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Be Here Now (George Harrison song)

2025-05-09T23:54:43Z

187.53.75.51: Added a recording date, per https://livinginthematerial.world/timeline/

{{For|the Oasis song|Be Here Now (album)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Be Here Now
| cover =
| alt =
| type =
| artist = [[George Harrison]]
| album = [[Living in the Material World]]
| EP =
| written =
| published = [[Material World Charitable Foundation]] (administered by [[Harrisongs]])
| released = 30 May 1973
| format =
| recorded = 12 October 1972
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = [[Folk rock]]
| length = 4:09
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| composer =
| lyricist =
| producer = George Harrison
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| title =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}

"'''Be Here Now'''" is a song by English rock musician [[George Harrison]] from his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. The recording features a sparse musical arrangement and recalls Harrison's work with [[the Beatles]] during 1966–1968, through its [[Music of India|Indian]]-inspired mood and use of [[sitar]] drone. Part of Harrison's inspiration for the song was the popular 1971 book ''[[Be Here Now (book)|Be Here Now]]'' by spiritual teacher [[Ram Dass]] – specifically, a story discussing the author's change in identity from a Western academic to following a [[guru]] in the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] faith. Some Harrison biographers interpret "Be Here Now" as a comment from him on the public's nostalgia for the past following the Beatles' break-up.

Harrison wrote the song in Los Angeles in 1971, while working on the soundtrack to the [[Ravi Shankar]] documentary ''[[Raga (film)|Raga]]'', and shortly before organising [[the Concert for Bangladesh]]. The recording took place in late 1972 at his [[Friar Park]] home, with musical contributions from [[Klaus Voormann]], [[Nicky Hopkins]], [[Gary Wright]] and [[Jim Keltner]]. Contrary to the song's message, its release coincided with heightened speculation regarding a possible Beatles reunion, following Harrison, [[Ringo Starr]] and [[John Lennon]] recording together in Los Angeles in March 1973.

"Be Here Now" has received critical attention for its dreamlike sound and the quality of Harrison's acoustic guitar playing. [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described the track as a "meltingly lovely meditation-prayer",<ref name="Holden/RS" /> while author Ian Inglis views it as a moving musical expression of "the spiritual, scientific, and metaphysical implications of time".<ref>Inglis, p. 42.</ref> Singers [[Robyn Hitchcock]], [[Ian Astbury]], and [[Beck]] have each covered the song.

==Background and composition==
In his 1980 autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', [[George Harrison]] recalls coming up with the tune for "Be Here Now" while staying in [[Nichols Canyon, Los Angeles]], in the spring of 1971.<ref name="IMM p 252" /> At the time, Harrison was in Los Angeles producing the soundtrack to ''[[Raga (film)|Raga]]'',<ref>Badman, p. 36.</ref> an [[Apple Films]] documentary about Indian [[sitar]]ist [[Ravi Shankar]].<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 187.</ref><ref>Clayson, p. 308.</ref> The same visit led to Harrison staging the [[The Concert for Bangladesh|Concert for Bangladesh]] in New York that summer,<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 187–88.</ref> following a plea from Shankar, a [[Bengali Hindu]], that something be done to raise international awareness for refugees of the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref>Greene, pp. 185–86.</ref><ref>Shankar, pp. 217, 219–20.</ref> In his autobiography, Harrison says of writing the song: "I was almost falling asleep. I had the guitar in bed and the melody came fast."<ref name="IMM p 252">Harrison, p. 252.</ref> In keeping with this description, the mood and melody of "Be Here Now" have a meditative<ref name="John Metzger/MB">John Metzger, [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2006/georgeharrison-livinginthematerialworld.html "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], ''The Music Box'', vol. 13 (11), November 2006 (retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref> and dreamlike quality.<ref name="Spizer p 255">Spizer, p. 255.</ref><ref>Tom Doyle, "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''", ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'', November 2006, p. 156.</ref>

The song is in the [[Key (music)|musical key]] of A, with a [[time signature]] of 4/4 throughout.<ref name="HansenSheetMusic">"Be Here Now", in ''George Harrison ''Living in the Material World'': Sheet Music for Piano, Vocal & Guitar'', Charles Hansen (New York, NY, 1973), pp. 78–79.</ref> According to his handwritten note on the lyrics reproduced in ''I, Me, Mine'', Harrison played the guitar part in [[open G tuning]]<ref>Harrison, p. 253.</ref> – which would typically require the placing of a [[Capo (musical device)|capo]] on the guitar's second [[fret]], to attain an open chord of [[Major chord|A major]].<ref>Keith Wyatt, "G Whiz: How to Play Like Keith Richards, Master of Open G Tuning", ''[[Guitar World|Guitar Legends]]'', March 2007, pp. 60, 61.</ref> Author and music journalist [[Paul Trynka]] writes of "Be Here Now" containing "[[Mode (music)|modal]] folk riffs".<ref name="Trynka/ClassicRock" /> The composition includes a recurring guitar [[Motif (music)|motif]], played over the chords of A major and A major 7, and is structured into two sections of verse separated by a [[Thirty-two-bar form#Middle eight|middle eight]].<ref name="HansenSheetMusic" />

==Lyrical inspiration and interpretation==
[[Image:Zalman Schachter-Shalomi & Ram Dass.jpg|thumb|right|165px|[[Ram Dass]] (right, pictured with [[Zalman Schachter-Shalomi]]), whose autobiographical story "The Transformation" inspired Harrison's song]]
Harrison drew inspiration for the song's lyrics from "The Transformation: Dr. Richard Alpert, PhD. into Baba Ram Dass".<ref name="IMM p 252" /> A humorous story,<ref>Clayson, p. 322.</ref> "The Transformation" was the first of four sections in [[Ram Dass]]'s book ''[[Be Here Now (book)|Be Here Now]]'', a popular introductory text to [[Hindusim|Hindu]] spirituality.<ref name="Allison p 85">Allison, p. 85.</ref> As Richard Alpert, Dass had been a [[Harvard University|Harvard]] academic and an associate of [[Timothy Leary]] during the early 1960s,<ref>Tillery, p. 43.</ref> before embracing Hinduism – like Harrison in 1966, via experimentation with [[Hallucinogen|hallucinogenic drugs]]<ref>George Harrison, in The Beatles, pp. 179–80.</ref><ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 34, 36.</ref> – and changing his name.<ref>MacDonald, pp. 164, 167fn.</ref> Before the book's publication in 1971, according to [[Musicology|musicologist]] [[Ian MacDonald]], the phrase "Be here now" had become a "[[hippie]] maxim",<ref>MacDonald, p. 167.</ref> reflecting a fundamental contention of Hindu philosophy regarding the all-importance of the present moment.<ref name="Leng p 133" /> For Harrison, the present meant his identity outside the public's perception of him as a [[The Beatles|Beatle]],<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 441" /><ref>Allison, p. 137.</ref> a role he had already tired of in 1965–66,<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 144–45.</ref> during the height of the band's fame.<ref>Doggett, pp. 21–22.</ref><ref>Lavezzoli, p. 176.</ref>

Author Ian Inglis writes of the parallels between "Be Here Now" and one of Harrison's 1968 compositions for the Beatles, "[[Long, Long, Long]]", due to the two songs' "common subject matter: time".<ref name="Inglis p 41" /> In "Be Here Now", Harrison delivers his message in simple terms, stating that "The past was", whereas "Now is".<ref name="Inglis p 41" /><ref>Josh Hathaway, [http://blogcritics.org/music/article/vcv-george-harrison-be-here-now/ "VCV: George Harrison – 'Be Here Now'"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111129193721/http://blogcritics.org/music/article/vcv-george-harrison-be-here-now/ |date=29 November 2011 }}, [[Blogcritics]], 25 February 2010 (retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref> According to theologian [[Dale Allison]], the song also addresses the Hindu concept of ''[[Maya (illusion)|maya]]'',<ref>Allison, pp. 83, 115.</ref> whereby the physical world is an illusion and the only truth is to realise the divine nature of one's soul.<ref>Tillery, pp. 106–07.</ref><ref>Schaffner, pp. 142, 159.</ref> Harrison warns against what Allison terms "mistak[ing] the material world, which is only a grand illusion, for the real world", particularly in the lyrics to the middle eight:<ref>Allison, pp. 114–15.</ref>

{{blockquote|text=Why try to live a life That isn't real No how? A mind that wants to wander 'Round a corner Is an unwise mind.}}

Harrison's musical biographer, Simon Leng, views "Be Here Now" as the singer questioning the validity of his role as a world-famous musician.<ref>Leng, p. 137.</ref> Leng writes of Harrison yearning to escape "a Fab Four prehistory that so obsessed the media and his fans", and draws parallels between the former Beatle's predicament and a comedy sketch by [[Monty Python]], featuring the character [[List of Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes#1. Whither Canada?|Arthur "Two Sheds" Jackson]].<ref name="Leng p 133">Leng, p. 133.</ref> In the sketch, Jackson is a composer of modern symphonies, yet the interviewer fixates on the trivial detail of how he acquired his unusual nickname.<ref name="Leng p 133" /><ref>"Time Machine: 6 October 1969 – Something completely different", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', October 1999, p. 35.</ref>

In his book discussing the religious themes in Harrison's songwriting,<ref>Inglis, p. 171.</ref> Allison qualifies the literal message of "Be Here Now" by stating, "this song must be understood as an endorsement [of Dass's book]", yet it is "hardly the typical George".<ref>Allison, pp. 84–85.</ref> Allison cites many compositions from throughout Harrison's career, all covering issues of [[karma]] and [[reincarnation]], as evidence that Harrison "encourages all of us to ponder our inescapable end and so imagine the future", rather than focusing only on the here and now.<ref>Allison, pp. 79–80, 85.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Allison's list begins with "[[Within You Without You]]", released on the Beatles' ''[[Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band]]'' in 1967, and includes the songs "[[All Things Must Pass (song)|All Things Must Pass]]", "[[Living in the Material World (song)|Living in the Material World]]", "[[The Answer's at the End]]" and "[[Heading for the Light]]", among others.<ref>Allison, pp. 79–80, 159.</ref>}} Harrison returned to the specific theme of "Be Here Now" in later songs such as "[[Flying Hour]]"<ref>Inglis, p. 102.</ref> and "[[Just for Today]]",<ref>Huntley, p. 208.</ref> the last of which adopts the here-and-now message as an inspirational statement for members of [[Alcoholics Anonymous]].<ref>Allison, pp. 137, 142, 148.</ref>

==Recording==
Harrison recorded "Be Here Now" for his second post-Beatles solo album, ''[[Living in the Material World]]'',<ref>Badman, p. 83.</ref> the sessions for which began in October 1972.<ref>[http://georgeharrison.com/albums/living-in-the-material-world/ "Living in the Material World"], georgeharrison.com (retrieved 23 December 2013).</ref> With [[Phil McDonald]] serving as engineer,<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> the recording took place at [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]] in London, according to the album credits.<ref name="LITMW 2006 credits">Album credits, booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] (EMI Records, 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), p. 36.</ref> Bassist [[Klaus Voormann]] has stated that Harrison's [[Friar Park]] home studio in Oxfordshire was the true location, however,<ref name="Spizer p 254" /><ref>Leng, pp. 124, 126, 133.</ref> a contention supported by [[Jim Keltner]], the drummer at the sessions.<ref>Snow, p. 70.</ref> Harrison self-produced ''Material World'' and deliberately pared down the sound,<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 194.</ref><ref name="Marchese/Review">Joe Marchese, [http://theseconddisc.com/2014/09/23/review-the-george-harrison-remasters-the-apple-years-1968-1975/ "Review: The George Harrison Remasters – 'The Apple Years 1968–1975'"], ''The Second Disc'', 23 September 2014 (retrieved 3 October 2014).</ref> keen to avoid the big production employed by [[Phil Spector]] on ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'', his acclaimed 1970 triple album.<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 180.</ref> Author Robert Rodriguez writes that, as a producer, Harrison "gave the tunes breathing space, allowing the instruments to sparkle", which included "a nearly imperceptible undercurrent of [[sitar]]" on "Be Here Now".<ref name="Rodriguez p 156" /> Inglis views the recording as "musically evoking the mystery and profundity of time", as a complement to the song's lyrics.<ref>Inglis, p. 103.</ref>

{{quote box|quote= I love that song … I remember we were playing it and I said, "I'd love to play the [[Double bass|upright bass]] on that." And it was difficult to record, so I went into the bathroom at Friar Park and the microphone was put in there. What happened was that [[Mal Evans]] came and flushed the toilet while I was playing the bass! I did a drawing of that, and it was still there at Friar Park in that bathroom the last time I was there.<ref name="Leng p 133" />|source= – Musician and artist [[Klaus Voormann]], 2003, recalling the recording of "Be Here Now"|width=30%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Besides Harrison, the musicians on the song were [[Gary Wright]] (on organ), [[Nicky Hopkins]] (piano) and the [[rhythm section]] of Voormann and Keltner – all of whom served as the core band on ''Material World''.<ref>Leng, pp. 124–25, 132–33.</ref> Behind Harrison's acoustic guitar and the sitar drone, the sparse instrumentation provides what author Elliot Huntley terms "a lesson in understatement".<ref name="Huntley p 93">Huntley, p. 93.</ref> In the search for a good sound, Voormann recorded his part, on [[Double bass|standup bass]], in one of the bathrooms at Friar Park; he remembers being interrupted during a take by longtime Beatles aide [[Mal Evans]] flushing the toilet.<ref name="Leng p 133" />{{refn|group=nb|An alternate take, released unofficially on [[Bootleg recording|bootlegs]] such as ''Living in the Alternate World'',<ref>[http://www.bootlegzone.com/version.php?vid=2201&section=4 "George Harrison 'Be Here Now (undetermined version)'"], Bootleg Zone (retrieved 23 December 2013).</ref> contains more-prominent contributions from Keltner and Hopkins, with Wright playing [[Pump organ|harmonium]], and a rough guide vocal from Harrison.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 440, 441.</ref>}}

In his book ''The Beatles Forever'', [[Nicholas Schaffner]] describes Harrison's use of Indian instrumentation on "Be Here Now" and "[[Living in the Material World (song)|Living in the Material World]]" as marking "a return to the quasi-Indian mode" of his work with the Beatles during 1966–68,<ref name="Schaffner p 159">Schaffner, p. 159.</ref> following which, Harrison admitted, he had rarely played the sitar.<ref name="Rosen/RBP 1974">Steven Rosen, "[http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/george-harrison George Harrison]", [[Rock's Backpages]], 2008 (subscription required; retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref><ref>Mitchell Glazer, "Growing Up at 33⅓: The George Harrison Interview", ''[[Crawdaddy!|Crawdaddy]]'', February 1977, p. 41.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|From 1966 to 1968, Harrison received sitar tuition from Shankar, the latter's protégé [[Shambhu Das]] and others.<ref>Clayson, p. 206.</ref><ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 175, 176, 184–85.</ref> In addition to his playing on ''Material World'', Harrison gave a rare demonstration on the instrument when he and Shankar appeared on ''[[David Frost#American career from 1968 to 1980|The David Frost Show]]'' in November 1971,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439">Madinger & Easter, p. 439.</ref> while promoting the film ''Raga''.<ref>Badman, pp. 55–56.</ref>}} Although Schaffner credits the part as a [[Tanpura (instrument)|tambura]],<ref name="Schaffner p 159" /> other commentators describe the instrument as a sitar.<ref name="Huntley p 93" /><ref name="BB review/google">[https://books.google.com/books?id=GwkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22living+in+the+material+world%22&pg=PA54 "Top Album Picks: Pop"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 23 December 2013).</ref>

Among the other tracks recorded for the album, "[[The Light That Has Lighted the World]]" and "[[Who Can See It]]" similarly reflect Harrison's desire to escape his Beatles past.<ref name="Rodriguez p 156">Rodriguez, p. 156.</ref><ref>Leng, pp. 127–28, 129–30.</ref> In March 1973, following the completion of ''Material World'', Harrison recorded "[[I'm the Greatest]]" in Los Angeles with his former bandmates [[Ringo Starr]] and [[John Lennon]],<ref>Leng, pp. 138–39.</ref> for inclusion on Starr's first rock solo album, ''[[Ringo (album)|Ringo]]''.<ref>Spizer, pp. 305, 306.</ref> The session immediately led to rumours of a possible Beatles reunion,<ref>Badman, p. 92.</ref> partly encouraged by the three musicians having severed ties with manager [[Allen Klein]].<ref>Woffinden, p. 75.</ref><ref name="Schaffner p 160">Schaffner, p. 160.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Klein's appointment as business manager in 1969 had traditionally been an obstacle in their relationship with [[Paul McCartney]].<ref>Doggett, p. 202.</ref>}}

==Release and reception==
[[Apple Records]] released ''Living in the Material World'' on 30 May 1973,<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 125.</ref> with "Be Here Now" sequenced as the second track on side two of the [[LP record|LP]].<ref>Spizer, p. 253.</ref><ref>Harry, pp. 74, 253–54.</ref> It followed what Rodriguez describes as the "funky, up-tempo" "[[The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)]]"<ref>Rodriguez, p. 157.</ref> and was the first of four consecutive ballads that otherwise filled the LP's second side.<ref>Huntley, pp. 92–93.</ref> As with all the new compositions on the album, Harrison donated his publishing royalties for the song to the [[Material World Charitable Foundation]],<ref>Ingham, pp. 127–28.</ref><ref>Clayson, p. 323.</ref> a charitable trust he set up to avoid the tax problems that had hindered his aid effort for the Bangladeshi refugees.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 438">Madinger & Easter, p. 438.</ref> The album was a commercial success,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 438" /> continuing the run Harrison had enjoyed as a solo artist with ''All Things Must Pass'' and ''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|The Concert for Bangladesh]]''.<ref>Schaffner, pp. 159, 160.</ref><ref>Leng, pp. 141–42.</ref>

Among contemporary reviews of ''Material World'', some music critics objected to the abundance of ballads and to the increasingly religious focus of Harrison's songwriting.<ref name="Spizer p 254">Spizer, p. 254.</ref> Never a fan of Harrison's solo work,<ref name="RS GH bio">[https://web.archive.org/web/20110303232650/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/george-harrison/biography "George Harrison biography"], [[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]] (archived version retrieved 20 November 2017).</ref> [[Robert Christgau]] later commented on the album: "Harrison sings as if he's doing sitar impressions, and four different people, including a little man in my head who I never noticed before, have expressed intense gratitude when I turned the damned thing off during 'Be Here Now'."<ref name=Christgau>Robert Christgau, [http://robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1983&name=George+Harrison "George Harrison > Consumer Guide Reviews"], [[Robert Christgau|robertchristgau.com]] (retrieved 26 February 2014).</ref> By contrast, [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' admired ''Material World'' as "a pop religious ceremony for all seasons"<ref>Huntley, pp. 94–95.</ref> and described the song as "a meltingly lovely meditation-prayer, the ultimate aural refinement of '[[Blue Jay Way]]'".<ref name="Holden/RS">Stephen Holden, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 "George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030517/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 |date=3 October 2017 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 July 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison wrote "Blue Jay Way" in August 1967 while staying in a house in the [[Hollywood Hills West, Los Angeles|Hollywood Hills West]] area of Los Angeles.<ref>Nigel Williamson, "Only a Northern Song: The songs George Harrison wrote for The Beatles", ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', February 2002, pp. 60–61.</ref> The song documents Harrison's struggle with the effects of [[jet lag]] as he waited for friends to find their way to the house through heavy fog.<ref>MacDonald, p. 236.</ref><ref>Harrison, p. 114.</ref>}} In his review for ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Michael Watts wrote of "Be Here Now"'s middle eight providing a "[[Confucius]]-like 'truth'" and commented that reading the album's lyric sheet was "rather like finding yourself at the feet of some [[Lama|Tibetan [lama]]]".<ref name="Watts/MM">Michael Watts, "The New Harrison Album", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 3.</ref>

==Retrospective appraisal and legacy==
===Cultural influence and 2006 reissue===
The phrase "Be Here Now" was used by the English band [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] for the title of their [[Be Here Now (album)|third album]],<ref name="Snow/Mojo2014" /> issued in 1997.<ref>Bennett & Stratton, p. 118.</ref> Further to the group naming their hit song "[[Wonderwall]]" after Harrison's [[Wonderwall Music|1968 solo album]],<ref>Michael Gallucci, [http://ultimateclassicrock.com/george-harrison-apple-years-box/ "George Harrison, 'The Apple Years 1968–75' – Album Review"], ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'', 19 September 2014 (retrieved 2 December 2014).</ref><ref>Bennett & Stratton, pp. 118, 146.</ref><ref>Timothy White, [https://books.google.com/books?id=TA8EAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Wonderwall+Music%22&pg=PA89 "Magical History Tour: Harrison Previews 'Anthology Volume 2'"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 9 March 1996, p. 89 (retrieved 2 September 2015).</ref> as well as their appropriation of various musical influences from his work,<ref>DeRogatis, pp. 171–72.</ref><ref>Chuck Klosterman, "Oasis ''Heathen Chemistry''", ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'', August 2002, p. 113.</ref> Harrison was not flattered by the apparent compliment, and was outspoken in his criticism of the band following the release of ''Be Here Now''.<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 233.</ref><ref>Badman, pp. 571, 576, 577–78.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Speaking to music journalist [[Mat Snow]] in 2014, Voormann said: "I did not know Oasis used the same title [as Harrison's song 'Be Here Now']. George hated them: 'Fucking Oasis – can't stand them!'"<ref name="Snow/Mojo2014">Snow, p. 72.</ref>}} Harrison provided songs, including "Be Here Now",<ref>Dennis Harvey, [https://variety.com/2002/film/reviews/ram-dass-fierce-grace-1200551085/ "Ram Dass: Fierce Grace"], ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', 1 March 2002 (retrieved 9 June 2021).</ref> and other music for the 2001 documentary film ''Ram Dass: Fierce Grace''.<ref>Harry, p. 175.</ref>

''Living in the Material World'' was [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|reissued in remastered form]] in 2006,<ref name="Menze/BB">Jill Menze, [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58054/billboard-bits-george-harrison-family-values-antony "Billboard Bits: George Harrison, Family Values, Antony"], [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]], 21 June 2006 (retrieved 2 December 2014).</ref> five years after Harrison's death from cancer at the age of 58.<ref>Tillery, pp. 2, 148.</ref> Among reviews at that time, ''Music Box'' editor John Metzger wrote that the "meditative fragility" of "Be Here Now" contributes to "the [[Zen]]-like beauty that emanates from Harrison's hymns to a higher power" on the album,<ref name="John Metzger/MB" /> while two years before, in ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'', Mac Randall described the tune as "rank[ing] among Harrison's prettiest".<ref>Brackett & Hoard, p. 367.</ref> In his 2006 album review, for ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', [[Mat Snow]] considered it a "wonderful song" that "blends two of George's Beatle peaks, 'Blue Jay Way' and 'Long, Long, Long', to movingly transcendental effect".<ref>Mat Snow, "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2006, p. 124.</ref> Less impressed, [[PopMatters]]{{'}} Zeth Lundy bemoaned the stripped-down sound of ''Living in the Material World'' after the "thunderous extravagance" of ''All Things Must Pass'', such that "Be Here Now" was rendered "a little too slow-moving and dramatically anaemic".<ref name="Lundy/PM">Zeth Lundy, [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world/ "George Harrison: Living in the Material World"], [[PopMatters]], 8 November 2006 (retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref>

Writing for ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' in 2011, Steve Rabey cited Harrison's drawing of inspiration from Dass's book, as from the ''[[Tao Te Ching]]'' and ''[[Autobiography of a Yogi]]'' in other songs, as an example of his standing as both a "cafeteria Hindu" and "perhaps the most explicitly and consistently theological rock star of the last half-century". Rabey concludes: "While he failed to convert everyone to his beliefs, he nudged his [former] bandmates – and his listener fans – a bit further to the East, encouraging audiences to open themselves to new (or very old) spiritual influences."<ref name="Rabey/HuffPost">Steve Rabey, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/09/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world_n_1001707.html "George Harrison, 'Living In The Material World'"], ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', 9 October 2011 (retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref>

===Biographers' assessments===
Among Beatles and Harrison biographers, Chip Madinger and Mark Easter admire the "hypnotic, droning effect" on "Be Here Now", which they describe as "a lovely track";<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 441">Madinger & Easter, p. 441.</ref> Elliot Huntley views the arrangement as a "masterpiece";<ref name="Huntley p 93" /> and [[Alan Clayson]] praises the production and Harrison's "decorative fingering and harmonics" on guitar, which he rates "on a par with the acoustic virtuosity of [[John Renbourn]]".<ref>Clayson, pp. 322, 323–24.</ref> In ''The Rough Guide to the Beatles'', Chris Ingham cites "the graceful 'Be Here Now'" as an example of how Harrison's "melodious gifts and distinctive ear for a harmony are in evidence throughout [''Material World'']".<ref>Ingham, p. 134.</ref>

