First off, I was very surprised to find out how old this song is! I thought it was from the 80′s, around the same time that Got My Mind Set On You came out. I couldn’t have been more wrong and it’s a good thing I’ve featured it in today’s entry.
My Sweet Lord was released as a single in November of 1970 from his third solo album, All Things Must Pass. It was his first release since the breakup of The Beatles. The lyrics were written in praise of the Hindu god Krishna, but also served as a call to abandon religious sectarianism. It blended Christian “alleluia”s with chants of “hare Krishna” and Vedic prayer.
The single was very successful, taking the #1 spot in countries all over the world including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, France, Germany, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden.
However, the track did cause some controversy. Shortly after being released, it was the center of a plagiarism claim initially cited by Rolling Stone. They said it was an “an “obvious re-write of the Chiffons’ ‘He’s So Fine.” The result was a court case, Bright Tunes Music vs. Harrisongs Music, that lasted over ten years. The court ruled that Harrison subconsciously copied the earlier tune. As a result, there was a fine but his manager purchased the rights to He’s So Fine which cut down the final costs.
So what do you think, do the songs sound similar?
Listen to He’s So Fine HERE. Comment below!
