Initially, George Harrison I was afraid to release “My Sweet Lord” because of its religious theme. But after thinking of all the people who might benefit from hearing a song about God, he decided to go ahead with it.
George Harrison Meant ‘My Sweet Lord’ Was ‘The Western Pop Equivalent Of A Mantra’
“My Sweet Lord” was religious from the beginning.of his 1980 memoir, me me mineGeorge wrote that the Edwin Hawkins Singers’ funk and gospel version of the 18th-century hymn “Oh Happy Day” inspired him to write the song.
according to beatles biblesaid George. So he thought, ‘Let’s write another ‘Oh Happy Day’ and it became ‘My Sweet Lord’.”
However, George inserted parts of his religion into the song’s lyrics. George repeats part of the Hindu mantra “Hare Krishna… Krishna, Krishna” and inserts the Christian “Hallelujah”.
of Here Comes the Sun: George Harrison’s Spiritual and Musical JourneyJoshua M. Greene quotes George: He changed “Hallelujah” from singing to “Hare Krishna” so that people would chant the Maha mantra before they realized what was going on. ”
George meant that “My Sweet Lord” was “the Western pop equivalent of the mantra of repeating the holy name over and over”.
Green wrote: “I really miss you,” he sang. God was invisible to him, but he remained “sweet” despite the agony of their separation.
“my sweet lord‘ We talked about George’s spiritual journey. However, he was worried that the religious subject might offend some people.
One critic wrote that the song was “the boldest step in the history of popular music” and could be a “fatal career move”. I’m here.The gamble was whether fans would accept him even after realizing his depth
dedication. “
Related: George Harrison Didn’t Understand Why The Beatles Played The Royal Variety Performance In 1963
George released “My Sweet Lord” because he wanted to show young people religion.
Despite his misgivings about releasing “My Sweet Lord”, George went ahead with it. He hoped the song would evoke a divine consciousness among the younger generation who felt they were wasting their lives.
“At the time, no one in the pop world was dedicated to that type of music. rice field.
“A lot of times it’s like, ‘Well, I agree with you, but I’m not really going to stand up and be counted.
Risky. ‘ Everyone is always trying to cover themselves and stay commercial. So I thought, “Let’s do it.” No one else is, and I’m sick and tired of all these young people just boogie and wasting their lives.
of me me mine, George writes: Many people fear the words ‘Lord’ and ‘God’, and for some strange reason they become angry. ”
George believed that most people were not religious because of their ignorance.It came down to fear of the unknown. “It’s a kind of instinct in people,” George explained in the Martin Scorsese documentary. George Harrison: Living in a Material WorldBut his instinct to represent what he loves, God, won the battle.
In his memoirs, George wrote that he did not want to put up with it anymore. He wanted to show the world his love for God. “The point is that I stick one’s head out on the chopping board Because now I have to protect something, but at the same time I thought, “Nobody said that.” “I wish someone else would do it,” he said.
“You know, everybody’s been a ‘Be-bob baby’. Dancing might be nice, but I’m naive and I think we should express our feelings to each other. Well, that was what I felt, and I came to believe in the importance of saying that if you felt something strongly, you should say it.”
A fan wrote a thank you letter to George for releasing the song
George was pretty worried about “My Sweet Lord,” but he didn’t need to. fans loved the songIt quickly became George’s first solo No. 1 single. Clearly, the song’s religious theme didn’t put people off. Some fans wrote a thank you letter to George for releasing “My Sweet Lord”.
Green wrote:
“A lot of people seemed to be waiting for someone to validate their own quest for God, and from the day the record came out, thank you letters started pouring in and never stopped.”
George said he kept getting letters. In the 1980s George said:
George played a major role in the space play. He brought God to popular music like no other.
Related: George Harrison said getting back with the Beatles was like going back to school