Ian Inglis admires the song as "one of Harrison's most haunting and mysterious compositions", and writes of the recording: "The gentle, largely acoustic backing, and Harrison's achingly beautiful vocal give the song a nebulous, yearning quality, almost as if something barely understood is slipping out of sight."<ref name="Inglis p 41">Inglis, p. 41.</ref> Inglis likens "Be Here Now" to the performance [[Monologist|monologue]] "Time" by English actress and author [[Joyce Grenfell]], whose conclusion that "there is no such thing as time – only this very minute, and I am in it" he finds echoed in Harrison's "sense of wonder and helplessness in the face of the spiritual, scientific, and [[metaphysical]] implications of time".<ref>Inglis, pp. 41–42.</ref>

===2014 appraisal===
The song continues to receive attention following the 2014 ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75|Apple Years]]'' Harrison reissues. In ''Mojo'', Tom Doyle writes of ''Living in the Material World'' "spot[lighting] the spirituality and the dreaminess" in Harrison's songwriting, through "the gentle, non-preachy 'The Light That Has Lighted the World' and 'Be Here Now', both great works of look-around-you wonder".<ref>Tom Doyle, "Hari Styles: George Harrison ''The Apple Years 1968–1975''", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2014, p. 109.</ref> In a review for [[Blogcritics]], Chaz Lipp views the production on the album as "meticulous" and superior to ''All Things Must Pass'', such that "[t]he delicate melodies of songs like '[[The Day the World Gets 'Round]]' and 'Be Here Now' are never lost in bombast."<ref>Chaz Lipp, [http://blogcritics.org/music-review-george-harrison-apple-albums-remastered/ "Music Review: George Harrison’s Apple Albums Remastered"], [[Blogcritics]], 5 October 2014 (retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref> Writing for PopMatters, Scot Elingburg pairs "Be Here Now" with "[[Don't Let Me Wait Too Long]]" as ''Material World'' tracks that "offer much more than just Harrison's Hindu-inspired teachings; they also offer up the chance for larger dialogue within music."<ref>Scott Elingburg, [http://www.popmatters.com/review/189031-george-harrison-the-apple-years-1968-1975/ "George Harrison: The Apple Years 1968–1975"], [[PopMatters]], 30 January 2015 (retrieved 8 October 2015).</ref>

Nick DeRiso, co-founder of the music website ''Something Else!'', includes "Be Here Now" among the highlights of Harrison's solo career on Apple Records, and describes the track as "[a]n enveloping moment of wonder".<ref>Nick DeRiso, [http://somethingelsereviews.com/2014/09/11/gimme-five-forgotten-george-harrison-gems-from-the-apple-years/ "Forgotten George Harrison gems from The Apple Years: Gimme Five"], ''Something Else!'', 11 September 2014 (retrieved 3 October 2014).</ref>

In his review for ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' magazine, Paul Trynka writes:
<blockquote>The towering achievement of this album is, you might say, the preachiest song, "Be Here Now". A straightforward evocation of Buddhist philosophy, its modal folk riffs and wavering melody are enchanting. Writer Ian MacDonald suggested that Nick Drake's "[[River Man]]" was based on this same Buddhist notion of mindfulness, and there's a similar combination of dreaminess and fierce intensity in this song, which is a masterpiece.<ref name="Trynka/ClassicRock">Paul Trynka, [http://www.teamrock.com/reviews/2014-10-08/george-harrison-the-apple-years-1968-75 "George Harrison: The Apple Years 1968–75"], [[Classic Rock (magazine)|TeamRock]], 8 October 2014 (retrieved 11 January 2015).</ref><ref>Paul Trynka, "George Harrison ''The Apple Years 1968–75''", ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'', November 2014, p. 105.</ref></blockquote>

==Cover versions==

[[The 5th Dimension]] covered "Be Here Now" as part of the opening [[Medley (music)|medley]] on their 1975 album ''[[Earthbound (The 5th Dimension album)|Earthbound]]'', produced and arranged by [[Jimmy Webb]].<ref>Andy Kellman, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/earthbound-mw0002635862 "The 5th Dimension ''Earthbound''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 13 August 2016).</ref> Singer [[Robyn Hitchcock]] recorded the track, along with covers of songs by [[Johnny Cash]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[David Bowie]] and others, for a download-only album released in December 2010.<ref>Alex Young, [http://consequenceofsound.net/2010/12/stream-robyn-hitchcock-covers-bowie-dylan-nick-drake/ "Stream: Robyn Hitchcock covers Bowie, Dylan, Nick Drake"], ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'', 22 December 2010 (retrieved 1 December 2014).</ref> Described by the website ''[[Slicing Up Eyeballs]]'' as a "pristine acoustic take", Hitchcock's version of "Be Here Now" appeared as the opening track on the collection.<ref>Matt Sebastian, [http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/12/21/robyn-hitchcock-streaming-covers-bowie-dylan-dead-cash/ "Robyn Hitchcock streams unreleased covers of Bowie, Dylan, Cash and Grateful Dead"], ''[[Slicing Up Eyeballs]]'', 21 December 2010 (12 June 2021).</ref> In 2024, Beck released a cover of the song, it was described as "atmospheric" by [[NME]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dunworth |first=Liberty |date=2024-12-11 |title=Check out Beck's ethereal cover of 'Be Here Now’ |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/check-out-beck-ethereal-cover-of-be-here-now-george-harrison-3821227 |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=NME |language=en-GB}}</ref>

Coinciding with the release of ''The Apple Years'',<ref>Daniel Kreps, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/watch-dhani-harrison-perform-two-of-his-fathers-songs-on-conan-20140925 "Watch Dhani Harrison Perform Two of His Father's Songs on 'Conan'"], [[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]], 25 September 2014 (retrieved 1 December 2014).</ref> "Be Here Now" was one of 27 Harrison songs played at [[George Fest]],<ref>Debi Del Grande, [http://larecord.com/photos/2014/09/30/george-fest-a-night-to-celebrate-the-music-of-george-harrison-the-fonda-theatre "GEORGE FEST: A Night to Celebrate the Music of George Harrison @ the Fonda Theatre"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015202620/http://larecord.com/photos/2014/09/30/george-fest-a-night-to-celebrate-the-music-of-george-harrison-the-fonda-theatre |date=15 October 2014 }}, ''[[L.A. Record]]'', 30 September 2014 (retrieved 1 December 2014).</ref> an all-star concert organised by his son [[Dhani Harrison|Dhani]] and held at the [[Fonda Theatre]], Los Angeles, on 28 September 2014.<ref>Philip Cosores, [http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/09/live-review-george-fest-at-the-fonda-theatre-in-hollywood-928/ "Live Review: George Fest at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood (9/28)"], ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'', 30 September 2014 (retrieved 1 December 2014).</ref> The song was performed by [[The Cult|Cult]] vocalist [[Ian Astbury]].<ref>Bailey Pennick, [http://floodmagazine.com/1854/live-dhani-harrison-and-friends-come-together-to-celebrate-george-harrison-for-jamesons-george-fest-92814/ "LIVE: Dhani Harrison and Friends Come Together to Celebrate George Harrison for Jameson's 'George Fest' (9/28/14)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018013502/http://floodmagazine.com/1854/live-dhani-harrison-and-friends-come-together-to-celebrate-george-harrison-for-jamesons-george-fest-92814/ |date=18 October 2014 }}, floodmagazine.com, 30 September 2014 (retrieved 1 December 2014).</ref> In a review of the concert, for ''[[No Depression (magazine)|No Depression]]'' magazine, C.J. Gronner described Astbury's performance as "my favorite part of the night".<ref>C.J. Gronner, [http://nodepression.com/live-review/george-fest-celebration-george-harrison-and-his-music "George Fest! A Celebration Of George Harrison and His Music"], ''[[No Depression (magazine)|No Depression]]'', 29 September 2014 (retrieved 1 December 2014).</ref>

==Personnel==
According to Simon Leng:<ref>Leng, p. 132.</ref>

*[[George Harrison]] – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, [[sitar]],<ref name="Huntley p 93" /> backing vocals
*[[Nicky Hopkins]] – piano
*[[Gary Wright]] – organ
*[[Klaus Voormann]] – [[Double bass|standup bass]]
*[[Jim Keltner]] – drums

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* [[Dale Allison|Dale C. Allison Jr]], ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* [[The Beatles]], ''The Beatles Anthology'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2000; {{ISBN|0-8118-2684-8}}).
* Andy Bennett & Jon Stratton (eds), ''Britpop and the English Music Tradition'' (rev. edn), Ashgate Publishing (Farnham, UK, 2013; {{ISBN|978-1-4094-9407-2}}).
* Nathan Brackett & Christian Hoard (eds), ''The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'' (4th edn), Fireside/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2004; {{ISBN|0-7432-0169-8}}).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* [[Alan Clayson]], ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* [[Jim DeRogatis]], ''Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's'', Da Capo Press (Cambridge, MA, 2003; {{ISBN|0-306-81271-1}}).
* [[Peter Doggett]], ''You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup'', It Books (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-06-177418-8}}).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* Joshua M. Greene, ''Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison'', John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-470-12780-3}}).
* [[George Harrison]], ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002 [1980]; {{ISBN|0-8118-3793-9}}).
* [[Bill Harry]], ''The George Harrison Encyclopedia'', Virgin Books (London, 2003; {{ISBN|978-0-7535-0822-0}}).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|1-55071-197-0}}).
* Chris Ingham, ''The Rough Guide to the Beatles'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2006; 2nd edn; {{ISBN|978-1-84836-525-4}}).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* [[Ian MacDonald]], ''Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'', Pimlico (London, 1998; {{ISBN|0-7126-6697-4}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* [[Nicholas Schaffner]], ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* [[Ravi Shankar]], ''Raga Mala: The Autobiography of Ravi Shankar'', Welcome Rain (New York, NY, 1999; {{ISBN|1-56649-104-5}}).
* [[Mat Snow]], "George Harrison: Quiet Storm", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2014, pp. 66–73.
* [[Bruce Spizer]], ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* [[Gary Tillery]], ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0900-5}}).
* [[Bob Woffinden]], ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; {{ISBN|0-906071-89-5}}).
{{refend}}

{{Living in the Material World|state=expanded}}
{{Ram Dass}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:1973 songs]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]
[[Category:Indian mythology in music]]
[[Category:Songs about nostalgia]]
[[Category:1970s ballads]]
[[Category:British folk rock songs]]
[[Category:Folk ballads]]

That Is All (song)

2025-05-09T23:48:43Z

187.53.75.51:

{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name = That Is All
| cover =
| alt =
| type =
| artist = [[George Harrison]]
| album = [[Living in the Material World]]
| EP =
| written =
| published = [[Material World Charitable Foundation]] (administered by [[Harrisongs]])
| released = 30 May 1973
| format =
| recorded = 10 October 1972
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| length = 3:43
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| composer =
| lyricist =
| producer = George Harrison
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| title =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"'''That Is All'''" is a song by English musician [[George Harrison]] released as the final track of his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. A slow, heavily orchestrated ballad, it is one of many Harrison love songs that appear to be directed at either a woman or a deity. Harrison wrote and recorded the song during the height of his public devotion to [[Hinduism]]; on release, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described its lyrics as "a sort of Hindu ''[[In paradisum|In Paradisium]]''".<ref name="Holden/RS" />

Recording for "That Is All" took place in London in late 1972, following Harrison's completion of the international aid project begun the previous year with [[the Concert for Bangladesh]]. The other musicians on the track include keyboard players [[Gary Wright]], whose fledgling solo career Harrison actively supported during the early 1970s, and [[Nicky Hopkins]]. The song's orchestral and choral arrangements were provided by [[John Barham]], who had also worked on Harrison's album ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'' and Wright's ''[[Footprint (album)|Footprint]]''. "That Is All" has been covered by singers [[Andy Williams]] and [[Harry Nilsson]].

==Background==
As with all the songs on his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]'' except for "[[Try Some, Buy Some]]",<ref>Huntley, pp. 49–50, 64.</ref> [[George Harrison]] wrote "That Is All" over 1971–72,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439" /> a period marked by both his heightened devotion to [[Hinduism|Hindu]] spirituality<ref>Huntley, pp. 87–89.</ref><ref>Leng, p. 124.</ref> and his commitment to providing humanitarian aid for the refugees of the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 193–94.</ref><ref>Doggett, p. 192.</ref> With his own career taking second place to the latter endeavour,<ref>Kevin Howlett, "George Harrison ''The Apple Years''", in book accompanying ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75]]'' box set ([[Apple Records]], 2014; produced by Dhani Harrison, Olivia Harrison & Jonathan Clyde; package art direction by thenewno2), p. 31.</ref> following [[the Concert for Bangladesh]] in August 1971,<ref>Clayson, pp. 308, 314–17, 318.</ref><ref name="Leng p 123">Leng, p. 123.</ref> Harrison's musical activities included helping American musician [[Gary Wright]] establish himself as a solo artist.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 87–88, 319–20, 321.</ref><ref>Wright, pp. 97–99.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Although credited only for his contributions on guitar (as "George O'Hara"),<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 105, 201.</ref> Harrison produced part of Wright's second solo album, ''[[Footprint (album)|Footprint]]'',<ref name="Flucke/Popdose">Mojo Flucke, [http://popdose.com/the-popdose-interview-gary-dream-weaver-wright/ "The Popdose Interview: Gary 'Dream Weaver' Wright"], Popdose, 3 April 2009 (retrieved 13 March 2015).</ref> and helped promote the release by arranging for Wright to perform on ''[[The Dick Cavett Show]]''.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 319–20.</ref><ref>Shawn Perry, [http://vintagerock.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32:gary-wright&catid=3:interviews&Itemid=4 "The Gary Wright Interview"], vintagerock.com (retrieved 11 March 2015).</ref> In addition to joining Wright's band for that performance,<ref name="Chrispell/AM">James Chrispell, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/footprint-mw0000954379 "Gary Wright ''Footprint''"], AllMusic (retrieved 13 March 2015).</ref> Harrison invited him to record at [[the Beatles]]' [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]] in 1972.<ref>Wright, pp. 112–13.</ref>}} Wright's album ''[[Footprint (album)|Footprint]]'' was released in November that year and included "Love to Survive",<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 105.</ref> a song that author Simon Leng cites as having been an influence on Harrison's composition "That Is All".<ref>Leng, pp. 108, 135.</ref> "Love to Survive" was orchestrated by Harrison's ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'' arranger, [[John Barham]],<ref>Wright, pp. 98–99.</ref> who says that "musically there was a strong rapport" between himself, Harrison and Wright at this time.<ref>Leng, p. 108.</ref> The friendship was also based on a shared interest in Eastern spirituality,<ref>Rodriguez, p. 87.</ref><ref>Leng, pp. 124–25, 209.</ref> after Harrison had given Wright a copy of ''[[Autobiography of a Yogi]]'',<ref>Wright, p. 93.</ref> a text that [[Ravi Shankar]] had introduced to Harrison when he visited India in 1966.<ref>Tillery, p. 56.</ref>

In his autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', Harrison comments only briefly on "That Is All", saying: "The melody came to me and I then had to think of lyrics. That's all."<ref name="IMM p 264">Harrison, p. 264.</ref> Commentators have remarked on how, like many other Harrison compositions – "[[Long, Long, Long]]", "[[Something (Beatles song)|Something]]", "[[What Is Life]]",<ref>Richie Unterberger, [http://www.allmusic.com/song/what-is-life-t743156 "George Harrison 'What Is Life'"], AllMusic (retrieved 27 July 2012).</ref> "[[Don't Let Me Wait Too Long]]", "[[Learning How to Love You]]" and "[[Your Love Is Forever]]" among them<ref>Huntley, pp. 167–68.</ref><ref name="Schaffner p 115">Schaffner, p. 115.</ref> – it serves as both a conventional love song to a woman and a declaration of devotion to God.<ref name="Spizer p 256" /><ref>Leng, pp. 207–08.</ref> Harrison said in a 1976 interview: "I think all love is part of a universal love. When you love a woman, it's the God in her that you see."<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 132.</ref>

==Composition==
[[File:Gary Wright.jpg|thumb|130px|[[Gary Wright]] (pictured on stage in 2011), whose song "Love to Survive" provided inspiration for "That Is All"]]
The song is in the [[Key (music)|musical key]] of A.<ref name="Songbook">"That Is All", in ''George Harrison ''Living in the Material World'': Sheet Music for Piano, Vocal & Guitar'', Charles Hansen (New York, NY, 1973), p. 84.</ref> Leng identifies the composition as a development of Harrison's favoured "Something" ballad style.<ref name="Leng p 135">Leng, p. 135.</ref> He writes that a number of "characteristic" Harrison musical devices are found in "That Is All" – such as a melody that rises by a [[Semitone|half step]] with each line, and an [[A minor]] chord sharpened to an [[augmented triad]] "to create drama".<ref>Leng, pp. 135–36.</ref>

Author Ian Inglis describes the song's melody as "romantic". Referring to its status as the last track on ''Living in the Material World'', he also comments on the appropriateness of Harrison's opening words:<ref name="Inglis p 43">Inglis, p. 43.</ref> "''That is all I want to say''".<ref name="IMM p 266">Harrison, p. 266.</ref> Inglis writes that Harrison goes on to state both "[what] he wants to do for his lover" and "what he hopes for in return",<ref name="Inglis p 43" /> in the respective lines "''To try to love you more''" and "''A smile when I feel blue''".<ref name="IMM p 266" />

Leng considers that the song's [[Thirty-two-bar form#Middle eight|middle eight]] echoes the same "tongue-tied difficulty" that Harrison had first introduced in his 1966 composition "[[I Want to Tell You]]":<ref name="Leng p 136">Leng, p. 136.</ref>

{{quote|''Times I find it hard to say With useless words getting in my way Silence often says much more Than trying to say what's been said before ...''}}

According to Leng, the change here from a regular 4/4 [[time signature]] to 3/8 provides a "stuttering, hesitant syntax" that supports the message behind the words.<ref name="Leng p 136" />

Theologian [[Dale Allison]] views the concept of "words falling short" in these lyrics as central to "That Is All" and a recurring theme in Harrison's songwriting.<ref>Allison, pp. 124, 156.</ref> Allison also notes the importance of silence in this and other Harrison song lyrics, where it becomes "not an enemy to be shunned but ... a friend to be embraced, for silence can help conduct us to the Divine".<ref>Allison, p. 124.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Among other examples, Harrison expresses the importance of silence in the posthumously released "[[Pisces Fish]]".<ref>Leng, p. 296.</ref> In his 1980 track "[[Sat Singing]]", he celebrates the process through which a higher consciousness is attained via [[meditation]],<ref>Inglis, p. 102.</ref> with the removal of noise and other physical distractions.<ref>Allison, pp. 125, 153.</ref>}} On release, part of the middle eight's lyrics, together with those for the final verse,<ref name="IMM p 266" /> were identified by music critic [[Stephen Holden]] as "a sort of Hindu ''[[In paradisum|In Paradisium]]''".<ref name="Holden/RS">Stephen Holden, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 "George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030517/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 |date=3 October 2017 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 July 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 24 July 2012).</ref> While he considers "That Is All" to be a secular, "adult-oriented" love song, Inglis writes of Harrison's message in the middle eight: "language is insufficient to express the depth of his emotion; 'silence' can be more effective, more intimate, more ''loving''."<ref name="Inglis p 43" />

==Recording==
The recording sessions for ''Living in the Material World'' began in October 1972<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439">Madinger & Easter, p. 439.</ref> after Harrison had spent part of the summer staying with Wright in Portugal.<ref>Badman, pp. 79, 83.</ref><ref>Huntley, pp. 85, 87.</ref> Although Harrison had intended to co-produce the album with [[Phil Spector]] as before, he decided to work without him,<ref name="Spizer p 254">Spizer, p. 254.</ref> partly as a result of Spector's erratic behaviour at the start of the sessions.<ref>Timothy White, "George Harrison: Reconsidered", ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]'', November 1987, p. 53.</ref><ref>Huntley, pp. 88–89.</ref> In his 2014 autobiography, Wright says that Spector's dismissal was "the right move";<ref name="DailyBeast">[http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/29/when-gary-wright-met-george-harrison-dream-weaver-john-and-yoko-and-more.html "When Gary Wright Met George Harrison: Dream Weaver, John and Yoko, and More"], [[The Daily Beast]], 29 September 2014 (retrieved 15 March 2015).</ref> he describes ''Material World'' as his favourite Harrison album and "a beautiful masterpiece showing more of him – without Phil Spector's production".<ref name="Wright p 107">Wright, p. 107.</ref> Aside from Harrison, and Wright on keyboards,<ref name="Wright p 107" /> the musicians on "That Is All" were [[Nicky Hopkins]] (on piano), [[Klaus Voormann]] (bass) and [[Jim Keltner]] (drums).<ref name="Leng p 135" />

As with "[[Who Can See It]]", another of the album's ballads, Harrison recorded "That Is All" using a [[Leslie speaker|Leslie]] rotary effect on his electric guitar.<ref name="Leng p 129">Leng, p. 129.</ref> Having long admired Spector as a producer, he employed elements of his signature production style throughout ''Material World'',<ref>Schaffner, pp. 137, 159–60.</ref> but with a degree of subtlety in comparison to the big sound synonymous with ''All Things Must Pass''.<ref>Clayson, p. 323.</ref><ref name="John Metzger/MB">John Metzger, [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2006/georgeharrison-livinginthematerialworld.html#axzz20rOE4V00 "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], ''The Music Box'', vol. 13 (11), November 2006 (retrieved 17 July 2012).</ref> As on the latter album,<ref>Schaffner, pp. 159–60.</ref> Harrison [[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] further instrumentation onto the basic tracks recorded in October and November 1972;<ref>Kevin Howlett's liner notes, booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] (EMI Records, 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), p. 11.</ref> in the case of "That Is All", the released recording includes a [[slide guitar]] solo, and a [[harpsichord]] part played by Wright.<ref name="Spizer p 256" /> The song also features string and brass orchestration and a choir,<ref name="Leng p 135" /> all of which were arranged by John Barham.<ref name="Rodriguez p 156">Rodriguez, p. 156.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]] album ''Living in the Alternate World'' includes an early mix of "That Is All" without many of the overdubs, and with only a partial guide vocal from Harrison.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 441, 442.</ref>}}

Work on the album extended through February 1973.<ref>Badman, p. 89.</ref> The London sessions for Barham's contributions marked the last time that Harrison worked with him during the 1970s.<ref>Mat Snow, "George Harrison: Quiet Storm", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2014, p. 72.</ref> Their collaborations had taken in Harrison's ''[[Wonderwall Music]]'', ''All Things Must Pass'' and ''Living in the Material World'',<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 195, 197, 198.</ref> as well as [[Apple Records|Apple]] projects for [[Billy Preston]],<ref>Album credits, ''[[That's the Way God Planned It]]'' CD ([[Capitol Records|Capitol]]/[[Apple Records]], 1991; produced by George Harrison, Wayne Schuler & Ray Charles).</ref> [[Jackie Lomax]] and [[Radha Krsna Temple|Radha Krishna Temple (London)]].<ref>Leng, pp. 108, 281.</ref>

==Release and reception==
Apple Records issued ''Living in the Material World'' at the end of May 1973, or late June in Britain.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 125.</ref> "That Is All" was sequenced to follow "[[The Day the World Gets 'Round]]",<ref>Spizer, pp. 253, 256.</ref> a song that reflected Harrison's idealism after the Concert for Bangladesh,<ref>Leng, pp. 134–35.</ref> as well as his frustration at the apathy of governments who had chosen not to intervene on the refugees' behalf.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 154.</ref> As with eight other tracks on the album<ref>Schaffner, p. 160.</ref> and the 1973 [[B-side]] "[[Miss O'Dell]]",<ref>Harrison, p. 385.</ref> Harrison donated his publishing royalties and the copyright<ref>Book accompanying ''[[Collaborations (Ravi Shankar and George Harrison album)|Collaborations]]'' box set by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison ([[Dark Horse Records]], 2010; produced by Olivia Harrison; package design by Drew Lorimer & Olivia Harrison), p. 32.</ref> for "That Is All" to his [[Material World Charitable Foundation]].<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 438.</ref>

