‘Handle with Care’ is a song by the British-American supergroup the Traveling Wilburys. It was released in October 1988 as their debut single and as the opening track of their album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1. The song was the first recording made by the group, although it was originally intended as a bonus track on a European single by George Harrison. When he and Jeff Lynne presented the song to Harrison's record company, the executives insisted it was too good for that purpose, a decision that resulted in the formation of the Wilburys. The song was written primarily by Harrison, although, as with all the tracks on Vol. 1, the writing credit lists all five members of the band: Harrison, Lynne, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty.
‘Handle with Care’ was the Wilburys' most successful single. It peaked at number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, number 2 on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart and number 21 on the UK Singles Chart, and was a top-five hit in Australia and New Zealand. Directed by David Leland, the video for the song was an MTV favorite in the late 1980s.
‘Handle with Care’ came about through Warner Bros. Records pressing Harrison for an extra track for the European release of his ‘This Is Love’ single. Having arrived in Los Angeles in April 1988, Harrison discussed the request over dinner with Jeff Lynne, his co-producer on the Cloud Nine album, and Roy Orbison, whose album Mystery Girl Lynne was producing at the time. Lynne agreed to help him record the track the following day, and Harrison invited Orbison to attend the session, after Orbison had said he "would like to come along and watch". With no professional studios available at such short notice, Harrison phoned Bob Dylan, who agreed to let them use his garage studio in Malibu. Tom Petty, who had also been working with Lynne in Los Angeles, was invited the following day, when Harrison went to retrieve his guitar from Petty's house.
The Wilburys filmed a music video for ‘Handle with Care’ in early October 1988, at an abandoned brewery near Union Station in Los Angeles. The video was the last to feature Orbison, who died of a heart attack on 6 December. Lynne recalls that, as they all traveled together to the film shoot, Orbison kept the band entertained by reciting entire Monty Python comedy sketches by himself. Lynne continues: "And he's got this enormous and most infectious giggle you've ever heard, and we'd all be giggling like schoolgirls after a minute or two and all fall about!"
Label – Wilbury
Songwriters – Traveling Wilburys
Producer – Otis Wilbury, Nelson Wilbury
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1: George Harrison]Been beat up and battered around
Been sent up, and I've been shot down
You're the best thing that I've ever found
Handle me with care
[Verse 2: George Harrison]
Reputation's changeable
Situation's tolerable
But, baby, you're adorable
Handle me with care
[Pre-Chorus: Roy Orbison]
I'm so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won't you show me that you really care?
[Chorus: Bob Dylan and Tom Petty]
Everybody's got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on
[Verse 3: George Harrison]
I've been fobbed off, and I've been fooled
I've been robbed and ridiculed
In daycare centers and night schools
Handle me with care
[Verse 4: George Harrison]
Been stuck in airports, terrorized
Sent to meetings, hypnotized
Overexposed, commercialized
Handle me with care
[Pre-Chorus: Roy Orbison]
I'm so tired of being lonely
I still have some love to give
Won't you show me that you really care?
[Chorus: Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison]
Everybody's got somebody to lean on
Put your body next to mine, and dream on
[Verse 5: George Harrison]
I've been uptight and it made a mess
But I'll clean it up myself, I guess
Oh, the sweet smell of success
Handle me with care