5 Things to Know About the Sitar in "Norwegian Wood"

It was the first prominent sitar part in a Western pop song George Harrison played sitar on the 1965 track from Rubber Soul, introducing the instrument to mainstream rock audiences.

Harrison learned the sitar after meeting Ravi Shankar He picked up the instrument on the set of Help! and became obsessed after studying with the Indian master.

The sitar part is short but influential It only appears during a few bars in the verses and outro, yet it sparked a trend where every band wanted a sitar player.

The song’s lyrics are about an affair John Lennon wrote it about a secret relationship, but the sitar gives it a meditative, almost furniture-themed feel.

Harrison later went deeper with the instrument He expanded his sitar work on tracks like “Within You Without You,” but Norwegian Wood remains the starting point.