Writing in ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Michael Watts described ''Living in the Material World'' as "Harrison's personal statement" documenting his journey towards "a spiritual goal which for the first time he has been able to define".<ref name="Watts/MM">Michael Watts, "The New Harrison Album", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 3.</ref> Watts continued: "now he stands as something more than an entertainer. Now he's being honest. When you've been through all the bullshit and come out the other side, that's the only thing you can be."<ref name="Watts/MM" /> In his review for ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', Stephen Holden praised the album's "inspirationally, opulently, romantic" qualities, and he wrote of "That Is All" and "The Day the World Gets 'Round" as "two devotional prayers whose solemn [[mantra]]-influenced melodies are barely able to sustain their lush orchestration. Yet they do, so that at the end we are left suspended in ethereality ..." Holden added that "a close listening from start to finish is roughly equivalent to participating in a mass spectacle of religious re-dedication – one that does not end with rousing anthems but in heavenly choirs."<ref name="Holden/RS" /> Some reviewers objected to the preponderance of ballads on the album, however,<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> as well as the overt religiosity of many of its songs.<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 195.</ref>

In his book ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', [[Bruce Spizer]] describes "That Is All" as "a beautiful love song written either for a woman or the Lord".<ref name="Spizer p 256">Spizer, p. 256.</ref> Writing for [[Rough Guides]], author and critic Chris Ingham similarly considers that "the 'love' [Harrison is] so desperate to express" in the song "seems directed as much to an earthly relationship as to any God", and he cites this as an example of the "restraint and, in places, considerable grace and beauty" adopted by Harrison on the album.<ref>Ingham, p. 134.</ref> Among other Beatles biographers, Robert Rodriguez writes that the track "sums up the journey" in the same way as "[[Hear Me Lord]]" successfully concludes the song cycle on ''All Things Must Pass'',<ref name="Rodriguez p 156" /> a view shared by Elliot Huntley, who admires "That Is All" as a "lush orchestral prayer where George really does prostrate himself at His feet".<ref>Huntley, p. 94.</ref> Reviewing the 2014 ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75|Apple Years]]'' reissue of ''Material World'', Joe Marchese of The Second Disc highlights "That Is All" among songs that combine to provide the album's "earnest and intensely personal, yet wholly accessible, statement".<ref name="Marchese/Review">Joe Marchese, [http://theseconddisc.com/2014/09/23/review-the-george-harrison-remasters-the-apple-years-1968-1975/ "Review: The George Harrison Remasters – 'The Apple Years 1968–1975'"], The Second Disc, 23 September 2014 (retrieved 3 October 2014).</ref>

==Cover versions==
Given the song's mood and sentiment, authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter consider "That Is All" to have been suitable for inclusion on a [[Frank Sinatra]] album.<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 441.</ref> While Sinatra did not record it, the song was covered by singer [[Andy Williams]],<ref name="Ruhlmann/AM" /> who had been one of the many [[easy listening]] artists, along with Sinatra, to cover Harrison's "Something".<ref>Robert Fontenot, [http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatlessongs/a/something_2.htm "Something: The history of this classic Beatles song" (page 2)], oldies.about.com (retrieved 11 March 2015).</ref> Featuring contributions from Hopkins, Voormann and Keltner,<ref name="Solitaire credits">Album credits, ''Solitaire'' LP, 1973 ([[Columbia Records]] KC 32383; produced by Richard Perry).</ref> Williams' version of "That Is All" appeared on his 1973 album ''[[Solitaire (Andy Williams album)|Solitaire]]''.<ref name="Ruhlmann/AM">William Ruhlmann, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/solitaire-mw0000859706 "Andy Williams ''Solitaire''"], AllMusic (retrieved 11 March 2015).</ref> The recording was produced by [[Richard Perry]],<ref name="Solitaire credits" /> with whom Harrison worked on [[Ringo Starr]]'s album ''[[Ringo (album)|Ringo]]'' in Los Angeles<ref>Badman, pp. 92, 95.</ref> shortly after completing ''Living in the Material World''.<ref>Leng, pp. 138–39.</ref><ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 440.</ref>

[[Harry Nilsson]], another associate of Harrison's,<ref name="Clayson pp 325, 330">Clayson, pp. 325, 330.</ref> recorded "That Is All" for his 1976 album ''[[...That's the Way It Is]]''.<ref>[http://dev3.secondhandsongs.com/performance/10886 "Cover versions of That Is All by George Harrison"], Second Hand Songs (retrieved 11 March 2015).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In the spring of 1972, Harrison played slide guitar on Nilsson's ''[[Son of Schmilsson]]'' track "[[You're Breakin' My Heart]]".<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 115.</ref> Viewed as a "thoroughly nasty" song by Leng<ref name="Leng p 123" /> (it was originally subtitled with the parenthetical phrase "So Fuck You"), this guest appearance by Harrison was in marked contrast to the devout recordings with which he was commonly associated during the early 1970s.<ref name="Clayson pp 325, 330" />}} The song appears twice there, as the opening track and as a [[reprise]] to close the album.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 233.</ref> Author and critic [[Alyn Shipton]] comments that Nilsson's performance on "That Is All" marked a rare return to the upper-register singing style of his early career. Shipton describes Nilsson's break into [[falsetto]] as being "as good as anything he ever recorded".<ref>Shipton, p. 208.</ref>

==Personnel==
*[[George Harrison]] – lead vocals, electric guitar, [[slide guitar]], backing vocals
*[[Nicky Hopkins]] – piano
*[[Gary Wright]] – electric piano, [[harpsichord]], organ
*[[Klaus Voormann]] – bass guitar
*[[Jim Keltner]] – drums
*[[John Barham]] – string arrangements, brass arrangements, choral arrangement

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* Peter Doggett, ''You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup'', It Books (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-06-177418-8}}).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* George Harrison, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; {{ISBN|0-8118-3793-9}}).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|1-55071-197-0}}).
* Chris Ingham, ''The Rough Guide to the Beatles'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2006; 2nd edn; {{ISBN|978-1-84836-525-4}}).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* Alyn Shipton, ''Nilsson: The Life of a Singer-Songwriter'', Oxford University Press (New York, NY, 2013; {{ISBN|978-0-199-75657-5}}).
* Bruce Spizer, ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* Gary Tillery, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0900-5}}).
* Gary Wright, ''Dream Weaver: A Memoir; Music, Meditation, and My Friendship with George Harrison'', Tarcher/Penguin (New York, NY, 2014; {{ISBN|978-0-399-16523-8}}).
{{refend}}

{{Living in the Material World}}

[[Category:1973 songs]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]

Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)

2025-05-09T23:45:32Z

187.53.75.51: Added a recording date, per https://livinginthematerial.world/timeline/

{{for|the Modern Talking song|Give Me Peace on Earth}}
{{other uses|Give Me Love (disambiguation)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
| cover = Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (George Harrison single - cover art).jpg
| alt =
| caption = French picture sleeve
| type = single
| artist = [[George Harrison]]
| album = [[Living in the Material World]]
| B-side = [[Miss O'Dell]]
| released = 7 May 1973 (US) 25 May 1973 (UK)
| recorded = 9 October 1972
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|[[Folk rock]]|[[Gospel music|gospel]]}}
| length = 3:36
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = George Harrison
| producer = George Harrison
| prev_title = [[Bangla Desh (song)|Bangla Desh]]
| prev_year = 1971
| next_title = [[Dark Horse (George Harrison song)|Dark Horse]]
| next_year = 1974
}}
"'''Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)'''" is a song by English musician [[George Harrison]], released as the opening track of his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. It was also issued as the album's [[lead single]], in May that year, and became Harrison's second US number 1, after "[[My Sweet Lord]]". In doing so, the song pushed [[Paul McCartney and Wings]]' "[[My Love (Paul McCartney song)|My Love]]" from the top of the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], marking the only occasion that two former [[The Beatles|Beatles]] have held the top two chart positions in America. The single also reached the top ten in Britain, Canada, Australia, and Holland.

"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" is one of Harrison's most popular songs, among fans and music critics, and features a series of much-praised [[slide guitar|slide-guitar]] solos from Harrison. The recording signalled a deliberate departure from his earlier post-Beatles work, in the scaling down of the big sound synonymous with ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'' and his other co-productions with [[Phil Spector]] over 1970–71. Aside from Harrison, the musicians on the track are [[Nicky Hopkins]], [[Jim Keltner]], [[Klaus Voormann]] and [[Gary Wright]]. In his lyrics, Harrison sings of his desire to be free of [[karma]] and the constant cycle of [[reincarnation|rebirth]]; he later described the song as "a prayer and personal statement between me, the Lord, and whoever likes it".<ref name="IMM p 246" />

Harrison performed "Give Me Love" at every concert during his rare tours as a solo artist, and a live version was included on his 1992 album ''[[Live in Japan (George Harrison album)|Live in Japan]]''. The original studio recording appears on the compilation albums ''[[The Best of George Harrison]]'' (1976) and ''[[Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison]]'' (2009). At the [[Concert for George]] tribute to Harrison, in November 2002, [[Jeff Lynne]] performed "Give Me Love" with [[Andy Fairweather-Low]] and [[Marc Mann]] playing the twin slide-guitar parts. [[Marisa Monte]], [[Dave Davies]], [[Elliott Smith]], [[Ron Sexsmith]], [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[James Taylor]], [[Elton John]], and [[Grace Vanderwaal]] are among the other artists who have covered the song.

==Background and inspiration==
{{quote box|quote= I want to be God-conscious. That's really my only ambition, and everything else in life is incidental.<ref>Greene, p. 184.</ref>|source= – George Harrison, speaking in early 1971<ref>Tillery, p. 154.</ref> about his plans following the success of ''[[All Things Must Pass]]''|width=25%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
As with most of the songs on his ''[[Living in the Material World]]'' album, [[George Harrison]] wrote "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" over 1971–72.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439" /> During this period, he dedicated himself to assisting refugees of the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]],<ref>Kevin Howlett's liner note essay, ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75]]'' book (Apple Records, 2014; produced by Dhani Harrison), p. 31.</ref> by staging two [[Concert for Bangladesh|all-star benefit concerts]] in New York and preparing a [[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|live album]] and [[The Concert for Bangladesh (film)|concert film]] for release.<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 193–94.</ref> In addition, much of his time was spent occupied with the [[The Day the World Gets 'Round#The Concert for Bangladesh album release|business and legal problems]] afflicting the humanitarian aid project.<ref>Doggett, pp. 37, 38.</ref> Author Andrew Grant Jackson writes that Harrison's frustration with this last issue resulted in a sombre quality pervading much of ''Material World'', yet he "pushed his disillusionment aside for the lead single ['Give Me Love']".<ref>Jackson, pp. 94–95.</ref>

The same period coincided with the height of Harrison's devotion to [[Hinduism|Hindu]] spirituality.<ref>Leng, p. 124.</ref><ref>Huntley, pp. 87, 89.</ref> As with his religious-themed 1970–71 hit, "[[My Sweet Lord]]", and his subsequent singles "[[What Is Life]]" and "[[Bangla Desh (song)|Bangla Desh]]", Harrison wrote "Give Me Love" very quickly.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 434, 444.</ref><ref>Harrison, p. 162.</ref> Author [[Alan Clayson]] describes it as having "flowed from George with an ease as devoid of ante-start agonies as a [[Yoko Ono]] 'think piece'".<ref>Clayson, p. 322.</ref> In his autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', Harrison recalls of the writing process:
<blockquote>Sometimes you open your mouth and you don't know what you are going to say, and whatever comes out is the starting point. If that happens and you are lucky, it can usually be turned into a song. This song is a prayer and personal statement between me, the Lord, and whoever likes it.<ref name="IMM p 246">Harrison, p. 246.</ref></blockquote>

==Composition==
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" continues the precedent that Harrison set on "My Sweet Lord", through its fusion of the Hindu [[bhajan]] (or devotional song) with Western [[Gospel music|gospel]] tradition.<ref>Leng, p. 157.</ref><ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 180.</ref> Author Simon Leng comments that the song repeats another of its composer's hit formulas, by using a three-syllable lyrical hook as its title, like "My Sweet Lord", "What Is Life" and "Bangla Desh".<ref>Leng, pp. 153, 209.</ref>

The song's [[time signature]] is primarily 4/4, with a meter change to 2/4 at the end of the intro, and to either 3/4 or 7/4 at the end of each pre-chorus (depending on the interpretation of the scorer).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Musescore |title=Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) – George Harrison |url=https://musescore.com/user/33457131/scores/8243138 |access-date=2024-04-18 |website=Musescore.com |language=en}}</ref> The [[Key (music)|musical key]] is F major. As on Harrison's recording, this can be accomplished by placing of a [[Capo (musical device)|capo]] on the guitar's third fret, to transpose the chords from D up to the correct key.<ref>"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", in ''George Harrison ''Living in the Material World'': Sheet Music for Piano, Vocal & Guitar'', Charles Hansen (New York, NY, 1973), pp. 63–65.</ref> The intro features strummed acoustic guitar, similar in style to the opening of [[Bob Dylan]]'s "[[Mr. Tambourine Man]]".<ref name="AM/Planer">Lindsay Planer, [http://www.allmusic.com/song/give-me-love-give-me-peace-on-earth-t991814 "George Harrison 'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)'"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> The song builds gradually from its understated introduction, with the [[rhythm section]] only fully arriving after the first [[Bridge (music)|bridge]] segment.<ref name="Jackson p 95" /> Harrison biographer [[Gary Tillery]] describes the musical mood as "bouncy yet soothing".<ref name="Tillery p 111" />

In his lyrics, Harrison expresses his vision for life in the physical world.<ref>Kevin Howlett's liner notes, booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] (EMI Records, 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), pp. 7, 8.</ref> Following the opening instrumental passage, the song begins with a chorus<ref>"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", in ''George Harrison ''Living in the Material World'': Sheet Music for Piano, Vocal & Guitar'', Charles Hansen (New York, NY, 1973), p. 63.</ref> in which he first pleads for a life devoid of the [[Karma|karmic]] burden of [[reincarnation]] (rebirth): "Give me love, give me love, give me peace on earth / Give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth."<ref>Allison, pp. 79, 82, 142.</ref><ref name="Inglis p 38" /> These lyrics bear a simple, universal message,<ref name="AM/Planer" /><ref name="Huntley p 90">Huntley, p. 90.</ref> one that, in the context of the time, related as much to the communal "peace and love" [[Counterculture of the 1960s#Culture|idealism of the 1960s]] as it did Harrison's personal spiritual quest.<ref name="Allison p 142">Allison, p. 142.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison biographer Elliot Huntley views the words to "Give Me Love" as a "lyrically dummed-down version" of the singer's Hindu-aligned spiritual message.<ref>Huntley, pp. 89–90.</ref> The theme regarding deliverance from rebirth in the physical world features more overtly in other tracks on ''Living in the Material World'',<ref name="Schaffner p 159" /> particularly "[[The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)]]" and "[[Living in the Material World (song)|Living in the Material World]]".<ref>Tillery, pp. 111–12.</ref>}}

Harrison also asks for divine assistance to "cope with this heavy load", while his stated attempt to "touch and reach you with heart and soul" recalls the same plea for a direct relationship with his deity that he expresses in "My Sweet Lord".<ref>Allison, pp. 21–22.</ref> These two lines, which complete the chorus,<ref name="IMM p 245" /> imply a deficiency or unfulfilment on the singer's part.<ref>Allison, p. 22.</ref> According to author Ian Inglis, they serve as "an acknowledgment of the trials and tribulations he was facing in a more earthly setting" in the aftermath to the Concert for Bangladesh.<ref>Inglis, pp. 37, 38</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Leng has cited Harrison's failing marriage to [[Pattie Boyd]] in 1972, as well as the possibility of Harrison having experienced a spiritual "crisis" in reaction to both the acclaim he had received as a solo artist since [[the Beatles' break-up]], and the problems that had befallen his Bangladesh relief effort.<ref>Leng, pp. 126, 137–38.</ref>}}

During the two bridge sections, Harrison incorporates the sacred term "[[Om]]" within his extended phrase "Oh ... my Lord".<ref name="Tillery p 111">Tillery, p. 111.</ref><ref>Allison, pp. 122, 142.</ref> Author Joshua Greene describes this as an example of a theme found in several songs on ''Material World'', whereby Harrison "distilled" spiritual concepts into phrases "so elegant they resembled [[Sūtra|Vedic ''sutras'']]: short codes that contain volumes of meaning".<ref name="Greene p 194">Greene, p. 194.</ref> The use of the word "Om" was a further comment from Harrison on the universality of faith,<ref>Greene, pp. 194–95.</ref> after his switching in "My Sweet Lord" from "hallelujah" refrains to the [[Hare Krishna (mantra)|Hare Krishna mantra]].<ref name="Tillery p 111" /> Referring to the second half of the bridges in "Give Me Love",<ref name="IMM p 245">Harrison, p. 245.</ref> Inglis views the drawn-out "Please …" as "highly symbolic", given the "unresolved conflict" that appears to be at the heart of the composition.<ref name="Inglis p 38" />{{refn|group=nb|As with "Om", the word "Please" is rendered in capital letters on the printed lyrics.<ref name="IMM p 245" /><ref>Song lyrics and commentary, booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] (EMI Records, 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), p. 18.</ref>}}

==Recording==
[[File:Nicky Hopkins.png|thumb|left|130px|Pianist [[Nicky Hopkins]], whose playing features prominently on the song, along with Harrison's [[slide guitar]]]]
Harrison's commitment to overseeing the release of the ''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (film)|Concert for Bangladesh]]'' documentary film prevented him from being able to start on the follow-up to his ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'' triple album until midway through 1972.<ref>Leng, p. 123.</ref><ref>O'Dell, p. 234.</ref> Another delay was caused by producer [[Phil Spector]]'s unreliability, as Harrison waited for him to turn up for the start of the sessions.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439">Madinger & Easter, p. 439.</ref> Author [[Bruce Spizer]] writes that "the eccentric producer's erratic attendance caused George to realize the project would never get done if he kept waiting for Spector",<ref name="Spizer p 254">Spizer, p. 254.</ref> and by October that year, Harrison had decided to produce the album alone.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439" />

{{quote box|quote= ["Give Me Love"] perfectly encapsulates Harrison's guitar technique and production: economical in notes, it demonstrates virtuosity instead in its augmentation of the melody, rendered in the layering of two or more fluid slide guitar parts painstakingly arranged and impeccably recorded.<ref name="Frontani p 159">Frontani, p. 159.</ref>|source= – Michael Frontani, writing in ''[[Cambridge Companions to Music|The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles]]''|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
As for the majority of ''Living in the Material World'', Harrison recorded the basic track for "Give Me Love" in the autumn of 1972<ref>Badman, p. 83.</ref> with the assistance of former Beatles engineer [[Phil McDonald]].<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> The recording location was either [[FPSHOT]], Harrison's new home studio at [[Friar Park]] in [[Henley-on-Thames]],<ref>Mat Snow, "George Harrison: Quiet Storm", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2014, pp. 70, 72.</ref> or [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]] in London.<ref name="Leng p 126" /> In a departure from Harrison's co-productions with Spector, where a large line-up of musicians had been standard,<ref name="Frontani p 159" /> "Give Me Love" featured a pared-down arrangement and more subtle instrumentation.<ref name="Leng p 126">Leng, p. 126.</ref><ref>Kevin Howlett's liner notes, booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] (EMI Records, 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), p. 8.</ref> Another contrast was Harrison's adoption of a production style that partly recalls [[George Martin]]'s work with the Beatles.<ref name="Clayson p 323" /><ref name="John Metzger/MB">John Metzger, [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2006/georgeharrison-livinginthematerialworld.html#axzz20rOE4V00 "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], ''The Music Box'', vol. 13 (11), November 2006 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> On "Give Me Love", Inglis notes the same "supple and clear [acoustic] guitar-playing that distinguished '[[Here Comes the Sun]]'" in 1969,<ref name="Inglis p 38">Inglis, p. 38.</ref> while the less grand production, relative to ''All Things Must Pass'', allowed greater expression for Harrison as a [[slide guitar]]ist.<ref>Clayson, pp. 323–24.</ref><ref name="Cavanagh p 47">David Cavanagh, "George Harrison: The Dark Horse", ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', August 2008, p. 47.</ref>

Harrison carried out [[overdubs]] on the backing track, including twin slide-guitar parts, during the first two months of 1973.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 439–40.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|According to ''Beatles Diary'' compiler Keith Badman, an alternative version of "Give Me Love" exists, which Harrison gave to [[BBC Radio 1]] DJ [[Alan Freeman]] for promotional purposes.<ref>Badman, p. 104.</ref>}} Aside from Harrison's guitar work, the most prominent instrument on the recording is [[Nicky Hopkins]]' piano,<ref name="AM/Planer" /> [[Double tracking|double-tracked]] and played in his usual melodic style.<ref>Leng, pp. 125, 126.</ref> The rhythm section consisted of bassist [[Klaus Voormann]] and drummer [[Jim Keltner]].<ref name="Leng p 126" /> The organ player on the song was American musician [[Gary Wright]],<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> whose 1971 album ''[[Footprint (album)|Footprint]]'' was one of many musical projects in which Harrison was involved between ''All Things Must Pass'' and ''Material World''.<ref>Leng, pp. 108, 123, 126.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison also contributed to Hopkins' solo album ''[[The Tin Man Was a Dreamer]]'',<ref name="Eder/AM">Bruce Eder, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-tin-man-was-a-dreamer-r40895/review "Nicky Hopkins ''The Tin Man Was a Dreamer''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> recording for which took place at Apple Studio in between sessions for ''Living in the Material World''.<ref>Harold Bronson, "Nicky Hopkins", ''[[Zoo World]]'', 25 October 1973; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/nicky-hopkins-3 Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref><ref name="Leng p 125">Leng, p. 125.</ref>}} Peter Lavezzoli, author of ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', comments on how quickly Harrison's "unique approach" to slide-guitar playing had matured since 1970, to incorporate [[sitar]], [[Veena#Plucked musical instruments from the Indian sub-continent|veena]] and other [[Hindustani classical music|Hindustani musical]] stylings, and rates the mid-song solo on "Give Me Love" as "one of his most intricate and melodic".<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 194, 198.</ref>

==Release==
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" was Harrison's first single in close to two years, after "Bangla Desh" in July 1971.<ref>Badman, pp. 43, 99.</ref><ref>Clayson, pp. 318–19.</ref> As with ''Living in the Material World'', however, its release was delayed to allow for other items on [[Apple Records]]' release schedule during the first half of 1973:<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440" /> the Beatles' compilations ''[[1962–1966]]'' and ''[[1967–1970]]'', and [[Paul McCartney and Wings]]' second album, ''[[Red Rose Speedway]]''.<ref>Badman, pp. 94–95, 98.</ref> In the years since ''All Things Must Pass'', according to author Robert Rodriguez, the public bickering between [[John Lennon]] and McCartney and their "subpar" music had done much to diminish the "cachet of being an ex-Beatle".<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 258–59.</ref> In his 1977 book ''The Beatles Forever'', [[Nicholas Schaffner]] wrote that, because of the altruism inherent in the Bangladesh project compared to the twin "fiascos" of McCartney's ''[[Wild Life (Wings album)|Wild Life]]'' album and the Lennon–[[Yoko Ono|Ono]] collaboration ''[[Some Time in New York City]]'', "[a] receptive audience was guaranteed" for Harrison's new songs.<ref name="Schaffner p 159">Schaffner, p. 159.</ref>

Backed by "[[Miss O'Dell]]", "Give Me Love" was issued on 7 May 1973 in America (as Apple R 5988)<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 125.</ref> and 25 May in Britain (Apple 1862).<ref name="Spizer p 250">Spizer, p. 250.</ref> Three weeks later, the song appeared as the opening track on ''Living in the Material World''.<ref>Spizer, pp. 249, 253–54.</ref><ref>Rodriguez, p. 258.</ref> As with all the songs on the album bar the 1971-copyright "[[Sue Me, Sue You Blues]]" and "[[Try Some, Buy Some]]",<ref>Schaffner, p. 160.</ref> Harrison assigned his publishing royalties for "Give Me Love" to his newly launched [[Material World Charitable Foundation]].<ref name="Clayson p 323">Clayson, p. 323.</ref>

Apple's US distributor, [[Capitol Records]], mastered the single to run at a faster speed than the album track,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440">Madinger & Easter, p. 440.</ref> in order to make the song sound brighter on the radio.<ref name="Spizer p 249">Spizer, p. 249.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Although the [[A-side and B-side|A-side]]'s running time read 3:32 on the single, "Give Me Love" actually ran to about 3:25.<ref name="Spizer p 250" />}} Unusually for an Apple release by a former Beatle, the single was packaged in a plain sleeve in the main markets of Britain and the United States.<ref name="Spizer p 250" /> A variety of picture sleeves were available in European countries, including a design incorporating Harrison's signature and a red [[Om|Om symbol]],<ref name="nlchart" /> both of which were aspects of [[Tom Wilkes]]'s artwork for the ''Material World'' album.<ref>Spizer, p. 256.</ref>

