histories and sounds. Simon’s guitar and lead vocal sit within a blend shaped by Crosby and Nash’s harmonies. The familiar song provides a common structure, allowing those different musical identities to meet without a dense arrangement.
The concert recording has since circulated online, including a version labeled as a 4K presentation with 5.1 audio. Those labels describe the available upload. The performance itself remains the focus: Simon, Crosby and Nash sharing the song in the 2009 concert setting.
Listening closely to the guitar and the vocal parts reveals how the arrangement stays conversational. The accompaniment remains understated, and each voice has space within the blend. This balance keeps the song direct while allowing the live performance to feel distinct from a solo reading.
The song’s familiarity makes the tribute accessible to listeners, while the trio’s delivery gives it a specific character. The audience can follow the melody and recognize its words, then attend to how the three musicians share the vocal line and its harmonies.
The recording also preserves a collaboration involving both Harrison’s songwriting and Crosby’s later performance history. That context gives the tribute a place among the artists’ connections, but the musical exchange is audible on its own. The voices and guitar provide a clear reason to revisit it.
Simon later performed “Here Comes the Sun” on CONAN, offering another version of the composition in a different setting. Comparing that appearance with the 2009 concert shows how the same song can keep its recognizable shape while the surrounding performance changes.
The performance demonstrates how a gentle arrangement can hold its character in a major concert venue. Acoustic guitar and three voices provide enough detail to sustain attention, without needing a large production. The contrast between the scale of the room and the lightness of the arrangement is part of its appeal.
The tribute works through the musical connections among the performers and the song they share. The guitar and vocal blend keep a consistent, warm mood, while Harrison’s writing remains at the center. It is a live interpretation built on collaboration and a familiar composition.
More performances to enjoy
George Harrison and Paul Simon perform “Here Comes the Sun” on “Saturday Night Live” in 1976. Their duet offers a direct comparison with Simon’s later performance alongside Crosby and Nash.
Heart’s live “Stairway to Heaven” at the Kennedy Center Honors offers another tribute performance built around a familiar song. Its broader arrangement provides a contrasting scale to this acoustic collaboration.
