Handle with Care ( song ) - wikipedia Handle with Care ( song ) `` Handle with Care '' Single by Traveling Wilburys from the album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 B - side `` Margarita '' Released 17 October 1988 Format 7 '' single, 10 '' single, 12 '' single, CD single Recorded 3 April 1988, Bob Dylan 's home studio Genre Heartland rock, folk rock, country rock Length 3 : 19 Label Wilbury, Warner Bros. Songwriter ( s ) Bob Dylan Jeff Lynne Tom Petty George Harrison Roy Orbison Producer ( s ) Nelson Wilbury, Otis Wilbury Traveling Wilburys singles chronology `` Handle with Care '' ( 1988 ) `` End of the Line '' ( 1988 ) `` Handle with Care '' ( 1988 ) `` End of the Line '' ( 1988 ) `` Handle with Care '' is the first track from the Traveling Wilburys ' 1988 album, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1, and the group 's most successful single. Writing credits are shared by all five band members : George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Bob Dylan. The single reached # 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, # 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, # 21 on the UK singles chart, and # 3 on the ARIA Chart. The song received a highly positive retrospective review from Allmusic journalist Matthew Greenwald, who described the song as `` one of the most memorable records of the 1980s. '' Greenwald wrote : `` Musically, the song is built around a descending, folk - rock chord pattern and some fine major - key chorus movements. George Harrison handles the verses, and there are also two excellent bridges featuring Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan. Orbison 's section capitalizes on his awesome, operatic vocal pipes, and the effect is wonderful. '' The opening chords are reminiscent of Jeff Lynne 's `` 10538 Overture '', the ELO single from 1972. Contents 1 Genesis 2 Cover versions 3 Track listing 4 Personnel 5 References 6 External links Genesis This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( September 2014 ) The song was originally intended as the B - side of Harrison 's `` This Is Love ''. Harrison had not yet written a song for the B - side when an impromptu gathering of the musicians who became the Wilburys turned into an informal songwriting and jam session. Casting about for a song idea while relaxing in a garden near Bob Dylan 's recording studio, Harrison was inspired when he noticed a box in Dylan 's garage that was labelled `` Handle with Care ''. The box also inspired the opening line : `` been beat up and battered around. '' The complete song quickly followed, with different members of the gathering contributing various lines. The group moved to a recording studio and quickly laid down the basic tracks which were later polished by eventual Wilburys producer Jeff Lynne. The song can be about myriad situations one wishes it to be, such as a fragile wounded lover or somebody struggling with hard times that comes with fame, or being uprooted or down and out and lost, or perhaps a lonely outlier - pleading, `` handle me with care. '' Harrison 's record company decided that the song was too good to be released as `` filler ''. Encouraged by this response and the enjoyable experience of recording together, the group reconvened to record the first Wilburys album, which featured `` Handle With Care '' as the lead track. The music video for the song features all the group members performing the song in an abandoned building while standing around an old - fashioned boom microphone, with drummer Jim Keltner in the background. There are brief cutaways to show still photos of the singers as children or young teens. The song was the last release and video for group member Roy Orbison prior to his death on December 6, 1988. Cover versions After performing the song during the Concert for George, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers added it to their set list for their 2003 summer tour. The band performed the song with Petty singing most of the lead vocals and band member Scott Thurston singing Roy Orbison 's parts. They also performed the song on their 2005 summer tour, their thirtieth anniversary tour in 2006, and their 2012 tour throughout the US and Europe. Jenny Lewis covered `` Handle with Care '' in 2006 on her solo debut record Rabbit Fur Coat with The Watson Twins, Ben Gibbard, Conor Oberst and M. Ward. On 14 September 2014, during the BBC Radio 2 Festival in a Day event, Jeff Lynne performed `` Handle with Care '' as a tribute to both George Harrison and Roy Orbison. Track listing 7 '' single A `` Handle With Care '' ( LP Version ) -- 3 : 20 B `` Margarita '' ( LP Version ) -- 3 : 16 12 '' single ( also 10 '' size ) A `` Handle With Care '' ( Extended Version ) -- 5 : 14 B `` Margarita '' -- 3 : 16 CD single `` Handle With Care '' ( LP Version ) -- 3 : 20 `` Margarita '' ( LP Version ) -- 3 : 16 `` Handle With Care '' ( Extended Version ) -- 5 : 14 Personnel George Harrison -- lead vocals ( verses ), slide guitar Roy Orbison -- lead vocals ( bridge ), acoustic guitar, harmonica, backing vocals Jeff Lynne -- electric rhythm guitar, backing vocals Bob Dylan -- acoustic guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals Tom Petty -- bass guitar, backing vocals Jim Keltner -- drums References Jump up ^ ASCAP entry for song ASCAP, accessed December 12, 2010 Jump up ^ `` Handle With Care by The Traveling Wilburys Songfacts ''. Songfacts.com. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ Hung, Steffen. `` Traveling Wilburys - Handle With Care ''. australian-charts.com. Retrieved 2011 - 08 - 20. Jump up ^ Handle with Care at AllMusic Jump up ^ http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/jeff-lynne/2014/hyde-park-picture-house-london-england-bcfd9fe.html External links Handle With Care at Discogs Traveling Wilburys Bob Dylan George Harrison Jeff Lynne Roy Orbison Tom Petty Studio albums Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3 Compilations The Traveling Wilburys Collection Songs and singles `` Handle with Care '' `` Tweeter and the Monkey Man '' `` End of the Line '' `` Nobody 's Child '' `` She 's My Baby '' `` Wilbury Twist '' Related Jim Keltner Dhani Harrison Full Moon Fever Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Handle_with_Care_(song)&oldid=805522524 '' Categories : 1988 singles Traveling Wilburys songs Song recordings produced by Jeff Lynne Jenny Lewis songs The Watson Twins songs Songs written by Bob Dylan Songs written by Jeff Lynne Songs written by Tom Petty Songs written by George Harrison Songs written by Roy Orbison Song recordings produced by George Harrison Debut singles 1988 songs Warner Bros. 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Question: who wrote the song handle me with care
Answer: George Harrison