===US chart feat===
[[File:George Harrison - Give Me Love.png|thumb|right|145px|Trade ad for the single, May 1973]]
The single topped the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] at the end of June, for one week,<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 353.</ref> and peaked at number 8 on the [[UK Singles Chart]].<ref name=autogenerated4>Badman, p. 103.</ref><ref>Schaffner, p. 167.</ref> Repeating the feat of January 1971, when "My Sweet Lord" and ''All Things Must Pass'' sat atop the ''Billboard'' charts simultaneously, "Give Me Love" hit number 1 part-way through ''Material World''{{'}}s five-week stay at the top of the albums listings.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 353, 364.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|"Give Me Love" also topped the US charts compiled by ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' and ''[[Record World]]''.<ref name="Spizer p 249" /> In the UK, ''[[Melody Maker]]''{{'}}s chart recorded the single at number 7.<ref name="Castleman & Podrazik p 342">Castleman & Podrazik, p. 342.</ref>}}

"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" replaced Wings' "[[My Love (Paul McCartney song)|My Love]]" at number 1 on the Hot 100 singles chart,<ref name=autogenerated4 /> and in turn was replaced by "[[Will It Go Round in Circles]]",<ref name="Mapes/Billboard">Jillian Mapes, [http://www.billboard.com/articles/list/464932/george-harrisons-10-biggest-billboard-hits "George Harrison's 10 Biggest Billboard Hits"], [[Billboard (magazine)|billboard.com]], 29 November 2011 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> by Harrison's former Apple Records protégé [[Billy Preston]].<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 72–73, 258, 260.</ref> For the week ending 30 June that year, the Harrison, McCartney and Preston songs were ranked numbers 1, 2 and 3, respectively, on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100,<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=FgkEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22will+it+go+round+in+circles%22&pg=PA33 "''Billboard'' Hot 100"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 30 June 1973, p. 64 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> marking the first time since 25 April 1964 that the Beatles occupied the top two positions on that chart.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 347–53.</ref> Schaffner described this period as "reminiscent of the golden age of [[Beatlemania]]", due to the amount of Beatles-related product dominating the charts in America.<ref>Schaffner, p. 158.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Thanks to Preston's appearances in the Beatles' 1970 documentary ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]'' and the ''Concert for Bangladesh'' film, he would long remain associated with the band.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 72–74.</ref> This was particularly so in mid 1973 when press reports tied him to a possible Beatles reunion, following the Los Angeles sessions for [[Ringo Starr]]'s ''[[Ringo (album)|Ringo]]'' album.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 74, 139–40.</ref>}} As of October 2013, the week of 30 June 1973 remained the only time that two former members of the Beatles held the first and second positions on a US singles chart.<ref name="Snow p 39">Snow, p. 39.</ref>

===Reissue===
"Give Me Love" later appeared on the 1976 compilation ''[[The Best of George Harrison]]'',<ref>Inglis, p. 65.</ref> as one of just six selections from the artist's solo career.<ref>Carr & Tyler, p. 122.</ref> The song was also included on 2009's ''[[Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison]]''.<ref>Inglis, p. 128.</ref>

In [[Martin Scorsese]]'s 2011 documentary ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'', released ten years after Harrison's death,<ref>Robert Lloyd, [https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-oct-05-la-et-george-harrison-20111005-story.html "TV Review: 'George Harrison: Living in the Material World'"], ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'', 5 October 2011 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> the song plays over footage of the Friar Park grounds and of Harrison making music in the house with Keltner and Voormann.<ref>''George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', Disc 2; event occurs between 46:15 and 48:08.</ref> During the segment, Voormann discusses Harrison's practice of preparing the studio with incense to create a suitable environment, adding: "He really made it into a real tranquil, nice surrounding – everybody felt just great."<ref>Klaus Voormann interview, in ''George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', Disc 2; event occurs between 47:11 and 47:26.</ref>

==Reception==

===Contemporary reviews===
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" became one of Harrison's most popular songs,<ref name="Lavezzoli p 194">Lavezzoli, p. 194.</ref> both from his years with the Beatles and from his subsequent solo career.<ref name="Lundy/PM" /><ref>Allison, p. 132.</ref> On release, McCartney described it as "very nice", adding: "The guitar solo is ace and I like the time changes."<ref>Badman, p. 99.</ref> ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine's reviewer wrote: "Harrison's voice and sweet, country tinged guitar work within a rippling but controlled rhythm base, lends itself to this plea for human understanding. His sincere sound engulfs the listener and brings [them] into the story."<ref>Eliot Tiegel (ed.), [https://books.google.com/books?id=PAkEAAAAMBAJ&q=rippling "Top Single Picks"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 12 May 1973, p. 58 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> In ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', [[Stephen Holden]] lauded the song for its "strong, short-phrased melody whose lyrics are sheer exhortation", and said that the single was "every bit as good as 'My Sweet Lord'".<ref name="Holden/RS">Stephen Holden, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 "George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030517/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 |date=3 October 2017 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 July 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' called it "an outstanding message song that will please fans around the world."<ref name=rw>{{cite magazine|magazine=Record World|date=May 12, 1973|accessdate=2023-03-23|title=Hits of the Week|page=1|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/73/RW-1973-05-12.pdf}}</ref>

In Britain, where the national economy was heading into [[1973–75 recession|recession]] after the boom years of the 1960s,<ref>MacDonald, pp. 7, 32.</ref><ref>Leng, p. 141.</ref> lines such as "help me cope with this heavy load", according to Alan Clayson, "touched a raw nerve or two".<ref>Clayson, pp. 323, 324.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison's idealism was generally welcomed in the United States during this time.<ref name="Snow p 39" /> According to former ''[[Record Collector]]'' editor [[Peter Doggett]], however, Lennon and McCartney's respective activities over 1971–72, particularly their public support for the [[Northern Ireland conflict|republican cause in Northern Ireland]], ensured that many music critics in the UK responded with hostility towards the former Beatles.<ref>Doggett, p. 38.</ref>}} In the ''[[NME]]'', [[Tony Tyler]] derided Harrison for "lay[ing] the entire Krishna-the-Goat trip on us",<ref name="Tyler/NME73">Tony Tyler, "George Harrison: ''Living in the Material World'' (Apple)", ''[[NME]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 33.</ref><ref name="Tyler/NME Orig">Chris Hunt (ed.), ''[[NME|NME Originals]]: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980'', IPC Ignite! (London, 2005), p. 70.</ref> while Michael Watts of ''[[Melody Maker]]'' suggested that "[[Living in the Material World (song)|Living in the Material World]]" might have been a better choice for the album's lead single.<ref name="Watts/MM">Michael Watts, "The New Harrison Album", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 3.</ref> Writing in their 1975 book ''[[The Beatles: An Illustrated Record]]'', Tyler and [[Roy Carr]] said that "Give Me Love" bore "more than a distant resemblance" to Dylan's "[[I Want You (Bob Dylan song)|I Want You]]", but praised the track for its "excellent and highly idiosyncratic slide-guitar playing".<ref>Carr & Tyler, p. 106.</ref>

===Retrospective reviews and legacy===
Reviewing the song for [[AllMusic]], Lindsay Planer highlights Harrison's guitar contribution to this "serene rocker" and likewise acknowledges Hopkins' "warm and soulful keyboard runs and fills".<ref name="AM/Planer" /> Zeth Lundy of [[PopMatters]] describes "Give Me Love" as "effervescent" and "a #1 single that remains one of Harrison's most iconic and well-loved".<ref name="Lundy/PM">Zeth Lundy, [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world/ "George Harrison: ''Living in the Material World''"], [[PopMatters]], 8 November 2006 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> In his liner notes to the ''Let It Roll'' compilation, music historian [[Warren Zanes]] views "Give Me Love" as "perhaps the best example" of how Harrison's "post-Beatles songwriting blurs the line between music and prayer without ever sacrificing the pure melodic force for which he was known".<ref name="Zanes/Roll">Warren Zanes' liner notes, booklet accompanying ''[[Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison]]'' CD (Dark Horse/Parlophone/Apple, 2009; produced by George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Phil Spector, Dhani Harrison, Ray Cooper, Russ Titelman & Dave Edmunds), p. 9.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Writing in the 2004 ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide|Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'', Mac Randall described the tune as one of "Harrison's prettiest".<ref>Brackett & Hoard, p. 367.</ref>}}

''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' contributor [[John Harris (critic)|John Harris]] cites "Give Me Love" as evidence of ''Material World''{{'}}s standing as "something of a Hindu concept album … a pleasing fusion of Eastern religion, gospel, and the ghost of '[[For You Blue]]'".<ref name="Harris/Mojo">John Harris, "Beware of Darkness", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2011, p. 82.</ref> Hugh Fielder of ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' admires Harrison's "painstaking craftsmanship" and "sublime playing" on this and other ''Material World'' tracks and describes it as "one of Harrison's finest songs".<ref>Hugh Fielder, "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''", ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'', December 2006, p. 98.</ref> Writing for ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', David Cavanagh considers the album to be a "utopian follow-up" to ''All Things Must Pass'', on which "Give Me Love" "encapsulates the deal: simple message of hope, with gorgeous slide guitar … and fantastic rhythm section".<ref name="Cavanagh p 47" />

{{quote box|quote= George had such a beautiful touch on the slide [guitar] ... When I hear certain songs that he played slide on, it just takes me right to a place ...<ref>Jim Keltner interview, in ''George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', Disc 2; event occurs between 48:00 and 48:13.</ref>|source= – Drummer [[Jim Keltner]], in the "Give Me Love" segment of [[Martin Scorsese]]'s documentary ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]''|width=25%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
Among Harrison and Beatles biographers, Robert Rodriguez recognises Harrison's achievement in "cloak[ing] philosophical concerns in a thoroughly commercial package", which included his "impossibly compelling slide work".<ref name="Rodriguez p 260">Rodriguez, p. 260.</ref> Simon Leng finds more superlatives for the song's guitar lines, describing them as "almost too euphonious to be true".<ref name="Leng p 126" /> Leng continues: "''Living in the Material World'' could hardly have reveled in a stronger opening song ... A gorgeous ballad, awash with marvelously expressive guitar statements, 'Give Me Love' retains the emotional power of ''All Things Must Pass'' in a compelling three minutes."<ref name="Leng p 126" />

Writing in ''Still the Greatest: The Essential Solo Beatles Songs'', Andrew Grant Jackson considers that with "Give Me Love", Harrison "captured the essence of what he had set out to do with the [Bangladesh] concerts – and what the Beatles had tried to do in their more idealistic moments". Describing it as Harrison's "finest plea to God", with a vocal that "perfectly suits the yearning" implicit in the lyrics, Jackson adds: "'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)' stands alongside '[[All You Need Is Love]],' '[[Let It Be (song)|Let It Be]],' and '[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]' as the purest expression of the Aquarian Age dream."<ref name="Jackson p 95">Jackson, p. 95.</ref> In his Harrison obituary for ''[[The Guardian]]'' in December 2001,<ref>Chris Welch, "George Harrison 1943–2001", ''[[The Guardian]]'', 1 December 2001; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/george-harrison-1943-2001 Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref> former ''Melody Maker'' critic [[Chris Welch]] concluded with a reference to the track, saying that the ex-Beatle's "feelings and needs were best expressed in one of his simplest songs – 'Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)'".<ref>Spencer Leigh, "Our Sweet George: How George Harrison's death was reported in the U.K. media", ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]'', 25 January 2002, p. 57.</ref>

In the ''[[Concert for George (film)|Concert for George]]'' documentary film (2003), [[Eric Clapton]] names "Give Me Love" as one of his favourite Harrison compositions, along with "[[Isn't It a Pity]]".<ref>Eric Clapton interview, ''[[Concert for George (film)|Concert for George]]'' DVD ([[Warner Strategic Marketing]], 2003; directed by David Leland; produced by Ray Cooper, Olivia Harrison, Jon Kamen & Brian Roylance), Disc 2 ("Theatrical Version with Additional Material"); event occurs between 44:05 and 44:14.</ref> [[AOL Radio]] listeners voted the track fifth in a 2010 poll to find Harrison's best post-Beatles songs,<ref>Boonsri Dickinson, {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20100405020045/http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/04/03/best-george-harrison-songs/ "10 Best George Harrison Songs"]}}, [[AOL Radio]], April 2010 (archived version retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> while Michael Gallucci of [[Ultimate Classic Rock]] placed it fourth on a similar list that he compiled.<ref name="Gallucci/UCR">Michael Gallucci, [http://ultimateclassicrock.com/george-harrison-songs/ "Top 10 George Harrison Songs"], [[Ultimate Classic Rock]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> ''[[Guitar World]]'' editor Damian Fanelli includes the track among his choice of Harrison's ten best post-Beatles "Guitar Moments", praising the mid-song solo as "simply one of the most intricate and melodic things the former Beatle ever played on slide".<ref>Damian Fanelli, [http://www.guitarworld.com/artists-artist-news-artist-lists-news/george-harrisons-10-greatest-guitar-moments-after-beatles?page=3 "George Harrison's 10 Greatest Guitar Moments After the Beatles"], [[Guitar World|guitarworld.com]], 24 February 2016 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> [[David Fricke]] includes "Give Me Love" in his list of "25 essential Harrison performances" for ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, and describes it as "a soft, intimate hymn, a small-combo reaction to the [[Richard Wagner|Wagnerian]] spectacle of ''All Things Must Pass''".<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 195, 201.</ref>

==Performance==
Harrison performed "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" throughout both his [[George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour|1974 North American tour with Ravi Shankar]] and his 1991 Japanese tour with Eric Clapton, and during his 1992 benefit show for the [[Natural Law Party]].<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 447, 481–82, 484–85.</ref> The latter took place at London's [[Royal Albert Hall]] on 6 April that year<ref>Badman, pp. 478–79.</ref> and was Harrison's only full concert as a solo artist in Britain.<ref>Leng, pp. vii, 272.</ref>

At his press conference in Los Angeles before the 1974 tour, Harrison said he would be playing "Give Me Love" with a "slightly different" arrangement, adding that, as with "My Sweet Lord", "It should be much more loose."<ref>"'Everybody Is Very Friendly': ''Melody Maker'', 2/11/74", ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut Ultimate Music Guide: George Harrison]]'', TI Media (London, 2018), p. 74.</ref> The song usually appeared midway through the shows and featured Billy Preston's [[synthesizer]] and a flute solo from [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]] instead of the familiar slide-guitar breaks.<ref>Leng, pp. 167, 168–69, 171.</ref> Although widely [[Bootleg recording|bootlegged]],<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 446–47.</ref> no version of the song from this tour has been released officially.<ref>Leng, p. 170.</ref>

===''Live in Japan'' version===
The Japanese tour in December 1991 was Harrison's only other tour as a solo artist.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 60.</ref> His 1992 album ''[[Live in Japan (George Harrison album)|Live in Japan]]'' contains a version of "Give Me Love" from this tour,<ref>Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-japan-mw0000334804 "George Harrison ''Live in Japan''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> recorded at [[Tokyo Dome]] on 15 December 1991.<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 483.</ref> Harrison again delegated the solos to a fellow musician: in this case [[Andy Fairweather-Low]] reproduced the slide-guitar parts from the original studio recording.<ref>Leng, pp. 270, 271.</ref><ref name="Perry/VintageRock">Shawn Perry, [http://www.vintagerock.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=297:cd-review-george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world&catid=80:reissues-compilations-and-live-releases&Itemid=58 "George Harrison, Living In The Material World – CD Review"], vintagerock.com, October 2006 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> Ian Inglis notes the "impressive interplay", particularly towards the end of the song, between Harrison and his backup singers,<ref>Inglis, p. 109.</ref> [[Tessa Niles]] and [[Mac and Katie Kissoon|Katie Kissoon]].<ref name="Leng p 270">Leng, p. 270.</ref>

This live version of "Give Me Love", along with the accompanying concert footage, was subsequently included in the ''Living in the Material World'' reissue in September 2006, as part of a [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|deluxe CD/DVD package]].<ref name="John Metzger/MB" /><ref>[http://georgeharrison.com/albums/living-in-the-material-world/ "Album: Living in the Material World"], georgeharrison.com (retrieved 2 June 2014).</ref> The performance also appears on the DVD included in the eight-disc ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75|Apple Years 1968–75]]'' box set,<ref name="Marchese/SecondDisc">Joe Marchese, [http://theseconddisc.com/2014/09/02/give-me-love-george-harrisons-apple-years-are-collected-on-new-box-set/ "Give Me Love: George Harrison’s 'Apple Years' Are Collected on New Box Set"], The Second Disc, 2 September 2014 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> released in September 2014.<ref name="Grow/RSonline">Kory Grow, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/george-harrisons-first-six-studio-albums-to-get-lavish-reissues-20140902 "George Harrison's First Six Studio Albums to Get Lavish Reissues"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023120321/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/george-harrisons-first-six-studio-albums-to-get-lavish-reissues-20140902 |date=23 October 2017 }}, [[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]], 2 September 2014 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref>

==Cover versions==
Lindsay Planer writes that two [[Cover version|cover]]s of the song "worth noting" are a version by Bob Koenig, issued on his ''Prose & Icons'' album in 1996, and one by Brazilian singer [[Marisa Monte]] from the same year.<ref name="AM/Planer" /> Monte's version appeared on her album ''Barulhinho Bom'',<ref>Alvaro Neder, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/barulhinho-bom-mw0000544904 "Marisa Monte ''Barulhinho Bom''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> later released in English-speaking countries as ''A Great Noise''.<ref>John Dougan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130701000840/http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-great-noise-mw0000086827 "Marisa Monte ''A Great Noise''"], [[AllMusic]] (archived version retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> In 1998, "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" was one of five Harrison songs that composers Steve Wood and Daniel May adapted for their soundtrack to the documentary film ''[[Everest (1998 film)|Everest]]''; part of the piece "The Journey Begins" incorporates "Give Me Love".<ref>Badman, p. 588.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison had agreed to the adaptations by Wood and May on the understanding that no advance publicity would mention his connection.<ref>Badman, p. 589.</ref>}}

[[File:Jeff Lynne April 2016.jpeg|thumb|right|170px|[[Jeff Lynne]] (pictured in 2016) performed the song at the [[Concert for George]] tribute in November 2002, a year after Harrison's death.]]
Artists other than Harrison who have performed the song live include [[Elliott Smith]]<ref>David Greenwald, [http://www.rawkblog.net/2009/02/elliott-smith-the-complete-live-covers/ "Elliott Smith – The Complete Live Covers"], Rawkblog (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> and, in April 2002, [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[James Taylor]] and [[Elton John]].<ref name="Rock4Rain" /> These three musicians played "Give Me Love" as part of a tribute to Harrison during the [[Rock for the Rainforest]] benefit concert at [[Carnegie Hall]] in New York City.<ref name="Rock4Rain">Roger Friedman, [https://web.archive.org/web/20131205133149/http://www.foxnews.com/story/2002/04/15/sting-strips-for-charity-elton-puts-on-pearls/ "Sting Strips for Charity, Elton Puts on Pearls"], Fox News, 15 April 2002 (archived version retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> In what Planer describes as a "stirring reading",<ref name="AM/Planer" /> [[Jeff Lynne]] performed the song at the [[Concert for George]] on 29 November 2002, held at the Royal Albert Hall exactly a year after Harrison's death.<ref>Inglis, pp. 124, 155.</ref> Lynne was supported by a band comprising Harrison's friends and musical associates, including [[Eric Clapton]], [[Andy Fairweather Low|Andy Fairweather-Low]], [[Marc Mann]], [[Jim Keltner]], [[Dhani Harrison]], Niles and Kissoon.<ref>Inglis, p. 125.</ref>

[[Dave Davies]] of [[the Kinks]] contributed a version of "Give Me Love" to the multi-artist compilation ''[[Songs from the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison]]'' in 2003.<ref>Johnny Loftus, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-from-the-material-world-a-tribute-to-george-harrison-mw0000019300 "Various Artists ''Songs From the Material World: A Tribute to George Harrison''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> In a statement released in advance of the compilation,<ref>Koch Entertainment, [http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/koch-entertainment-presents-songs-from-the-material-world-a-tribute-to-george-harrison-77122492.html "KOCH Entertainment Presents Songs From The Material World: A Tribute To George Harrison"], [[PR Newswire]], 11 December 2002 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> Davies explained that he was normally reluctant to perform other artists' songs yet had made "an exception" with "Give Me Love", in order to honour Harrison "as a great musical talent but primarily as an advanced soul who was unafraid to share his spiritual vision and journey with us".<ref>Billboard staff, [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/73177/rock-vets-fete-harrison-on-tribute-disc "Rock Vets Fete Harrison On Tribute Disc"], [[Billboard (magazine)|billboard.com]], 11 December 2002 (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> Davies subsequently issued the recording on his 2006 album ''Kinked''.<ref>Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/kinked-mw0000267314 "Dave Davies ''Kinked''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref>

In 2010, Broadway actress [[Sherie Rene Scott]] featured "Give Me Love" in her autobiographical musical ''[[Everyday Rapture]]'' as the show's final number.<ref>William Ruhlmann, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/everyday-rapture-mw0001993842 "Sherie René Scott ''Everyday Rapture''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> Canadian singer [[Ron Sexsmith]] has included the song in his live performances; a version by him appeared on ''Harrison Covered'',<ref>Michael Simmons, "Cry for a Shadow", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2011, p. 86.</ref> a tribute CD accompanying the November 2011 issue of ''Mojo'' magazine.<ref>[http://www.mojo4music.com/1972/mojo-issue-216-november-2011/ "MOJO Issue 216 / November 2011"], [[Mojo (magazine)|mojo4music.com]] (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> In December 2016, singer, songwriter and record producer [[Jem (singer)|Jem]] did her own version of "Give Me Love" for her album titled ''A Tribute to George Harrison''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/1NoBNxD5duysEzj8nlAn2g|title=Jem: A Tribute to George Harrison|author=Jem|work=Spotify}}</ref> In January 2017, [[the Avett Brothers]] performed "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" live on ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]''.<ref>[http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/ "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Video – The Avett Brothers Perform 'Give Me Love, Give Me Peace On Earth'"], [[CBS.com]], 20 January 2017 (retrieved 21 January 2017).</ref>

In 2020 [[Disney+]] released the movie ''[[Stargirl (film)|Stargirl]]''. During the closing credits [[Grace Vanderwaal]] sings her version of "Give Me Love". It also appears in the soundtrack.

