It has probably got a range of five notes, which fits most singers' needs best. When I wrote it, in my mind I heard Ray Charles singing it, and he did do it some years later. At the time I wasn’t particularly thrilled that Frank Sinatra did “Something”. I’m more thrilled now than I was then. I wasn’t really into Frank – he was the generation before me. I was more interested when Smokey Robinson did it and when James Brown did it. But I’m very pleased now, whoever’s done it. I realise that the sign of a good song is when it has lots of cover versions.

– George Harrison

John Lennon and Paul McCartney both rated the song highly. Lennon said, “I think that’s about the best track on the album, actually,” while McCartney said “For me I think it’s the best he’s written.”

I wrote it at the time when we were making the last double album. And it’s just the first line, ‘Something in the way she moves’ which has been in millions of songs. It’s not a special thing. But it just seemed quite apt. I usually get the first few lines of lyrics and melody both at once. And then I finish the melody usually first and then I have to write the words. […] And now I need to write a couple of more verses and I find it much more difficult. But John gave me a handy tip once, which is, once you start to write the song, try and finish it straight away while you’re in the mood.

— To David Wigg, 1969