==Personnel==
According to Simon Leng:<ref name="Leng p 126" />
* [[George Harrison]] – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, [[slide guitar]],<ref name="Frontani p 159" /> backing vocals
* [[Nicky Hopkins]] – piano
* [[Gary Wright]] – [[pump organ|harmonium]]
* [[Klaus Voormann]] – bass guitar
* [[Jim Keltner]] – drums

==Chart performance==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Chart (1973)
!Peak position
|-
|Australian ''[[Go-Set]]'' National Top 40<ref name="auschart">[https://books.google.com/books?id=KAkEAAAAMBAJ&q=george+harrison "Billboard Hits of the World"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 25 August 1973, p. 50 (retrieved 11 April 2014).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|9
|-
|Belgian Singles Chart<ref name="Tsort">[http://tsort.info/music/azncfw.htm "George Harrison (Song artist 225)"], Tsort pages (retrieved 5 March 2012).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|27
|-
|Canadian [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'' 100]] Top Singles<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140116081821/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.4853&type=2&interval=24&PHPSESSID=tflvluuu3gmgse7n7epkm834m4 "''RPM'' 100 Singles, 21 July 1973"], [[Library and Archives Canada]] (archived version retrieved 10 March 2022).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|9
|-
|Canadian ''RPM'' Adult Contemporary<ref>[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.4863&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.4863.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.4863 "''RPM'' Adult Contemporary, 28 July 1973"], [[Library and Archives Canada]] (retrieved 5 December 2016).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|-
|Dutch [[MegaCharts|MegaChart Singles]]<ref name="nlchart">[http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=Give+Me+Love+%28Give+Me+Peace+On+Earth%29&cat=s "George Harrison – Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)"], dutchcharts.nl (retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|[[Irish Singles Chart]]<ref name="Ireland">[https://web.archive.org/web/20090602061251/http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement "''Search by Artist'' > George Harrison"], irishcharts.ie (archived version retrieved 10 March 2022).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|10
|-
|Japanese [[Oricon]] Singles Chart<ref name="jpchart">[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303201239/http://homepage1.nifty.com/tuty/after_beatles_george_singlechartaction_japan.htm "George Harrison: Chart Action (Japan)"], homepage1.nifty.com (archived version retrieved 10 May 2022).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|37
|-
|align="left"|New Zealand ''[[New Zealand Listener|Listener]]'' Chart<ref name="NZchart">[http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qsongid=3899#n_view_location Search: "George Harrison"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414183543/http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20listener&qsongid=3899#n_view_location |date=14 April 2014 }}, ''Flavour of New Zealand'', 2007 (retrieved 26 May 2014).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|9
|-
|Norwegian [[VG-lista]] Singles<ref name="nochart">[http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=Give+Me+Love+%28Give+Me+Peace+On+Earth%29&cat=s "George Harrison – Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)"], norwegiancharts.com (retrieved 26 May 2014).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|UK ''[[Melody Maker]]'' Pop 30 Singles<ref name="Castleman & Podrazik p 342" />
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|-
|[[UK Singles Chart]]<ref name="UKchart">[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/george%20harrison/ "Artist: George Harrison"], [[Official Charts Company]] (retrieved 26 May 2014).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|8
|-
|US [[Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks|''Billboard'' Easy Listening]]<ref name="Billboard_singles" />
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|-
|US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref name="Billboard_singles">[https://web.archive.org/web/20121203032145/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-harrison-mn0000209142/awards "George Harrison: Awards" ("Billboard Singles")], [[AllMusic]] (archived version retrieved 13 September 2017).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|US ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Top 100<ref name="Spizer p 249" />
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|US ''[[Record World]]'' Singles Chart<ref>Lenny Beer (ed.), "The Singles Chart", ''[[Record World]]'', 7 July 1973, p. 29.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|-
|West German [[GfK Entertainment charts|Media Control]] Chart<ref name="Germany">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140717120857/http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=George+Harrison&title=Give+Me+Love+%28Give+Me+Peace+On+Earth%29&country=de "Single – George Harrison, Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)"], charts.de (archived version retrieved 30 June 2015).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|28
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!align="left"|Chart (1973)
! style="text-align:center;"|Rank
|-
|Canadian ''RPM'' Top Singles<ref>[http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=9481& "''RPM'' Top 100 Singles of '73" > "74 more from '74"], [[Library and Archives Canada]] (retrieved 10 March 2022).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|110
|-
|US [[Billboard Year-End|''Billboard'' Year-End]]<ref>[http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1973.htm "Top 100 Hits of 1973/Top 100 Songs of 1973"], musicoutfitters.com (retrieved 8 June 2016).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|42
|-
|US ''Cash Box'' Pop Singles<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20191216063126/https://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/1973YESP.html "Cash Box YE Pop Singles – 1973"], [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox Magazine Archives]] (archived version retrieved 10 March 2022).</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|60
|}
{{col-end}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* Nathan Brackett & Christian Hoard (eds), ''The New Rolling Stone Album Guide'' (4th edn), Fireside/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2004; {{ISBN|0-7432-0169-8}}).
* Roy Carr & Tony Tyler, ''The Beatles: An Illustrated Record'', Trewin Copplestone Publishing (London, 1978; {{ISBN|0-450-04170-0}}).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* Peter Doggett, "George Harrison: The Apple Years", ''[[Record Collector]]'', April 2001, pp. 34–40.
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* Michael Frontani, "The Solo Years", in [[Kenneth Womack]] (ed.), ''The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles'', Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK, 2009; {{ISBN|978-1-139-82806-2}}), pp. 153–82.
* ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'' DVD ([[Village Roadshow]], 2011; directed by Martin Scorsese; produced by Olivia Harrison, Nigel Sinclair & Martin Scorsese).
* Joshua M. Greene, ''Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison'', John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-470-12780-3}}).
* George Harrison, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; {{ISBN|0-8118-3793-9}}).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|1-55071-197-0}}).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* Andrew Grant Jackson, ''Still the Greatest: The Essential Solo Beatles Songs'', Scarecrow Press (Lanham, MD, 2012; {{ISBN|978-0-8108-8222-5}}).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* Ian MacDonald, ''Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'', Pimlico (London, 1998; {{ISBN|0-7126-6697-4}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Chris O'Dell (with Katherine Ketcham), ''Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved'', Touchstone (New York, NY, 2009; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* Mat Snow, ''The Beatles Solo: The Illustrated Chronicles of John, Paul, George, and Ringo After The Beatles'' (Volume 3: ''George''), Race Point Publishing (New York, NY, 2013; {{ISBN|978-1-937994-26-6}}).
* Bruce Spizer, ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* Gary Tillery, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0900-5}}).
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|LYW9cjcO_SY|George Harrison – Give Me Love}}

{{Living in the Material World}}
{{George Harrison singles}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:1973 singles]]
[[Category:1973 songs]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Apple Records singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]
[[Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles]]
[[Category:Cashbox number-one singles]]
[[Category:Indian mythology in music]]
[[Category:Gospel songs]]
[[Category:British folk rock songs]]
[[Category:Peace songs]]

The Light That Has Lighted the World

2025-05-09T23:44:50Z

187.53.75.51:

{{Use British English|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name = The Light That Has Lighted the World
| cover =
| alt =
| type = song
| artist = [[George Harrison]]
| album = [[Living in the Material World]]
| written =
| published = [[Material World Charitable Foundation]] (administered by [[Harrisongs]])
| released = 30 May 1973
| recorded = 6 October 1972
| studio =
| genre = [[Folk rock]]
| length = 3:31
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| producer = George Harrison
}}
"'''The Light That Has Lighted the World'''" is a song by English musician [[George Harrison]] released on his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. It is viewed as a statement on Harrison's discomfort with the attention afforded him as an ex-[[The Beatles|Beatle]] and features a prominent contribution from English session pianist [[Nicky Hopkins]], along with a highly regarded [[slide guitar]] solo from Harrison. Around the time it was recorded, in late 1972, "The Light That Has Lighted the World" was rumoured to be the title track of the forthcoming album. Harrison originally intended it as a song for English singer [[Cilla Black]], whose version of his 1970 composition "[[When Every Song Is Sung]]" he produced before starting work on ''Living in the Material World''.

An early acoustic demo of the song, a solo performance by Harrison, appeared as the closing track on the 2012 compilation ''[[Early Takes: Volume 1]]''.

==Background and composition==
In early August 1972, in between overseeing the UK release of [[Saul Swimmer]]'s ''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (film)|Concert for Bangladesh]]'' documentary and heading up to Liverpool to catch [[Ravi Shankar]]'s recital at the [[Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool|Philharmonic Hall]],<ref>Badman, pp. 79, 80.</ref> [[George Harrison]] tried recording "[[When Every Song Is Sung]]", a ballad from the ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'' era, as a single for [[Cilla Black]].<ref name="Clayson p 332">Clayson, p. 332.</ref><ref>[http://www.cillablack.com/cpt_news/ill-still-love-you-when-every-song-is-sung-a-lost-song-penned-for-cilla-by-george-harrison-receives-may-2003-release/ "'I'll Still Love You (When Every Song Is Sung)' – a 'lost' song penned for Cilla by George Harrison receives May 2003 release"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721103226/http://www.cillablack.com/cpt_news/ill-still-love-you-when-every-song-is-sung-a-lost-song-penned-for-cilla-by-george-harrison-receives-may-2003-release |date=21 July 2015 }}, CillaBlack.com, 1 April 2003 (retrieved 13 March 2012).</ref> Although the project was not completed, just like Harrison's attempt to [[Try Some, Buy Some#Planned Ronnie Spector solo album|record the same song]] with [[Ronnie Spector]] the year before,<ref name="Clayson p 332" /><ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 434, 440.</ref> he later decided to write a [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] for her, which would become "The Light That Has Lighted the World".<ref name="IMM p 268">Harrison, p. 268.</ref><ref>Kevin Howlett, booklet accompanying ''Living in the Material World'' reissue (EMI Records, 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison).</ref> In his autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', Harrison explains that the lyrics dealt with the "Local boy/girl makes good" phenomenon, where the public initially supports someone who achieves success yet are then disapproving if fame or success changes that person.<ref name="IMM p 268" /> Both he and Black were from Liverpool and had become famous quickly, after which many people considered their personalities had changed<ref name="Inglis p 39">Inglis, p. 39.</ref> – a common link that Harrison thought of basing the intended B-side around.<ref name="IMM p 268" /> After he had come up with the opening two lines, however, the theme soon evolved into something more personal.<ref name="Spizer p 254">Spizer, p. 254.</ref>

At the 27 July 1971 press conference preceding the [[The Concert for Bangladesh|Bangladesh concerts]],<ref>Badman, p. 43.</ref> Harrison had admitted he was "flattered" and "honour[ed]" to be receiving the same attention and acclaim once reserved for [[the Beatles]].<ref>''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (film)#2005 DVD release|The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison and Friends]]'' DVD, Apple Corps, 2005 (directed by Claire Ferguson; produced by Olivia Harrison, Jonathan Clyde & Jo Human).</ref><ref>Pieper, p. 26.</ref> A year later, though, his words to "The Light That Has Lighted the World" were a plea for freedom from public scrutiny regarding his Beatle past, musical biographer Simon Leng writes, to allow him to "pursue his spiritual quest" unencumbered by the weight of others' expectations.<ref name="Leng p 128">Leng, p. 128.</ref>

{{blockquote|''I've heard how some people have said that I've changed That I'm not what I was, how it really is a shame The thoughts in their heads manifest on their brow Like bad scars from ill feeling they themselves arouse.''}}

This negative scrutiny Harrison found "''hateful to anyone that is happy or 'free' ''", the lyrics continue, while he targets its purveyors as living "''their lives without looking to see / The light that has lighted the world.''"

Harrison argues in ''I Me Mine'' that things can never stay the same – "the whole of life is a change: from the morning to the evening, from spring to winter ... from birth to death ..."<ref name="IMM p 268" /> This viewpoint is reflected in the song's second verse, where he bemoans those who make a point of resisting change,<ref name="Inglis p 39" /> "''As if nature itself, they'd prefer rearranged''", because for them, "''there's so little chance to experience soul''". The song ends more optimistically, with his declaration:<ref name="Inglis p 39" />

{{blockquote|''I'm grateful to anyone that is happy or "free" For giving me hope while I'm looking to see The light that has lighted the world.''}}

Instead of giving the track to Cilla Black, Harrison used it for his own album, ''[[Living in the Material World]]'',<ref name="IMM p 268" /> recording for which began in October 1972.<ref name="Spizer p 254" />

While analysing the song's lyrics, Leng opines that, like "[[Who Can See It]]", "The Light That Has Lighted the World" betrays Harrison's tendency towards "internalization of world events", and the fact that he wrote these words while still in his twenties is a "testament to the sheer psychological pressure" of the Beatles experience and [[superstar]]dom generally.<ref>Leng, pp. 127–28, 129–30.</ref> At its core, Leng suggests, the song is asking: "What right do you have to inspect me, just because I made a few records?"<ref name="Leng p 128" />

"He didn't like celebrity," [[Elton John]] observed of Harrison in a 2002 Rolling Stone Press tribute book. "I think he'd had enough by 1970 to last three lifetimes ... He found something worth more than fame, more than fortune, more than anything."<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 232–33.</ref> In her introductory piece to the same publication, written two months after his death, [[Olivia Harrison]] quoted from the words to "The Light That Has Lighted the World" as an example of her late husband providing the "live background music to our lives": "If I played three chords on the [[Ukulele|uke]] (compulsory instrument in our home), he would be my band. George was so generous and 'grateful to anyone that is happy or free.' A good moment to him was always worth making better."<ref>Olivia Harrison, "A Few Words About George", in The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 11.</ref>

==Recording==
[[File:Nicky Hopkins.png|thumb|right|145px|Pianist [[Nicky Hopkins]] (pictured in 1973), whose playing features prominently on "The Light That Has Lighted the World" and other songs from ''Material World'']]
In a December 1971 interview for ''[[Disc (magazine)|Disc and Music Echo]]'', [[Nicky Hopkins]] – "the world's best-known anonymous pianist", as that magazine termed him – had talked of his plans to start work on his own solo album early the following year.<ref name="Tyler/Disc">Andrew Tyler, "Nicky Hopkins", ''[[Disc (magazine)|Disc and Music Echo]]'', 4 December 1971; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=11002 Rock's Backpages] (''subscription required''; retrieved 21 July 2012).</ref> "I'll probably be doing it with George Harrison," he said. "I'd really like to do that because, with George, I feel a very close thing ... We just seem to understand each other on a personal level so well."<ref name="Tyler/Disc" /> Like Harrison's long-awaited follow-up to ''All Things Must Pass'', the [[The Tin Man Was a Dreamer|Hopkins solo project]] was delayed by other commitments until the autumn of 1972, but the mutual understanding that Hopkins referred to was much in evidence on ''Living in the Material World''; Leng describes the English keyboard player's contributions as "the most prominent instrumental voice" on the album aside from Harrison's distinctive [[slide guitar]].<ref>Leng, p. 125.</ref>

On "The Light That Has Lighted the World", the recording is underpinned by [[Gary Wright]]'s stately [[Pump organ|harmonium]] and Harrison's acoustic rhythm guitars, and is dominated by Hopkins' piano.<ref name="Huntley p 91">Huntley, p. 91.</ref> The instrumental section, in between the two verses, featuring first Hopkins and then Harrison, has received much positive comment.<ref name="Leng p 128" /><ref name="Clayson p 323">Clayson, p. 323.</ref><ref name="Holden/RS">Stephen Holden, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 "George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030517/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 |date=3 October 2017 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 July 1973 (retrieved 13 March 2012).</ref> The track's solemn [[tempo]] has been likened to that for "[[Tears of Rage]]" and "[[I Shall Be Released]]" by [[the Band]].<ref name="Leng p 128" /> An alternative studio version of the song, an [[outtake#Music|outtake]] from the October–December 1972 album sessions, appears on the ''Living in the Alternate World'' [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]].<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-Living-In-The-Alternate-World/release/3738729 "George Harrison – Living In The Alternate World (CD)"], [[Discogs]] (retrieved 21 July 2012).</ref> Featuring a more prominent and melodic harmonium part from Wright, and devoid of Harrison's [[overdubbed]] second and third acoustic-guitar parts and his electric slide guitar, this version of "The Light That Has Lighted the World" ends with an attractive vocal [[falsetto]] in place of the official release's [[slide guitar|bottleneck]] flourish.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440">Madinger & Easter, p. 440.</ref>

==Release and reception==
"The Light That Has Lighted the World" was issued in mid 1973 as the third track on ''Living in the Material World''<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 125.</ref> and is the first of a trio of slow-paced songs throughout the album that covers Harrison's preoccupation with breaking free from the past and others' perceptions (the second and third being "Who Can See It" and "[[Be Here Now (George Harrison song)|Be Here Now]]").<ref>Leng, pp. 130. 137.</ref> Some months before this, the working title of the album was said to be ''The Light That Has Lighted the World''.<ref>Badman, p. 83.</ref><ref name="Allison p 149">Allison, p. 149.</ref> According to author Keith Badman, it was only in January 1973 that the name was changed to ''Living in the Material World''.<ref>Badman, p. 89.</ref> As with eight other tracks on the album<ref>Schaffner, p. 160.</ref> and the 1973 [[B-side]] "[[Miss O'Dell]]",<ref>Harrison, p. 385.</ref> Harrison donated his publishing royalties and the copyright<ref>Book accompanying ''[[Collaborations (Ravi Shankar and George Harrison album)|Collaborations]]'' box set by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison ([[Dark Horse Records]], 2010; produced by Olivia Harrison; package design by Drew Lorimer & Olivia Harrison), p. 32.</ref> for "The Light That Has Lighted the World" to his [[Material World Charitable Foundation]].<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 438.</ref>

On release, the song was viewed as possessing both of the traits that a some reviewers disliked about its parent album: too slow in tempo,<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> and with lyrics "too smug for rock 'n' roll".<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 195.</ref> [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' described it as "an oblique defense against public criticism and expectations of a Beatle reunion" and, the "sustained" instrumental break aside, "pretty leaden stuff" due to the funereal pace.<ref name="Holden/RS" /> ''[[NME]]'' critic [[Bob Woffinden]] found the music "exceptionally fine" and opined that the song "could rank with his best compositions".<ref>Woffinden, p. 71.</ref> The problem, in Woffinden's opinion, was that, with the advent of [[glam rock]] in the UK while Harrison delayed following up on his 1970–71 solo success, "half the record-buying public" were more likely to view the song title as a reference to [[Gary Glitter]].<ref>Woffinden, p. 72.</ref>

Writing in ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Michael Watts described the album as "Harrison's personal statement", documenting his journey towards "a spiritual goal which for the first time he has been able to define".<ref name="Watts/MM">Michael Watts, "The New Harrison Album", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 3.</ref> Amid the "large autobiographical insights" offered in Harrison's new compositions, Watts wrote of "The Light That Has Lighted the World"'s role in the song cycle: "Until finally he climbed over the rocky patches and found his own Shangri-La, becoming transformed in the process."<ref name="Watts/MM" />

==Retrospective appraisal==
Writing for ''Rolling Stone'' in 2002, [[Greg Kot]] referred to the song's "condescending autobiographical vein", which he found echoed in Harrison's 1974 riposte to his detractors, "[[Dark Horse (George Harrison song)|Dark Horse]]".<ref name="Eds of RS p 188">The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 188.</ref> To Bruce Eder of [[AllMusic]], "The Light That Has Lighted the World" is one of the tracks on ''Material World'' that suffers from seeming "weighed down with their own sense of purpose, in ways that ''All Things Must Pass'' mostly (but not entirely) avoided".<ref name="AMG">Bruce Eder, [{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r854956/review|pure_url=yes}} "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 19 April 2012).</ref> Similarly unimpressed, ''Eight Arms to Hold You'' authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter write: "One would think that the 'light' might have given George a bit more happiness to reflect upon, but hey, the slide work's great!"<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440" /> The [[outtake]] available on the ''Alternate World'' bootleg, they add, was "believe it or not, even more lugubrious that the commercial version".<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440" />

Beatles biographer [[Alan Clayson]] also compliments Harrison's slide-guitar work, writing of his "controlled grace" while "shining up the octaves" during the solo.<ref name="Clayson p 323" /> Another biographer, Elliot Huntley, approves of the "grandiloquent ballad tone" of this and other songs on the album, and admires the "tasteful" [[rhythm section]] on "The Light That Has Lighted the World" and Harrison's "jangling" acoustic guitars.<ref>Huntley, pp. 91, 92–93.</ref> Having interviewed Harrison for ''[[Guitar World]]'' magazine in 1987, [[Rip Rense]] has likened the guitar solo to that on the Beatles' "[[Fixing a Hole]]", as examples of how Harrison's solos display "structure, syntax, and development" over "pyrotechnic flourishes". Rense adds: "These are thoughtful and original, deceptively simple sounding, invested with feeling."<ref>Rip Rense, "[http://www.rense.com/general19/there.htm There Went the Sun: Reflection on the Passing of George Harrison]", ''Beatlefan'', 29 January 2002 (retrieved 14 December 2014).</ref> Writing for ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]'' in January 2002, [[Dave Thompson (author)|Dave Thompson]] rated "The Light That Has Lighted the World" an "unquestioned highlight" and "a song hallmarked by distinct echoes of Lennon's ''Imagine''".<ref>Dave Thompson, "The Music of George Harrison: An album-by-album guide", ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]'', 25 January 2002, p. 17.</ref>

In his review of the [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|2006 reissue]] of ''Living in the Material World'', for ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine, Tom Doyle included the song among the album's best three tracks and wrote: "the introspective moods of The Light That Has Lighted The World and Who Can See It, with their ornate instrumentation and weepy vocals, are lovely things."<ref>Tom Doyle, "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''", ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'', November 2006, p. 156.</ref> Reviewing the 2014 ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75|Apple Years]]'' Harrison reissues, in ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', Doyle writes of ''Material World'' having "spotlit the spirituality and the dreaminess", through "the gentle, non-preachy The Light That Has Lighted The World and Be Here Now, both great works of look-around-you wonder".<ref>Tom Doyle, "Hari Styles: George Harrison ''The Apple Years 1968–1975''", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2014, p. 109.</ref> In his review for ''[[Record Collector]]'', Oregano Rathbone highlights the song among Harrison's output over 1973–75, writing: "''Living in the Material World'', ''Dark Horse'' and ''Extra Texture'' may tend towards earnest, careworn, mid-tempo slow-burners, but each contains shivery moments of release: The Light That Has Lighted The World, [[Far East Man]] and [[This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)|This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)]] spring to mind."<ref name="Rathbone/RecCollect">Oregano Rathbone, [http://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/apple-years-1968-75 "George Harrison – The Apple Years 1968–75"], ''[[Record Collector]]'', December 2014 (retrieved 4 December 2014).</ref>

Writing for the music website [[No Ripcord]], Matt Bevington describes the composition as "perhaps his most revealing lyrical work and exemplary of his ability to convey with both charming humour and coarse honesty". Bevington adds: "it reads like a precious sermon ..."<ref name="Bevington/NoRip">Matt Bevington, [http://www.noripcord.com/reviews/music/george-harrison/early-takes-volume-1 "Music Reviews: George Harrison ''Early Takes Volume 1''"], [[No Ripcord]], 31 May 2012 (retrieved 4 December 2014).</ref>

Simon Leng considers the song "alarmingly direct" lyrically, and melodically strong, but, in the wider context of Harrison's career during the first half of the 1970s, he detects a "scalded-cat reaction" that would encourage critics to pounce on his next release, ''[[Dark Horse (George Harrison album)|Dark Horse]]''.<ref>Leng, pp. 90, 128.</ref> Leng draws parallels with [[Joni Mitchell]]'s "Ludwig's Song" and "Shadows and Light" – two tracks dealing with criticism and harsh judgement that duly attracted more of the same.<ref name="Leng p 128" /> Like Clayson and Holden, Leng views the mid-song soloing on "The Light That Has Lighted the World" as a highlight: "a rolling, lilting passage from Nicky Hopkins, topped by one of Harrison's finest performances," he writes. "In the closing bars of the statement, repeated as the song's [[Coda (music)|coda]], the guitar vocalizes a series of six-string sobs. George finally made his guitar gently weep."<ref name="Leng p 128" /> While echoing Leng's sentiments, ''[[Guitar World]]'' editor Damian Fanelli includes the slide soloing on his list of Harrison's best post-Beatles "Guitar Moments".<ref>Damian Fanelli, [http://www.guitarworld.com/artists-artist-news-artist-lists-news/george-harrisons-10-greatest-guitar-moments-after-beatles?page=3 "George Harrison's 10 Greatest Guitar Moments After the Beatles"], [[Guitar World|guitarworld.com]], 24 February 2016 (retrieved 28 May 2016).</ref>

Unlike Leng, Ian Inglis views the lyrics as Harrison "[resisting] the temptation to criticize", since instead the unenlightened "have his sympathy".<ref name="Inglis p 39" /> To Inglis, the song's weakness is that the "light" Harrison is striving to see is never made clear; whether it's love, spiritual enlightenment, or even the Beatles, "who, after all, have illuminated the world for many millions of people".<ref name="Inglis p 39" /> The meaning is clear to theologian [[Dale Allison]], who sums up "The Light That Has Lighted the World" as an "achingly beautiful" song that "expresses resentment toward those who dislike the ex-Beatle George but thanksgiving for those who reflect the light of God".<ref>Allison, pp. 22, 149.</ref>

==Other versions==
In [[Martin Scorsese]]'s 2011 documentary ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'', the song is played over footage of the April 1970 announcement of the Beatles' break-up, following a clip of Harrison and [[Paul McCartney]] signing the "Beatles Agreement" legal papers in December 1974.<ref>''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'' DVD (Disc 2), [[Village Roadshow]], 2011 (directed by Martin Scorsese; produced by Olivia Harrison, Nigel Sinclair & Martin Scorsese).</ref><ref name="ContraBand/DDDD">[http://beatlechat.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/ring-out-old.html "Ring Out the Old"], Contra Band Music, 23 October 2012 (retrieved 30 December 2012).</ref> A solo [[Demo (music)|demo]] of "The Light That Has Lighted the World" (featuring Harrison on 12-string acoustic guitar) was included with the movie's deluxe-edition release on DVD, in November 2011.<ref>Steve Leggett, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world-video-mw0002344167 "George Harrison ''George Harrison: Living in the Material World (Video)''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 31 October 2014).</ref><ref>Joe Marchese, [http://theseconddisc.com/2012/03/23/behind-that-locked-door-george-harrison-demos-surface-on-early-takes-volume-1/ "Behind That Locked Door: George Harrison Demos Surface on 'Early Takes Volume 1'"], The Second Disc, 23 March 2012 (retrieved 31 October 2014).</ref> Six months later, this version was issued on the ''[[Early Takes: Volume 1]]'' compilation.<ref>Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/early-takes-vol-1-mw0002332516 "George Harrison ''Early Takes, Vol. 1''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 30 August 2012).</ref>

In an interview with [[MusicRadar]], compilation producer [[Giles Martin]] said that the unpolished aspect of Harrison's performance made him uncertain at first about whether to include the song on ''Early Takes''. Martin continued: "It sounds like he's playing it to just one person late one evening, which is very George ... It's a little bit special; it shows how George could make something simple sound very spiritual, almost dreamy in a way ... I think this works beautifully as a closer."<ref>Terry Staunton, [http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/giles-martin-on-george-harrisons-early-takes-track-by-track-544713/12 "Giles Martin on George Harrison's ''Early Takes'', track-by-track"], [[MusicRadar]], 18 May 2012 (retrieved 4 December 2014).</ref> In his review for No Ripcord, Bevington writes: "in such a graceful recording there is a profound message which cuts even deeper to something [Harrison] quite obviously understood, yet most never will."<ref name="Bevington/NoRip" />

"The Light That Has Lighted the World" was covered by Japanese band Grapevine, featuring guest vocalist Maika Shiratori (daughter of [[Emiko Shiratori]]),<ref>[http://www.squareenixmusic.com/vocalists/shiratori.shtml "Game Music: Emiko Shiratori"], Square Enix Music Online, 4 June 2006 (retrieved 22 October 2012).</ref> on the ''Gentle Guitar Dreams'' Harrison tribute album, released in May 2002.<ref>[http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=AMCM-10021 "Various Artists ''Gentle Guitar Dreams''"], CD Japan (retrieved 15 September 2012).</ref>

==Personnel==
*[[George Harrison]] – lead vocals, acoustic guitars, [[slide guitar]], backing vocals
*[[Nicky Hopkins]] – piano
*[[Gary Wright]] – [[pump organ|harmonium]]
*[[Klaus Voormann]] – bass guitar
*[[Jim Keltner]] – drums

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* George Harrison, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; {{ISBN|0-8118-3793-9}}).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|1-55071-197-0}}).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Jörg Pieper, ''The Solo Beatles Film & TV Chronicle 1971–1980'', lulu.com (2012; {{ISBN|978-1-4092-8301-0}}).
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* [[Bruce Spizer]], ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* Bob Woffinden, ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; {{ISBN|0-906071-89-5}}).
{{refend}}

{{Living in the Material World}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Light That Has Lighted The World, The}}
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]
[[Category:1973 songs]]

The Day the World Gets 'Round

2025-05-09T23:40:36Z

187.53.75.51:

{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox song
| name = The Day the World Gets 'Round
| cover =
| alt =
| caption = 1973 side two [[LP record|LP]] face label
| type =
| artist = [[George Harrison]]
| album = [[Living in the Material World]]
| EP =
| written =
| published = [[Material World Charitable Foundation]] (administered by [[Harrisongs]])
| released = 30 May 1973
| format =
| recorded = 4 October 1972
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = [[Folk rock]]
| length = 2:53
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| composer =
| lyricist =
| producer = George Harrison
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| title =
| next_title =
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}}

"'''The Day the World Gets 'Round'''" is a song by English musician [[George Harrison]], released on his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. Harrison was inspired to write the song following the successful [[The Concert for Bangladesh|Concert for Bangladesh]] shows, which were held in New York on 1 August 1971 as a benefit for refugees from the country formerly known as [[East Pakistan]]. The lyrics reflect his disappointment that such a humanitarian aid project was necessary, given the abundance of resources available across the planet, and his belief that if all individuals were more spiritually aware, there would be no suffering in the world. Adding to Harrison's frustration while writing the song, the aid project became embroiled in financial problems, as commercial concerns delayed the release of the ''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|Concert for Bangladesh]]'' album, and government tax departments failed to embrace the goodwill inherent in the venture.

Harrison recorded "The Day the World Gets 'Round" in England between October 1972 and March 1973. The recording features an orchestral arrangement by [[John Barham]] and a similarly well-regarded vocal performance from Harrison. The other contributing musicians were [[Nicky Hopkins]], [[Klaus Voormann]], [[Ringo Starr]] and [[Jim Keltner]]. Reviewers have described the composition variously as a [[protest song]], a devotional prayer, and a counterpart to [[John Lennon]]'s peace anthem "[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]".

As with all the new songs released on ''Living in the Material World'', Harrison donated his publishing royalties from the track to the [[Material World Charitable Foundation]], an organisation he set up to avoid the tax problems that had befallen his Bangladesh relief effort. The song typifies Harrison's ideal for a world unencumbered by national, religious or cultural delineation. In 2009, Voormann and [[Yusuf Islam]] covered "The Day the World Gets 'Round" and released it as a single to benefit children in war-torn [[Gaza City|Gaza]].

==Background==
In his 1980 autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', [[George Harrison]] describes the period following the two [[The Concert for Bangladesh|Concert for Bangladesh]] shows as "very emotional".<ref name="IMM p 226" /> The concerts took place at [[Madison Square Garden]], New York, on 1 August 1971, as the first part of his fundraising program for the 8–10 million refugees of the [[Bangladesh Liberation War]].<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 187.</ref> The generosity of all the participants, together with the response from the general public,<ref name="Clayson p 317">Clayson, p. 317.</ref> encouraged Harrison to feel "very positive about certain things".<ref name="IMM p 226" /> At the same time, the fact that it had fallen to musicians such as himself and concert instigator [[Ravi Shankar]] to address the issue left Harrison "slightly enraged", given the wealth of resources available to governments around the globe.<ref name="IMM p 226">George Harrison, p. 226.</ref> Author [[Gary Tillery]] writes that, through his humanitarian gesture, Harrison had "changed the perception" of rock musicians, "making it clear they could be good world citizens too",<ref name="Tillery p 100">Tillery, p. 100.</ref> while music critic [[Mikal Gilmore]] has noted of Harrison's "cautious yet optimistic and tender" worldview: "[it] stood in stark contrast to the ugly dissolution of [[the Beatles]] and the defeated idealism that then characterised so much of rock & roll culture."<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 40.</ref> The day after the Madison Square Garden concerts, Harrison began writing the song "The Day the World Gets 'Round",<ref name="IMM p 226" /> having stayed in New York to work with producer [[Phil Spector]] on the proposed live album of the event.<ref>Badman, p. 45.</ref><ref>Spizer, p. 241.</ref>

===''The Concert for Bangladesh'' album release===
{{Main|The Concert for Bangladesh (album)}}
Harrison found frustration in this next phase of the Bangladesh project, as the various record companies associated with the concerts' performers attempted to profit from the forthcoming release.<ref name="Eds of RS p 43">The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 43.</ref><ref>Doggett, pp. 180–81, 192.</ref> Chief among these was the Beatles' US distributor, [[Capitol Records]], who delayed issuing the album<ref name="Greene p 193">Greene, p. 193.</ref> in the hope of negotiating a royalty rate to cover what they perceived as high distribution costs for the boxed three-record set.<ref name="Tillery p 100" /><ref name="Eds of RS p 43" /> Harrison was resolute that Capitol should absorb the costs, just as the Beatles' [[Apple Records|Apple]] record label had already paid for the album's lavish packaging and full-colour booklet.<ref name="Badman p 58">Badman, p. 58.</ref><ref name="Leng p 121">Leng, p. 121.</ref> All those involved with the concerts and post-production on the live album had given their services for free,<ref name="Badman p 58" /> in keeping with Harrison's hope that, in Tillery's words: "Every penny of income – from the gate receipts to the profits from an album and a film – would go toward alleviating the suffering."<ref name="Tillery p 96">Tillery, p. 96.</ref>

By early October 1971, [[bootleg recording]]s of the concerts were available in New York,<ref name="Badman p 50">Badman, p. 50.</ref> potentially denying funds to the refugees.<ref name="Doggett p 181" /> On 23 November, Harrison's exasperation with the situation saw him raging against Capitol president [[Bhaskar Menon]] during a late-night television interview with [[Dick Cavett]], and threatening to take the album to a rival label.<ref>Badman, pp. 55, 58.</ref><ref>[http://beatlechat.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/bip-bop-baby.html "Big Bop Baby"], Contra Band Music, 4 May 2012 (retrieved 17 March 2013).</ref> Menon then backed down,<ref name="Leng p 121" /> ceding much of the distribution rights to [[Columbia Records|Columbia/CBS]],<ref name="Clayson pp 314-15">Clayson, pp. 314–15.</ref> whose artist [[Bob Dylan]] had made a successful comeback at the Concert for Bangladesh.<ref name="Spizer pp 241-42">Spizer, pp. 241–42.</ref> Further delaying the release until well into December, wholesalers objected to Apple's financial terms,<ref name="Doggett p 181">Doggett, p. 181.</ref> which ensured that wholesalers and retailers could make little profit on each copy shipped.<ref name="Spizer pp 241-42" /> Ignoring the spirit behind the release, author Peter Lavezzoli writes, some US retailers "engaged in shameless [[price gouging]]".<ref name="Lavezzoli p 193" />

===Legal and taxation issues===
[[File:Yahya and Nixon.jpg|thumb|right|230px|The [[Nixon administration]] supported Pakistani president [[Yahya Khan]] (''left'') during the Bangladesh Liberation War.]]
Of greater detriment to the project in the long term, Harrison's business manager, [[Allen Klein]], had neglected to register the concerts as [[UNICEF]] fundraising benefits before they had taken place.<ref name="Lavezzoli p 193">Lavezzoli, p. 193.</ref><ref name="IMM p 61">George Harrison, p. 61.</ref> As a result, the American and British tax departments were demanding a share of the proceeds from the live album and [[Saul Swimmer]]'s [[The Concert for Bangladesh (film)|concert film]],<ref name="Eds of RS p 43" /><ref name="Lavezzoli p 193" /> ignoring Harrison's appeals that an exception be made in the case of this humanitarian disaster.<ref name="Tillery p 100" /><ref name="Badman p 50" /><ref name="Clayson pp 315-16">Clayson, pp. 315–16.</ref> Until India's [[Indo-Pakistani War of 1971|defeat of Pakistan]] on 16 December, America continued to supply arms and financial aid to the Pakistani army, led by [[Yahya Khan|General Yahya Khan]],<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 189, 194.</ref> despite reports of [[genocide]] being [[1971 Bangladesh genocide|committed against the Bangladeshis]].<ref name="Dummett">Mark Dummett, [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16207201 "Bangladesh war: The article that changed history"], [[BBC News Online]], 16 December 2011 (retrieved 14 October 2013).</ref> In reply to a New Yorker's offer to start a petition to make the [[United States Department of the Treasury|US Treasury]] scrap its tax on the ''Concert for Bangladesh'' album, Harrison wrote: "Until the [politicians] become human, we must do our service to others without their help."<ref>Clayson, pp. 316, 479.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|According to author [[Alan Clayson]], Harrison, "as the representative of common folk", considered "riding roughshod over official interference by travelling personally to India", in order to ensure that the funds were dispersed correctly.<ref name="Clayson p 317" />}}

Although ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' and other countercultural publications lauded the Bangladesh concerts as proof that "the [[Utopia]]n spirit of the Sixties was still flickering", in the words of author [[Nicholas Schaffner]],<ref>Schaffner, p. 148.</ref> Harrison addressed, in "The Day the World Gets 'Round", the corporate greed and governmental apathy he had encountered.<ref name="Leng p 135">Leng, p. 135.</ref><ref>Rodriguez, pp. 51, 154.</ref> While staging the concerts Harrison had made a point of distancing himself from the politics behind the war in what was formerly known as [[East Pakistan]],<ref>Clayson, p. 307.</ref> and he similarly advocated [[peace activist]] [[Swami Vishnudevananda]]'s proposal for Planet Earth passports – whereby "[one truth] underlies all nations, all cultures, all colours, all races, all religions".<ref>Olivia Harrison, pp. 296–97.</ref> Referring to the song and the moral responsibility of wealthy Western nations, he says in ''I, Me, Mine'': "If everyone would wake-up and do even a little, there could be no misery in the world."<ref name="IMM p 226" />

==Composition==
{{quote box|quote= Let's face it, the whole problem and how to solve it lies within the power of the governments and world leaders. They have resources, food, money and wealth enough for twice our world's population, yet they choose to squander it on weapons and other objects that destroy mankind. It seems to me to be a poor state of affairs when "pop stars" are required to set an example ...<ref name="IMM p 226" />|source= – George Harrison, 1979|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Author Robert Rodriguez describes "The Day the World Gets 'Round" as both "an expression of gratitude to all the good hearts that had contributed to the success [of the Bangladesh benefits]", and a "stinging indictment" of governments who had the power to help but instead "turned their backs when it suited their ends to do so".<ref name="Rodriguez p 154">Rodriguez, p. 154.</ref> Harrison musical biographer Simon Leng notes also Harrison's dismay at how the [[Counterculture of the 1960s|1960s countercultural revolution]] had failed to influence the motivations of the music business – to the extent that the altruism behind the Concert for Bangladesh "was almost torpedoed by boardroom balance sheets".<ref>Leng, pp. 121, 134–35.</ref>

A slow-paced ballad, the song's opening verse reflects Harrison's optimism and idealism, on the one hand:<ref name="Spizer p 255">Spizer, p. 255.</ref><ref name="Allison p 37" />

{{blockquote|''The day the world gets 'round To understanding where it is Using all it's found To help each other, hand in hand.''}}

His frustration is evident from verse two, where, in what Leng terms a "knee-jerk reaction" to the politics behind the Bangladesh crisis,<ref name=autogenerated4>Leng, p. 137.</ref> Harrison sings of a world "''Losing so much ground / Killing each other, hand in hand''".<ref name="IMM p 225">George Harrison, p. 225.</ref>

In the song's [[middle eight]], Leng suggests, Harrison identifies the absence of humility as the root of humankind's problems, and concludes:<ref name="Leng p 135" />

{{blockquote|''I look for the pure of heart And the ones who have made a start But Lord, there are just a few Who bow before you ...''}}

These lines have led to conflicting interpretations among Harrison biographers regarding a supposedly superior attitude on the singer's part. Ian Inglis writes of "an increasingly familiar elitism in his apparent perception of himself", adding: "When [Harrison] sings of 'the pure of heart' and tells the Lord that 'there are just a few who bow before you,' the implied conclusion is that he counts himself among their number."<ref name="Inglis p 42">Inglis, p. 42.</ref> While acknowledging the ambiguity of this message, Leng writes: "This could be taken as Harrison's statement of his own spiritual superiority, or it might be his metaphor for a rejection of conceit. If ego-driven politicians and self-serving military leaders were able to bow before anything, even a 'concept' like God, the world would be a better place. 'The Day the World Gets 'Round' laments human nature and calls for a little humility."<ref name="Leng p 135" />

{{quote box|quote= As soon as we can all have Planet Earth passports I'll be grateful, because I'm tired of being British or being white, or being a Christian or a Hindu. I don't have a philosophy, I just believe in the sap that runs throughout.<ref>Olivia Harrison, p. 297.</ref>|source= – Harrison's vision for a global community free of national and racial boundaries, UNICEF press conference, 1974|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
[[File:Bob Dylan in Toronto2 crop.jpg|thumb|alt=Bob Dylan at Massey Hall, Toronto, 18 April 1980 Photo by Jean-Luc Ourlin|left|185px|Commentators draw comparisons between "The Day the World Gets 'Round" and the work of [[Bob Dylan]], pictured on stage in 1980, during his [[Bob Dylan#Christian period|born-again Christian period]].]]
[[Dale Allison]], a Christian theologian, views these lyrics as a song-wide message where Harrison "mourns how few are working for a better world and paying homage to God".<ref>Allison, p. 140.</ref> Allison refutes the idea of any elitism or superiority in Harrison's compositions, suggesting: "George nowhere claims to have arrived [at his spiritual goal]; he is rather always a [[pilgrim]], always on the road. In the words of 'The Day the World Gets 'Round,' he is one of those who has 'made a start,' nothing more."<ref>Allison, p. 22.</ref>

The same three biographers comment on the comparisons between Harrison and Dylan that were encouraged by this and other Harrison songs from 1971 to 1973,<ref name="Allison p 37">Allison, p. 37.</ref><ref>Inglis, pp. 42, 44.</ref><ref>Leng, pp. 126, 134–35.</ref> during a period when, author [[Peter Doggett]] writes, the ex-Beatle was "arguably music's most influential figure".<ref>Doggett, p. 175.</ref> Leng views Harrison's call for humility in "The Day the World Gets 'Round" as "identical to the thrust" of Dylan's "[[Masters of War]]",<ref name="Leng p 135" /> a [[protest song]] written about the 1962–63 [[Cold War]] arms race.<ref>Sounes, p. 131.</ref> Inglis suggests that whereas Dylan adopts the more analytical approach of an observer in his politically themed songs, Harrison "appears as a campaigner who is there to convert"; his words duly carry "a suggestion of self-satisfaction", Inglis opines, while also remarking on the "overall pessimism" of "The Day the World Gets 'Round".<ref>Inglis, pp. 42–43.</ref> Allison contrasts the song with "[[Slow Train Coming]]", a lyrically uncompromising Dylan composition reflecting the American singer's late-1970s conversion to [[Born again (Christianity)|born-again Christianity]], and cites "The Day the World Gets 'Round" as an example of how Harrison's worldview instead "entails a happy ending".<ref name="Allison p 37" />{{refn|group=nb|Leng finds more common ground between the two songwriters in the ''Slow Train Coming'' track "[[Gotta Serve Somebody]]", in which Dylan's refrain echoes the message of Harrison's lines "''But Lord, there are just a few / Who bow before you ...''"<ref>Leng, p. 276.</ref>}}
{{Clear}}

==Recording==
Speaking in February 1977,<ref>Badman, p. 203.</ref> Harrison told [[BBC Radio]]'s [[Anne Nightingale]] that the Bangladesh relief project took "two years solid" of his life.<ref name="Clayson pp 315-16" /> Doggett describes 1972 as a year of "recuperation and retreat" for the ex-Beatle, interspersed with meetings "to determine which department of which government was now stalling the funds so desperately needed in the newly independent nation".<ref>Doggett, p. 192.</ref> Harrison received UNICEF's "Child Is the Father of Man" award in New York on 5 June 1972 and then oversaw the delayed British release of the ''Concert for Bangladesh'' film on 27 July,<ref>Badman, pp. 74, 79.</ref> after which he was able to dedicate himself to working on the long-awaited follow-up to his 1970 triple album, ''[[All Things Must Pass]]''.<ref>Greene, p. 194.</ref><ref>Rodriguez, p. 137.</ref>

Sessions for ''[[Living in the Material World]]'' took place at [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]] in central London and at Harrison's [[Friar Park]] studio, [[FPSHOT]],<ref>Leng, p. 124.</ref> beginning in October 1972.<ref name="Spizer p 254">Spizer, p. 254.</ref> Despite his original intention to co-produce with Phil Spector as before, Harrison was sole producer throughout the sessions,<ref>Huntley, p. 88.</ref> with [[Phil McDonald]] again serving as recording engineer.<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> While Harrison succeeded in paring down the album's production after the [[Wall of Sound]] excesses of ''All Things Must Pass'',<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 180.</ref> commentators note that he incorporated aspects of Spector's signature style on this and other songs on ''Material World'', through the use of orchestral strings and brass, a choir and multiple drummers.<ref>Schaffner, pp. 159–60.</ref><ref name="Woffinden p 71">Woffinden, p. 71.</ref>

On the basic track for "The Day the World Gets 'Round", Harrison used the same [[rhythm section]] that had supported him at the Concert for Bangladesh – bassist [[Klaus Voormann]] and drummers [[Ringo Starr]] and [[Jim Keltner]]<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 200.</ref> – along with keyboard players [[Nicky Hopkins]] and [[Gary Wright]].<ref name="Leng p 134">Leng, p. 134.</ref> The latter's contribution, on [[harmonium]], is prominent on the take available unofficially on ''Living in the Alternate World'', a bootleg compilation containing pre-[[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] versions of the officially released songs, but was subsequently superseded by [[John Barham]]'s orchestral arrangements.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 439–41.</ref>

As an example of a more subtle production aesthetic compared with Spector's,<ref name="Clayson p 323">Clayson, p. 323.</ref> Harrison "gave the tunes breathing space, allowing the instruments to sparkle", Rodriguez writes.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 156.</ref> His chiming acoustic-guitar [[Harmonic#Harmonics on stringed instruments|harmonics]] sound out alone during the occasions when the words "''The day the world gets 'round''" are sung.<ref name="Clayson p 323" /> Inglis describes Barham's string arrangement on the recording as "almost identical" to that on [[John Lennon]]'s Beatles composition "[[Across the Universe]]",<ref name="Inglis p 43">Inglis, p. 43.</ref> and other reviewers have similarly likened "The Day the World Gets 'Round" to that song, and to the ''All Things Must Pass'' tracks "[[Isn't It a Pity]]"<ref name="Holden/RS" /> and "[[Beware of Darkness (song)|Beware of Darkness]]".<ref name="Eder/AM" /> Along with Harrison's vocal parts, the [[Overdubbing|overdubs]] for Barham's contributions took place in London during the first two months of 1973.<ref>Badman, p. 89.</ref> Mixing on the album was completed by the start of March, shortly before the ''Concert for Bangladesh'' won the [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Grammy Award]] for best album of 1972.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 440, 501.</ref>

==Material World Charitable Foundation==
{{Main|Material World Charitable Foundation}}
[[File:George Harrison, Gerald Ford, Ravi Shankar.jpg|thumb|upright|Harrison, [[Gerald Ford|President Ford]] and Shankar at the [[White House]] in December 1974]]
On 26 April 1973, Harrison set up the Material World Charitable Foundation,<ref>Badman, p. 98.</ref> to which he donated the publishing royalties from "The Day the World Gets 'Round" and eight other songs on ''Living in the Material World''.<ref>Schaffner, p. 160.</ref><ref name="Tillery p 162">Tillery, p. 162.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The remaining songs on the album, "[[Sue Me, Sue You Blues]]" and "[[Try Some, Buy Some]]", had been given to other artists before Harrison came to record his own versions.<ref>Spizer, pp. 254, 255.</ref> Publishing for these two compositions was already registered with Harrison's company [[Harrisongs]],<ref>George Harrison, p. 386.</ref> which served as administrator for the royalties from the nine songs<ref>Huntley, p. 89.</ref> assigned to the Material World Charitable Foundation.<ref>Booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] (EMI Records, 2006; produced by Dhani Harrison & Olivia Harrison), p. 2.</ref>}} Part of the foundation's mission was to "encourage the exploration of alternative life views and philosophies" and "[support] established charitable organizations with consideration to those with special needs"<ref>Book accompanying ''[[Collaborations (Ravi Shankar and George Harrison album)|Collaborations]]'' box set by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison ([[Dark Horse Records]], 2010; produced by Olivia Harrison), p. 32.</ref> – so allowing Harrison to donate money without encountering the problems that had hampered the Bangladesh aid project.<ref name="Gross/CircusRaves">Michael Gross, "George Harrison: How ''Dark Horse'' Whipped Up a Winning Tour", ''[[Circus (magazine)|Circus Raves]]'', March 1975; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=20410 Rock's Backpages] (''subscription required''; retrieved 5 June 2013).</ref><ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 438.</ref> In his 2009 book ''[[You Never Give Me Your Money (book)|You Never Give Me Your Money]]'', Doggett writes that the foundation "continues to fund worthy causes to this day".<ref name="Doggett p 207">Doggett, p. 207.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In another example of Harrison's humanitarian legacy, the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF, set up in 2005 with the reissue of the ''Concert for Bangladesh'' album and film,<ref>''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (film)#2005 DVD release|The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison and Friends]]'' DVD, [[Apple Corps]], 2005 (directed by Claire Ferguson; produced by Olivia Harrison, Jonathan Clyde & Jo Human).</ref><ref name="GH Fund4UNICEF">[http://www.unicefusa.org/news/news-from-the-field/the-george-harrison-fund-for-u.html "The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF asks 'Help us save some lives': Concert for Bangladesh 40th Anniversary"], [[UNICEF]], 13 October 2011 (retrieved 30 October 2013).</ref> raised over $1.2 million in 2011 for children in [[2011 East Africa drought|famine- and drought-stricken areas]] of the [[Horn of Africa]].<ref>[http://www.theconcertforbangladesh.com/news/post.php?s=2011-12-19-unicefs-month-of-giving-raises-more-than-usd-1-million "UNICEF's Month of Giving raises more than USD $1 million"], concertforbangladesh.com, 19 December 2011 (retrieved 5 June 2013).</ref>}}

The first event sponsored by the Material World Charitable Foundation was [[Ravi Shankar's Music Festival from India]],<ref>[http://www.georgeharrison.com/mwf/main.html "Material World Charitable Foundation" > About] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170522201554/http://georgeharrison.com/mwf/main.html |date=22 May 2017 }}, georgeharrison.com (retrieved 2 June 2013).</ref> in September–October 1974,<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 442.</ref> following which Harrison and Shankar toured North America together.<ref>Schaffner, p. 176.</ref> During their stopover in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, DC]], Harrison used his audience with [[Gerald Ford|US president Gerald Ford]] to ask for presidential intercession into the ongoing [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] audit that was still holding the Bangladesh fund's US proceeds in [[escrow]].<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 193, 196.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The British Government, whose [[HM Treasury|Treasury]] representative had insisted in 1971 that Britain needed the tax revenue as much as Bangladesh,<ref name="Badman p 50" /><ref name="Doggett p 181" /> received a personal cheque from Harrison for £1 million in July 1973.<ref>Tillery, pp. 100, 162.</ref> With this payment, the issue of UK tax liability was "considered closed", according to Rodriguez.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 51.</ref>}}

==Release==
Apple Records released ''Living in the Material World'' in late May 1973,<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 125.</ref> with "The Day the World Gets 'Round" appearing as the penultimate track.<ref>Spizer, p. 253.</ref> Reflecting the album content,<ref>Woffinden, pp. 69–70.</ref><ref>Tillery, pp. 111–12.</ref> [[Tom Wilkes]]'s design for the [[LP record|LP]]'s face labels contrasted a devout spiritual existence with life in the material world, by featuring a painting of the [[Hinduism|Hindu]] god [[Krishna]] and his warrior prince [[Arjuna]] on side one, and a picture of a [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] [[stretch limousine]] on the reverse.<ref>Spizer, pp. 256, 258.</ref> The latter image was a detail taken from [[Ken Marcus]]'s inner gatefold photograph, which depicted Harrison and his fellow musicians at a [[Last Supper]]-style banquet.<ref name="Woffinden pp 70-71" /><ref name="Spizer p 256">Spizer, p. 256.</ref> The album was a commercial success,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439">Madinger & Easter, p. 439.</ref> topping America's [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart for five weeks,<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 364.</ref> thus ensuring the Material World Charitable Foundation a considerable injection of funds.<ref>Ingham, pp. 127–28.</ref><ref>Olivia Harrison, p. 302.</ref>

The release reflected Harrison's continued belief in the power of music to instigate change in the world,<ref>Schaffner, p. 159.</ref> an ideal that distinguished ''Material World'' as the last of "rock's grand statements", Leng suggests, and "the final fading of the 1960s dream into middle-age contentment and fiscal luxury".<ref>Leng, p. 141.</ref> Author and former ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' editor [[Mat Snow]] writes of the timing of the album's US release: "he caught a public mood that craved an echo of 1960s idealism as America was gripped by the cynicism revealed in the [[Watergate hearings]]."<ref name="Snow p 39">Snow, p. 39.</ref>

==Reception==
In a highly favourable review in ''Rolling Stone'' magazine,<ref>Huntley, pp. 95, 112.</ref> [[Stephen Holden]] described ''Living in the Material World'' as "inspirationally, opulently, romantic" and referred to "The Day the World Gets 'Round" as a "devotional prayer" that, combined with the album-closing "[[That Is All (song)|That Is All]]", left the listener "suspended in ethereality".<ref name="Holden/RS">Stephen Holden, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 "George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030517/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 |date=3 October 2017 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 July 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 30 May 2014).</ref> Decades later, Bruce Eder of [[AllMusic]] was likewise impressed, writing that Harrison's singing "soars magnificently in his heartfelt performance".<ref name="Eder/AM">Bruce Eder, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/living-in-the-material-world-bonus-tracks-dvd-mw0000573364 "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 30 May 2014).</ref>

While Holden admired Harrison's lyrics for imparting "an extraordinary sincerity that transcends questions of craftsmanship",<ref name="Holden/RS" /> other reviewers bristled at the apparent preachiness in songs such as "The Day the World Gets 'Round".<ref name="Woffinden pp 70-71">Woffinden, pp. 70–71.</ref><ref>Clayson, p. 324.</ref> Peter Doggett has commented on the impression left among music critics: "the prevailing tone of the record was moral disapproval, never an attractive quality in a popular singer."<ref name="Doggett p 207" />

In his 1996 biography on the ex-Beatle, [[Alan Clayson]] praised Harrison's vocal performance on a song that, although "naive", "smouldered from the angered question of why a mere pop star rather than a governing body was obliged to pinpoint iniquities", Clayson adding that "never had his pipes been so adept" as on ''Material World''.<ref>Clayson, pp. 317, 324.</ref> To [[Greg Kot]], writing in ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s posthumous tribute to Harrison, "The Day the World Gets 'Round" and the ballad "[[Who Can See It]]" "aspire to a hymnlike calm but never rise to the transcendent heights of [''All Things Must Pass'']".<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 188.</ref> Writing for [[Blogcritics]], Seattle-based music critic<ref>[http://www.themortonreport.com/writer/chaz-lipp/ "Chaz Lipp"], ''[[The Morton Report]]'' (retrieved 6 October 2014).</ref> Chaz Lipp views the production on ''Material World'' as "meticulous" and superior to its predecessor, such that "[t]he delicate melodies of songs like 'The Day the World Gets 'Round' and '[[Be Here Now (George Harrison song)|Be Here Now]]' are never lost in bombast."<ref>Chaz Lipp, [http://blogcritics.org/music-review-george-harrison-apple-albums-remastered/ "Music Review: George Harrison's Apple Albums Remastered"], [[Blogcritics]], 5 October 2014 (retrieved 6 October 2014).</ref> In his review of the [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|2006-remastered]] album, for ''Mojo'' magazine, Mat Snow wrote of "this long overdue reissue" being "worth it alone for four wonderful songs", one of which was "The Day the World Gets 'Round".<ref>Mat Snow, "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2006, p. 124.</ref> More recently, Snow has praised the song for its "deep and delicious emotion" and comments that through the idealism Harrison expressed on ''Living in the Material World'', he was "without qualification, perhaps more loved and respected as a human being".<ref name="Snow p 39" />

In Simon Leng's opinion, the track is "a classic 1960s protest song" – Harrison's reaction to the failure of that decade's [[Counterculture of the 1960s|social revolution]] to create any meaningful change.<ref name="Leng p 134" /> While comparing the song to Dylan's "epoch-making 'Masters of War'", Leng notes that the "political essence" of "The Day the World Gets 'Round" is often overlooked due to the lyrics' "framework of spiritual redemption".<ref name="Leng p 135" /> Dale Allison similarly labels it "a passionate protest song of deep disillusionment", reflecting "the broken utopian dreams of the 1960s".<ref>Allison, pp. 70, 140.</ref> Allison groups "The Day the World Gets 'Round" with "[[Bangla Desh (song)|Bangla Desh]]" and "[[Far East Man]]" as obvious examples of Harrison's "humanitarian impulse, his concern for the world and its people".<ref>Allison, pp. 69–70.</ref>

Elliot Huntley views the song as a "strong candidate" for the album's best track, thanks to its "stunning structure and melody twists".<ref name="Huntley p 94">Huntley, p. 94.</ref> Barham's orchestration complements the message "perfectly", according to Huntley, who praises also the middle eight, where Harrison "lets rip with his vocals".<ref name="Huntley p 94" /> Less impressed with the composition, Ian Inglis acknowledges the importance of Barham's contribution – the ascending string arrangement being "the most startling facet" of the song musically.<ref name="Inglis p 43" /> Robert Rodriguez describes the track as an "earnest counterpart" to Lennon's song "[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]".<ref name="Rodriguez p 154" />

==Yusuf & Klaus's version==
[[File:Yusuf & Klaus "The Day the World Gets 'Round" picture sleeve.jpg|thumb|left|160px|Artwork for 2009 single by Yusuf & Klaus]]
An avowed fan of the ''Material World'' album,<ref name=autogenerated4 /> and a vocal supporter of Harrison's humanitarian legacy,<ref name="Sullivan">James Sullivan, [https://web.archive.org/web/20130620075346/http://www.spinner.com/2011/08/01/george-harrison-concert-for-bangladesh/ "George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh Featured Drug Trouble for Eric Clapton, Stage Fright for Bob Dylan"], ''[[Spinner (website)|Spinner]]'', 1 August 2011 (archived version retrieved 12 October 2013).</ref><ref>Klaus Voormann interview, in ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'' DVD, [[Roadshow Entertainment]], 2011 (directed by Martin Scorsese; produced by Olivia Harrison, Nigel Sinclair & Martin Scorsese).</ref> Klaus Voormann had established himself as an in-demand session musician during the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s before recording his first solo album in 2008.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 84, 86.</ref><ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/artist/klaus-voormann-mn0000102465 "Artist: Klaus Voormann"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 2 June 2013).</ref> Titled ''[[A Sideman's Journey]]'', it included cover versions of Harrison's "The Day the World Gets 'Round" and "[[All Things Must Pass (song)|All Things Must Pass]]",<ref>[https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-sidemans-journey-mw0001769250 "Klaus Voormann ''A Sideman's Journey''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 2 June 2013).</ref> both recorded in London with singer [[Yusuf Islam]] and credited to Yusuf & Klaus.<ref name="Rodriguez p 154" /> Islam said that he came across the song while looking through albums by Harrison, whom he described as being "more responsible than any other artist for initiating Pop music's movement to aid people and countries stricken by wars and calamities".<ref name="Mellis/Consequence" /> Besides Voormann and Islam, the musicians on the recording include Luke Potashnick and Cassiano De Sa (guitars), Nikolaj Torp (keyboards) and Kristoffer Soone (drums).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130929040223/http://www.yusufislam.com/news/2009/klaus-joins-yusuf-on-songs-fo/ "News: Klaus joins Yusuf on songs for charity"], yusufislam.com, 13 January 2009 (archived version retrieved 2 June 2013).</ref>

{{quote box|quote= It's a beautiful plea for peace and understanding ... The song speaks of the split nature of this world: comparing the love and joy of sharing what we all have on this earth, with the "foolishness in man" and his quest for more, thus causing war and loss in the process.<ref name="Mellis/Consequence" />|source= – [[Yusuf Islam]], 2009|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
In January 2009, Voormann issued "The Day the World Gets 'Round" as an [[Lead single|advance single]] from the album.<ref name="Rodriguez p 154" /> Proceeds from the single were donated to the [[United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East|United Nations Relief and Works Agency]] (UNRWA) and [[Save the Children]],<ref name="YUSUF" /><ref>[https://www.nme.com/news/george-harrison/42283 "Cat Stevens teams up with Beatles man for George Harrison tribute"], [[NME.com]], 24 January 2009 (retrieved 26 October 2013).</ref> to alleviate the suffering in war-torn [[Gaza City|Gaza]].<ref name="Mellis/Consequence">Matt Melis, [http://consequenceofsound.net/2009/01/new-yusuf-islam-single-aids-gaza-families-covers-george-harrison/ "New Yusuf Islam single aids Gaza families, covers George Harrison"], ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'', 31 January 2009 (retrieved 14 August 2014).</ref> To serve as artwork for the release, Voormann incorporated part of his [[Grammy Award for Best Recording Package|Grammy Award-winning design]] for the Beatles' ''[[Revolver (Beatles album)|Revolver]]'' album (1966), combining the image of Harrison from that album cover with a similar-styled drawing of Islam and a 1966-era photo of himself.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 85, 154.</ref>

In a press release to announce the single, Yusuf Islam wrote of "The Day the World Gets 'Round": "This song represents for me the great spirit of George Harrison. I hope this song will help remind people of the immense legacy of love, peace and happiness we can share when we get round to looking at mankind's futile wars and prejudices, and start to change our foolish ways."<ref name="YUSUF">[http://www.yusufislam.com/news/2009/single-ready-for-release/ News: "Single ready for release"], yusufislam.com, 23 January 2009 (retrieved 2 June 2013).</ref>

==Personnel==
The following musicians played on Harrison's recording of the song:

*[[George Harrison]] – lead vocals, twelve-string acoustic guitar, backing vocals
*[[Nicky Hopkins]] – piano
*[[Klaus Voormann]] – bass guitar
*[[Ringo Starr]] – drums
*[[Jim Keltner]] – drums
*[[John Barham]] – string arrangements, brass arrangements, choral arrangement

==Notes==
{{reflist|2|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* Peter Doggett, ''You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup'', It Books (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-06-177418-8}}).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* Joshua M. Greene, ''Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison'', John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-470-12780-3}}).
* George Harrison, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I Me Mine]]'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; {{ISBN|0-8118-3793-9}}).
* Olivia Harrison, ''George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', Abrams (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-1-4197-0220-4}}).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|1-55071-197-0}}).
* Chris Ingham, ''The Rough Guide to the Beatles'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2006; 2nd edn; {{ISBN|978-1-84836-525-4}}).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* Mat Snow, ''The Beatles Solo: The Illustrated Chronicles of John, Paul, George, and Ringo After The Beatles'' (Volume 3: ''George''), Race Point Publishing (New York, NY, 2013; {{ISBN|978-1-937994-26-6}}).
* Howard Sounes, ''Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan'', Doubleday (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-385-60125-5}}).
* [[Bruce Spizer]], ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* Gary Tillery, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0900-5}}).
* Bob Woffinden, ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; {{ISBN|0-906071-89-5}}).
{{refend}}

{{Living in the Material World}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Day The World Gets 'Round}}
[[Category:1973 songs]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]
[[Category:Anti-war songs]]
[[Category:Albums with cover art by Klaus Voormann]]

Sue Me, Sue You Blues

2025-05-09T23:34:36Z

187.53.75.51: Added a recording date, per https://livinginthematerial.world/timeline/

{{Short description|1972 single by George Harrison}}
{{good article}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Sue Me, Sue You Blues
| cover =
| alt =
| type = song
| artist = [[George Harrison]]
| album = [[Living in the Material World]]
| written =
| published = 1972 ([[Harrisongs]])
| released = 30 May 1973
| recorded = 3 October 1972
| studio =
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[blues]]
| length = 4:48
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| producer = George Harrison
}}
"'''Sue Me, Sue You Blues'''" is a song written by English musician [[George Harrison]], released on his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. Harrison initially let American guitarist [[Jesse Ed Davis]] record it for the latter's ''Ululu'' album (1972), in gratitude to Davis for his participation in [[the Concert for Bangladesh]]. When writing the song, Harrison drew inspiration from the legal issues surrounding [[the Beatles]] during the early months of 1971, particularly the lawsuit that [[Paul McCartney]] initiated in an effort to dissolve the band's business partnership, [[Apple Corps]].

The inclusion of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" on ''Material World'' marked a rare example of a secular composition on Harrison's most spiritually oriented album. Recorded at the Beatles' [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]] in London, the track features his extensive use of the [[Dobro]]-style [[resonator guitar]], as well as musical contributions from [[Gary Wright]], [[Nicky Hopkins]], [[Klaus Voormann]] and [[Jim Keltner]]. The song's musical mood and lyric recall aspects of old English [[square dance]], a quality that some writers identify as mirroring the changing of sides amid the lawsuits relating to [[Break-up of the Beatles|the Beatles' break-up]]. Some critics have compared the track with [[John Lennon]]'s "[[How Do You Sleep? (John Lennon song)|How Do You Sleep?]]"; [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine described it as a "clever Lennonist diatribe".<ref name="Holden/RS" />

Harrison performed "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" throughout his [[George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour|1974 North American tour]], utilising a [[funk]]-inspired arrangement that featured musicians [[Willie Weeks]], [[Andy Newmark]] and [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]]. For these performances, Harrison modified the lyrics to reflect the former Beatles uniting against manager [[Allen Klein]]. The song's title was a phrase that Harrison and commentators adopted when referring to Beatles-related legal issues during the 1970s. A film clip containing Harrison's 1971 demo of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" appeared on the DVD accompanying the [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|2006 remaster]] of ''Living in the Material World''.

==Background and composition==
[[File:Royal courts of justice.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.1|London's [[Royal Courts of Justice]], where Paul McCartney sued his former bandmates in order to dissolve the Beatles' partnership]]
As third songwriter to [[Lennon–McCartney|Lennon and McCartney]],<ref>Tillery, p. 87.</ref> [[George Harrison]] had written about his experiences regarding the disharmonious atmosphere within [[the Beatles]] during the late 1960s,<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 40, 180.</ref> in compositions such as "[[Not Guilty (song)|Not Guilty]]",<ref>Clayson, p. 253.</ref> "[[I Me Mine]]",<ref>Greene, p. 115.</ref> "[[Wah-Wah (song)|Wah-Wah]]"<ref>Leng, pp. 85–86.</ref> and "[[Run of the Mill (George Harrison song)|Run of the Mill]]".<ref>Allison, p. 153.</ref> The latter two songs, which reflect on the failing friendships among the Beatles,<ref>Inglis, pp. 25, 27.</ref> appeared on Harrison's critically acclaimed triple album ''[[All Things Must Pass]]'', released in November 1970,<ref>Schaffner, pp. 142, 209.</ref> seven months after [[Paul McCartney]]'s departure had initiated the band's [[Break-up of the Beatles|break-up]].<ref>Tillery, pp. 85, 90, 161.</ref> On 31 December of that year, McCartney filed suit against [[Apple Corps]] and his former bandmates at London's [[High Court of Justice]],<ref>Doggett, pp. 153–54.</ref> in an effort to free himself from the legal obligations imposed on him by the Beatles' partnership,<ref>Schaffner, p. 136.</ref> and particularly from manager [[Allen Klein]].<ref>Sounes, pp. 275–76.</ref><ref name="Woffinden p 43">Woffinden, p. 43.</ref> Author Robert Rodriguez describes the situation as an "unfathomably sour turn of events" that "mystified" the public and angered fans of the Beatles.<ref name="Rodriguez p 6">Rodriguez, p. 6.</ref>

{{quote box|quote= Around that time we had millions of suits flying here, flying there, George wrote the "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" about it. I'd kicked it all off originally, having to sue the other three Beatles in the High Court, and that opened Pandora's box. After that everybody just seemed to be suing everybody.<ref>Paul Gambaccini, "The ''Rolling Stone'' Interview: Paul McCartney", ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 31 January 1974; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-irolling-stonei-interview-paul-mccartney Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref>|source= – Paul McCartney to ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 1973|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Beginning on 19 February 1971, the court heard reports from Harrison, [[John Lennon]] and [[Ringo Starr]] of McCartney's attempts to control the band,<ref>Badman, pp. 27–28, 30.</ref> and McCartney's equally unflattering assessment of Klein.<ref>Doggett, pp. 155–56, 157–58.</ref> Although the other three former Beatles had presented a united front against McCartney since his April 1970 departure from the band,<ref>Hertsgaard, p. 309.</ref> the recent publication of Lennon's scathing comments to ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' editor [[Jann Wenner]], about McCartney, Harrison and Starr, added to the ill-feeling surrounding the group.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 3, 6, 24, 28.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Inspired by his months of [[Primal Therapy]] treatment, Lennon also targeted [[Bob Dylan]], [[Mick Jagger]],<ref>Jann S. Wenner, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lennon-remembers-part-one-19710121 "Lennon Remembers, Part One"], ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 21 January 1971 (retrieved 6 June 2013).</ref> Beatles aides [[Derek Taylor]] and [[Neil Aspinall]], and the band's record producer, [[George Martin]].<ref>Doggett, pp. 150–51.</ref> The interview with Wenner initiated a year-long war of words between Lennon and McCartney,<ref>Woffinden, p. 68.</ref> carried out partly in the letters pages of ''[[Melody Maker]]''<ref>"John and Paul's poison pens", ''[[NME Originals]]: Lennon'', October 2003, pp. 3, 90–92.</ref> and musically in their solo recordings, particularly in Lennon's 1971 song "[[How Do You Sleep? (John Lennon song)|How Do You Sleep?]]"<ref>Schaffner, pp. 144–46, 148.</ref>}}

On 12 March, High Court judge [[Blanshard Stamp|Mr Justice Stamp]] ruled in McCartney's favour,<ref>Sounes, p. 279.</ref> appointing London accountant James Spooner as Apple Corps' official [[Receivership|receiver]].<ref>Doggett, pp. 162–63.</ref> While Lennon reportedly unleashed his anger that day by throwing two bricks through the windows of McCartney's [[St John's Wood]] home,<ref>Badman, p. 32.</ref> Harrison channelled his frustration into a new composition, "Sue Me, Sue You Blues".<ref name="Leng pp 126-27">Leng, pp. 126–27.</ref><ref name="Doggett p 157">Doggett, p. 157.</ref> Harrison biographer Simon Leng suggests that the song "takes a nearly impersonal overview of the Beatles' self-inflicted legal wounds".<ref name="Leng p 127">Leng, p. 127.</ref> In his 1980 autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', Harrison describes the opening verse as being "vaguely based on the [[Square dance]] type of fiddle lyric":<ref name="IMM p 234" />
{{Clear}}

{{blockquote|''Well, you serve me and I'll serve you Swing your partners, all get screwed Bring your lawyer and I'll bring mine Get together, and we could have a bad time''}}

In Leng's opinion, the song's lyrics "revel in the certainty that lawyers are an easy target for general scorn and a quick way of securing a common denominator".<ref name="Leng p 127" /> During the second verse, the line "''It's affidavit swearing time''" reflects real-life events – whereby Harrison, Lennon and Starr all submitted their statements to the court via [[affidavit]]<ref name="Badman pp 27-28">Badman, pp. 27–28.</ref> – before Harrison concludes: "''Now all that's left is to find yourself a new band.''"<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> In the third verse, Harrison predicts the eventual outcome of the lawsuit:<ref name="Inglis p 39" />

{{blockquote|''Hold the block on money flow Move it into joint [[escrow]] Court receiver, laughs and thrills But in the end we just pay those lawyers their bills''}}

[[File:Steel guitar-KayEss.1.jpeg|right|thumb|upright=.72|A [[resonator guitar]], similar to the instrument played by Harrison on the recording]]
Author Ian Inglis identifies Harrison's use of the plural form "''we''" in the lyric as evidence of his hope for "a shared and sensible outcome" for the former Beatles, since the situation "disadvantages them all".<ref name="Inglis p 39" />{{refn|group=nb|After Apple went into receivership, McCartney's advisers endorsed the same cautious approach regarding potential tax liability that Klein had adopted, and the partnership could not be dismantled immediately, as McCartney had believed.<ref>Doggett, pp. 166–67, 183–84.</ref> Reflecting on the expense of years of ongoing negotiation and litigation, McCartney told ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' magazine in 1996: "We put every lawyer's kid through school."<ref>Doggett, p. 114.</ref>}} While Harrison biographer [[Dale Allison]] interprets a degree of animosity towards the other Beatles in the song's lyrics,<ref>Allison, p. 112.</ref> Leng argues that they are directed solely at the legal profession.<ref name="Leng p 127" /> Inglis similarly dismisses the idea that Harrison was targeting his former bandmates; instead, the song expresses "frustration rather than hostility" and addresses the "absurdity" of the situation.<ref name="Inglis p 39">Inglis, p. 39.</ref> Inglis writes of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues": "It makes clear that amid the legal arguments, financial requirements, and technical language ... there are four former friends who are powerless to control events."<ref name="Inglis p 39" />

Regarding the song's square-dance theme, Leng suggests that folk dancing's cycle of about-turns and to-and-fro movement reminded Harrison of the Beatles' "seemingly endless, and pointless, legal orbits around one another".<ref name="Leng p 127" /> The song's lyrics are set against a [[blues]]-based [[slide guitar|bottleneck]] riff,<ref name="Woffinden p 70">Woffinden, p. 70.</ref> typical of Harrison's work at the time with the [[dobro]].<ref>Leng, p. 108.</ref> Played in his favoured [[open E tuning]],<ref name="Spizer p 254">Spizer, p. 254.</ref> "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" was one of a number of bottleneck-inspired Harrison compositions from the early 1970s.<ref name="IMM p 234">Harrison, p. 234.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Others examples include "[[Woman Don't You Cry for Me]]", "[[Māya Love]]" and "[[Hari's on Tour (Express)]]".<ref>Clayson, pp. 280, 336.</ref>}}

The song title soon became part of regular Harrison parlance, as evidenced by his appearance on ''[[The Dick Cavett Show]]'' in November 1971,<ref>Rodriguez, p. 321.</ref> when he used the phrase to goad [[Capitol Records]] boss [[Bhaskar Menon]] over delaying the release of the ''[[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|Concert for Bangladesh]]'' live album.<ref name="Badman p 55">Badman, p. 55.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|"We're going to play the sue me, sue you blues," Harrison said, threatening to offer the album's US distribution to a rival record company.<ref name="Badman p 55" /> Seated beside a nervous [[Dick Cavett]], Harrison then raised a fist<ref name="Badman p 55" /> and added: "Sue me, Bhaskar!"<ref>Tillery, p. 100.</ref>}} Commentators similarly adopted "sue me, sue you blues" as a description for the litigation surrounding Harrison and his fellow ex-Beatles throughout the 1970s.<ref>Schaffner, p. 191.</ref><ref>Woffinden, p. 44.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Legal issues also served as Harrison's inspiration for his 1976 composition "[[This Song]]",<ref>Harrison, p. 340.</ref> a send-up of the [[copyright infringement]] suit launched by music publisher Bright Tunes regarding his 1970–71 hit song "[[My Sweet Lord]]".<ref>Leng, p. 193.</ref>}}

==Pre-''Living in the Material World'' recording history==

===Harrison's solo demo===
Harrison recorded a brief [[Demo (music)|demo]] of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues", in the [[Delta blues]] style,<ref name="Allison p 156">Allison, p. 156.</ref> which became available in the 1990s on [[Bootleg recordings|bootleg]] compilations such as ''Pirate Songs''.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439" /> Leng describes this 1971 recording as "astonishing" and a "must" for inclusion on any forthcoming George Harrison anthology, with Harrison sounding like "a lost bluesman, bootlegged in Chicago".<ref name="Leng p 127" />

The demo was officially issued in September 2006, on the DVD included in the [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|deluxe edition]] of Harrison's remastered 1973 solo album, ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. The song is set to archival footage,<ref name="MWreissue">[http://georgeharrison.com/living-in-the-material-world-re-issue/ "Living in the Material World Re-Issue"], georgeharrison.com, 22 June 2006 (retrieved 4 October 2014).</ref> showing images of Harrison's [[National String Instrument Corporation|National resonator guitar]],<ref name="Perry/VintageRock">Shawn Perry, [http://www.vintagerock.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=297:cd-review-george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world&catid=80:reissues-compilations-and-live-releases&Itemid=58 "George Harrison, Living In The Material World – CD Review"], vintagerock.com, October 2006 (retrieved 29 November 2014).</ref> over which his handwritten lyrics are superimposed.<ref name="Lundy/PM" /> In the opinion of ''Music Box'' editor John Metzger, this version of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" "stings more than its studio counterpart".<ref name="John Metzger/MB" /> Although the 2006 reissue lists it as an "acoustic demo version",<ref>Booklet accompanying ''[[Living in the Material World#Reissues|Living in the Material World]]'' reissue ([[EMI|EMI Records]], 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), p. 2.</ref> Harrison played electric slide guitar on the recording.<ref name="Leng p 127" /><ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439" /> The same film clip appears on the DVD exclusive to the ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75|Apple Years 1968–75]]'' Harrison box set,<ref name="Marchese/SecondDisc">Joe Marchese, [http://theseconddisc.com/2014/09/02/give-me-love-george-harrisons-apple-years-are-collected-on-new-box-set/ "Give Me Love: George Harrison's 'Apple Years' Are Collected On New Box Set"], The Second Disc, 2 September 2014 (retrieved 4 October 2014).</ref> released in September 2014.<ref name="Grow/RSonline">Kory Grow, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/george-harrisons-first-six-studio-albums-to-get-lavish-reissues-20140902 "George Harrison's First Six Studio Albums to Get Lavish Reissues"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171023120321/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/george-harrisons-first-six-studio-albums-to-get-lavish-reissues-20140902 |date=23 October 2017 }}, [[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]], 2 September 2014 (retrieved 4 October 2014).</ref>

===Jesse Ed Davis's version===
{{Infobox song
| name = Sue Me, Sue You Blues
| cover = JesseEdDavis Sue Me single.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [[Jesse Ed Davis]]
| album = Ululu
| B-side = My Captain
| released = 25 January 1972
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]], [[blues]]
| length = 2:45
| label = [[Atco Records|Atco]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| producer = [[Jesse Ed Davis]], [[Albhy Galuten]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
Harrison met [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]]-born guitarist [[Jesse Ed Davis]] through mutual friends, singer-songwriter [[Leon Russell]] and drummer [[Jim Keltner]],<ref>Rodriguez, p. 81.</ref> both of whom took part in the hastily arranged session for Harrison's "[[Bangla Desh (song)|Bangla Desh]]" charity single in July 1971.<ref>Leng, p. 112.</ref> Russell also assisted Harrison in recruiting personnel for the associated [[The Concert for Bangladesh|benefit concerts]], held at [[Madison Square Garden]] in New York,<ref name="Spizer pp 240-41">Spizer, pp. 240–41.</ref> and suggested Davis as a replacement for [[Eric Clapton]], who was then dealing with a severe [[heroin addiction]].<ref>Leng, p. 116.</ref><ref>Clayson, p. 311.</ref> Both Davis and Clapton ended up playing at the two shows, on 1 August.<ref name="Spizer pp 240-41" /> In gratitude to Davis, Harrison offered him "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" for inclusion on his second solo album, ''Ululu''.<ref name="Rodriguez p 82">Rodriguez, p. 82.</ref>

A former guitarist with blues singer [[Taj Mahal (musician)|Taj Mahal]], Davis arranged the song as a [[Southern rock|Southern blues]] shuffle,<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 81–82.</ref> creating a "beautiful version" in the words of music critic Thom Jurek.<ref name=ululu2>Thom Jurek, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/jesse-davisululu-r716266/review "Jesse Ed Davis ''Jesse Davis''/''Ululu''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 6 October 2014).</ref> As on the 1971 demo, which Harrison had passed on to Davis, this version of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" omits the song's third verse<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439">Madinger & Easter, p. 439.</ref> and, at just 2 minutes 45 seconds, it is significantly shorter than Harrison's better-known 1973 recording.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 112.</ref> Other musicians on Davis's version include Keltner, [[Dr. John]] and [[Billy Rich]].<ref name="C&P p 207">Castleman & Podrazik, p. 207.</ref> Like Keltner, Davis went on to work with all the former Beatles except McCartney during the 1970s,<ref name="Rodriguez p 82" /> remaining close to Harrison<ref name="Rosen/LAFP" /> and playing regularly with Lennon over the 1973–75 period.<ref>Ashley Kahn, "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', July 2001, pp. 82, 84.</ref>

''Ululu'' was released in March 1972, before which [[Atco Records]] had issued "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" as the album's advance single on 25 January.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 111–12.</ref> Davis co-produced the recording with [[Grammy Award]]-winning producer [[Albhy Galuten]].<ref name="C&P p 207" /> In an interview with ''[[Los Angeles Free Press]]'' the following year, Davis expressed disappointment with his two albums on the Atco label and named "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" as one of the few songs he liked.<ref name="Rosen/LAFP">Steven Rosen, "Rock and Roll's First Indian Superstar: Jesse 'Ed' Davis", ''[[Los Angeles Free Press]]'', June 1973; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/rock-and-rolls-first-indian-superstar-jesse-ed-davis Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref>

==''Living in the Material World'' recording==
Harrison returned to the song in December 1972, during a break in the sessions for his ''Living in the Material World'' album,<ref>Badman, pp. 83, 84.</ref> the start of which had been delayed by the various business and tax problems connected with his Concert for Bangladesh aid project.<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 194.</ref><ref>Rodriguez, pp. 51–52.</ref> By this time, Harrison, Lennon and Starr had grown disaffected with manager Allen Klein and had chosen not to renew his contract.<ref>Doggett, pp. 192–93.</ref><ref name="Clayson pp 332-33" />{{refn|group=nb|In the words of Beatles biographer Peter Doggett, Harrison was "alarmed by the morass into which the Bangladesh project had fallen".<ref>Doggett, p. 192.</ref> Klein had failed to establish Harrison's 1971 charity concerts as [[UNICEF]] fundraisers up front, resulting in unforeseen tax liability on the live album and [[The Concert for Bangladesh (film)|concert film]], and an [[Inland Revenue|IRS]] audit of Apple's accounts.<ref name="Woffinden pp 51-52">Woffinden, pp. 51–52.</ref><ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 193–94.</ref> In addition, press reports during 1972 claimed that Klein's [[ABKCO]] organisation had taken excessive commissions from the proceeds.<ref name="Clayson pp 332-33">Clayson, pp. 332–33.</ref><ref>Schaffner, p. 148.</ref>}} Once album sessions resumed in January 1973, Harrison taped the basic track for "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" at the Beatles' [[Apple Corps#Apple Studio|Apple Studio]], in central London.<ref>Badman, pp. 84, 89.</ref>

[[File:Apple Studios.png|thumb|left|220px|[[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]], where Harrison recorded "Sue Me, Sue You Blues"]]
Harrison was backed on the recording by Keltner on drums, keyboard players [[Gary Wright]] and [[Nicky Hopkins]], and bassist [[Klaus Voormann]].<ref name="Spizer p 254" />{{refn|group=nb|Voormann was a regular contributor to solo projects by Harrison, Lennon and Starr during much of the 1970s.<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 83–84.</ref>}} These musicians provided the core line-up throughout the ''Material World'' sessions,<ref name="Leng p 125">Leng, p. 125.</ref> in a deliberate move by Harrison to work with a small band and pare down the production after the excesses of ''All Things Must Pass''.<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 180.</ref><ref name="Huntley p 90" />

The recording begins with the song's single-chord riff, created by a combination of Hopkins' low piano notes and Harrison's dobro, before the rhythm shifts to what author [[Alan Clayson]] calls "downbeat [[hootenanny]]" over the verses.<ref>Clayson, p. 323.</ref> Leng identifies the rhythm as approximating the [[do-si-do]] dance step found in square dancing.<ref name="Leng p 127" /> Harrison takes the first solo, midway through the track, playing a second, [[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] dobro, while Wright's [[Wurlitzer electric piano]] leads the instrumental passage that closes the song.<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> Contrasting with his more substantial presence on ''All Things Must Pass'', "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" marks a rare instance where Wright's keyboard work, rather than just Hopkins', features prominently on ''Living in the Material World''.<ref>Leng, pp. 82, 91, 125.</ref>

Harrison completed the song's vocals by late February, soon after his 30th birthday.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440" /> He then travelled to Los Angeles for a series of Beatles-related business meetings held at the offices of Apple's US distributor, Capitol Records, primarily to discuss the upcoming Beatles compilations ''[[1962–1966]]'' and ''[[1967–1970]]''.<ref>Badman, pp. 90–91.</ref> While these two double albums were intended to foil bootleggers,<ref>Rodriguez, pp. 117–19.</ref> Doggett notes that the profits financed the Beatles' litigation against Klein until well into 1974.<ref name="Doggett pp 211, 215">Doggett, pp. 211, 215.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Among the numerous suits he brought against his former clients during 1973–74, Klein attempted to gain control of the US arm of Harrison's music publishing company, [[Harrisongs]].<ref name="Doggett pp 211, 215" /> "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" was one of only two songs on ''Material World'' assigned directly to Harrisongs,<ref>Schaffner, p. 160.</ref> the majority of the album's compositions having been registered with Harrison's recently formed [[Material World Charitable Foundation]].<ref>Huntley, pp. 89–90.</ref>}}

==Release==
"Sue Me, Sue You Blues" was issued at the end of May 1973 as the second track on ''Living in the Material World'',<ref>Badman, p. 102.</ref> following the album's [[lead single]], "[[Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)]]".<ref>Spizer, p. 253.</ref> According to authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, Harrison considered an alternative running order, whereby "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" was track 1 and "Give Me Love" opened side two of the album.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440">Madinger & Easter, p. 440.</ref> In the UK [[Cassette tape|cassette]] format, "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" was the opening track, followed by "[[The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)]]".<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-Living-In-The-Material-World/release/4272699 "George Harrison – Living in the Material World (Cassette, Album)"], [[Discogs]] (retrieved 16 December 2013).</ref>

The song's inclusion marked the only secular composition on ''Material World''.<ref>Woffinden, pp. 70–71.</ref> It also served as a rare foray into [[Rock music|rock]] amid the album's abundance of spiritually themed ballads<ref name="Lundy/PM">Zeth Lundy, [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world/ "George Harrison: Living in the Material World"], [[PopMatters]], 8 November 2006 (retrieved 4 October 2014).</ref><ref name="Schaffner p 159">Schaffner, p. 159.</ref> and occasional acoustic-based [[Pop music|pop]] such as "Give Me Love" and "[[Don't Let Me Wait Too Long]]".<ref>Leng, pp. 126, 128.</ref> Reflecting the album content,<ref>Woffinden, pp. 69–70.</ref><ref>Tillery, pp. 111–12.</ref> [[Tom Wilkes]]'s design for the record's face labels contrasted a devout spiritual existence with life in the material world, by featuring a painting of [[Krishna]] and his warrior prince [[Arjuna]] on side one and a picture of a [[Mercedes-Benz|Mercedes]] [[stretch limousine]] on the reverse.<ref>Spizer, pp. 256, 258.</ref>

Regarded by some as the most level-headed and musically consistent ex-Beatle in mid 1973,<ref name="Schaffner p 159" /><ref>Clayson, p. 318.</ref> with "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" Harrison provided observers with another example in the band's tradition of self-referential songwriting.<ref>Doggett, pp. 142, 157.</ref> Leng has written of the public and the media "long[ing] for these further installments of 'the Beatles soap opera'", of which this song was "less paranoiac" than "How Do You Sleep?" and "not as roseate" as Starr's "[[Early 1970]]".<ref>Leng, pp. 85, 126–27.</ref>

==Reception==
On release, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine noted "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" as a comment on "the Beatles and their mish-mash",<ref>Eliot Tiegel (ed.), [https://books.google.com/books?id=GwkEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22sue+you+blues%22&pg=PA54 "Top Album Picks"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 21 November 2014).</ref> while [[Stephen Holden]] of ''Rolling Stone'' described the track as "a biting slide-guitar showcase for Harrison, its lyric a clever Lennonist diatribe against such monetary quarrels as those that ended the Beatles".<ref name="Holden/RS">Stephen Holden, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 "George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030517/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 |date=3 October 2017 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 July 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 18 May 2013).</ref> In their respective books discussing the former Beatles' first decade as solo artists, [[Nicholas Schaffner]] and ''[[NME]]'' critic [[Bob Woffinden]] likewise praised Harrison's dobro playing,<ref name="Woffinden p 70" /> Schaffner likening it to the "vicious slide guitar work" Harrison had supplied for Lennon on "How Do You Sleep?"<ref name="Schaffner p 159" /> Woffinden compared "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" with Harrison's 1966 Beatles track "[[Taxman]]", as a composition that showed its author's "impatien[ce] with those who come between him and his money", and for that reason, found it "rather out of place" on ''Material World''.<ref>Woffinden, pp. 70, 71.</ref> Recalling the album's release in ''[[Cambridge Companions to Music|The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles]]'', Michael Frontani writes: "Harrison's slide-playing is featured throughout, with the swamp-drenched, nocturnal wails of 'Sue Me, Sue You Blues,' in particular, demonstrating his grasp of the form."<ref>Frontani, p. 159.</ref>

Among more recent reviewers, [[AllMusic]]'s Lindsay Planer draws parallels with Lennon's compositions "How Do You Sleep?" and "[[Steel and Glass]]", and describes "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" as a "scathing rocker" in which Harrison "forgoes his trademark arid wit for a decidedly more acerbic and direct approach".<ref name="Planer/AM">Lindsay Planer, [http://www.allmusic.com/song/sue-me-sue-you-blues-t991815 "George Harrison 'Sue Me, Sue You Blues'"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 18 May 2013).</ref> To Zeth Lundy of [[PopMatters]], "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" expresses Harrison's "passive-aggressiveness".<ref name="Lundy/PM" /> John Metzger views the lyrics as "ridiculously simplistic" and the track as "perhaps, the most bilious song that [Harrison] ever penned".<ref name="John Metzger/MB">John Metzger, [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2006/georgeharrison-livinginthematerialworld.html#axzz20rOE4V00 "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], ''The Music Box'', vol. 13 (11), November 2006 (retrieved 4 October 2014).</ref>

AllMusic critic Bruce Eder and Chip Madinger and Mark Easter instead recognise humour in Harrison's lyrics.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440" /><ref name="Eder/AM">Bruce Eder, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/living-in-the-material-world-bonus-tracks-dvd-mw0000573364 "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 26 May 2013).</ref> Writing for [[Rough Guides]], Chris Ingham views this track and "[[Try Some, Buy Some]]" as "wry, reasonable digs at symptoms of what Harrison sees as a diseased world",<ref>Ingham, p. 134.</ref> while Hugh Fielder of ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'' magazine recognises the song's place on its parent album, in that the legal wrangling "explains his retreat from the material world".<ref name="Fielder/ClassicRock">Hugh Fielder, "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''", ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]'', December 2006, p. 98.</ref> [[Blogcritics]]' Chaz Lipp considers "the sinewy 'Sue Me, Sue You Blues'" to be among the highlights of ''Material World'' and a song that "rank[s] right alongside Harrison's best work".<ref>Chaz Lipp, [http://blogcritics.org/music-review-george-harrison-apple-albums-remastered/ "Music Review: George Harrison's Apple Albums Remastered"], [[Blogcritics]], 5 October 2014 (retrieved 6 October 2014).</ref>

Among Harrison biographers, Ian Inglis finds an additional comic element in the use of dobro and, like Leng, sees the do-si-do rhythm as an apt musical [[metaphor]] for the changing alliances occurring in the courtroom through the early 1970s.<ref name="Inglis p 39" /> Another author who recognises "a good pinch of humour" in the song, Elliot Huntley describes "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" as an "excellent" track, with a "magnificent steel guitar riff".<ref name="Huntley p 90">Huntley, p. 90.</ref> Leng praises the performance of all the musicians on the recording, particularly Keltner, and describes it as "one of Harrison's most accomplished pieces".<ref name="Leng pp 126-27" /> "It speaks of a very confident, classy musician near the height of his powers", Leng writes, while remarking on the contrast between Harrison in 1972–73 and the "resigned figure" he had portrayed in the Beatles' 1970 documentary film ''[[Let It Be (1970 film)|Let It Be]]''.<ref name="Leng p 127" />

==Live performance==
{{quote box|quote= There were other delays for Harrison [before he could commit to touring after the Concert for Bangladesh]: the fuss over the profits from the Bangladesh benefit and album; the McCartney-sue-me, we sue Allen Klein blues …<ref name="Fong-Torres/RS" />|source= – [[Ben Fong-Torres]], ''Rolling Stone'', 1974|width=25%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
During an interview midway through Harrison's [[George Harrison and Ravi Shankar's 1974 North American tour|1974 North American tour with Ravi Shankar]], band leader [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]] described "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" as having been a certain inclusion in the setlist from the start of rehearsals, along with "[[What Is Life]]", "[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]" and Lennon's Beatles-era composition "[[In My Life]]".<ref name="Gross/CircusRaves">Michael Gross, "George Harrison: How ''Dark Horse'' Whipped Up a Winning Tour", ''[[Circus (magazine)|CIrcus Raves]]'', March 1975; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=20410 Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref> Harrison gave "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" a new musical arrangement, the track "reborn as horn-driven [[funk]]", Leng writes, via the all-American [[rhythm section]] of [[Willie Weeks]] and [[Andy Newmark]], and Scott's three-piece horn section.<ref>Leng, pp. 167, 171.</ref> In a feature article for ''Rolling Stone'' that otherwise savaged the opening West Coast portion of the Harrison–Shankar tour,<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 44.</ref><ref>Leng, pp. 160, 174.</ref> [[Ben Fong-Torres]] wrote approvingly of its inclusion while bemoaning the paucity of other "familiar Beatles or Harrison songs" in the setlist.<ref name="Fong-Torres/RS">Ben Fong-Torres, "Lumbering in the Material World", ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 December 1974, p. 59.</ref>

The tour coincided with speculation about a possible Beatles reunion,<ref>Schaffner, pp. 176, 178.</ref> as well as an agreement regarding the official dissolution of their partnership, which would be ratified following the receipt of all four members' signatures in December 1974.<ref>Doggett, p. 227.</ref> With Starr opting to sign in London, to avoid being [[subpoena]]ed by Klein upon entering the United States,<ref name="Rodriguez p 412" /> Harrison and McCartney provided their signatures in New York on 19 December.<ref name="Badman p 139">Badman, p. 139.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Following advice from his [[Astrology|astrologist]] that "it wasn't the right day",<ref>Doggett, p. 228.</ref> Lennon failed to attend the meeting at New York's [[Plaza Hotel]], much to Harrison's annoyance.<ref name="Rodriguez p 412">Rodriguez, p. 412.</ref> Lennon signed the dissolution papers on 27 December, while in [[Walt Disney World|Disneyworld]] in Florida.<ref>Badman, p. 146.</ref>}} Throughout the tour, Harrison changed a line in "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" to reflect the turnaround in his, Lennon's and Starr's allegiances over the previous two years<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440" /> – "''Bring your lawyer and I'll bring Klein''" name-checking the common enemy of all four ex-Beatles by 1974.<ref name="Clayson pp 332-33"/><ref>Doggett, pp. 216, 226.</ref> Instead of a copy of the [[Bible]], as in the studio versions of the song, Harrison now sang "''Hold your [[Bhagavad Gita|Gita]] in your hand''".<ref>Clayson, pp. 338–39.</ref>

Despite his plans for a live album and a concert film, no recording of this or any other Harrison song from the tour has ever received widespread official release.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 447">Madinger & Easter, p. 447.</ref><ref name="Leng p 170" />{{refn|group=nb|In what Madinger and Easter describe as "'semi-commercial' issue",<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 447" /> live versions of "[[For You Blue]]" and "[[Hari's on Tour (Express)]]" appeared on [[Extended play|EP]]s accompanying the mail-order-only ''[[Songs by George Harrison]]'' volumes, published between 1988 and 1992.<ref>Inglis, pp. 102–03.</ref><ref>Badman, pp. 139, 403.</ref>}} A noted performance of "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" appears on bootlegs from his show at [[Long Beach Arena]],<ref>Clayson, pp. 337–38.</ref> where, Leng writes, "the crowd was buzzing", so "set[ting] the tone" for a series of successful concerts in America's [[Southern United States|Southern states]].<ref name="Leng p 170">Leng, p. 170.</ref> During this Long Beach performance, on 10 November,<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 445.</ref> Harrison followed his lyric about "''find[ing] yourself a new band''" with the quip "''I think I've got one of those!''", reflecting his claim that he was having "too much fun" with his current musicians to consider a Beatles reunion.<ref name="Badman p 139"/>

==Personnel==
*[[George Harrison]] – lead vocals, [[dobro]], backing vocals
*[[Nicky Hopkins]] – piano
*[[Gary Wright]] – [[electric piano]]
*[[Klaus Voormann]] – bass guitar
*[[Jim Keltner]] – drums

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|978-0-7119-8307-6}}).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* Peter Doggett, ''You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup'', It Books (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-06-177418-8}}).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|978-0-7432-3581-5}}).
* Michael Frontani, "The Solo Years", in [[Kenneth Womack]] (ed.), ''The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles'', Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK, 2009; {{ISBN|978-1-139-82806-2}}), pp. 153–82.
* Joshua M. Greene, ''Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison'', John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-470-12780-3}}).
* George Harrison, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; {{ISBN|978-0-8118-5900-4}}).
* Mark Hertsgaard, ''A Day in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles'', Pan Books (London, 1996; {{ISBN|0-330-33891-9}}).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|978-1-55071-197-4}}).
* Chris Ingham, ''The Rough Guide to the Beatles'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2006; 2nd edn; {{ISBN|978-1-84836-525-4}}).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|978-1-4234-0609-9}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* Stan Soocher, ''Baby You're a Rich Man: Suing the Beatles for Fun and Profit'', University Press of New England (Lebanon, NH, 2015; {{ISBN|978-1-61168-380-6}}).
* Howard Sounes, ''Fab: An Intimate Life of Paul McCartney'', HarperCollins (London, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-00-723705-0}}).
* [[Bruce Spizer]], ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* [[Gary Tillery]], ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0900-5}}).
* Bob Woffinden, ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; {{ISBN|0-906071-89-5}}).
{{refend}}

{{Living in the Material World}}

[[Category:1973 songs]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]
[[Category:Songs about the Beatles]]
[[Category:1972 singles]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Albhy Galuten]]
[[Category:Satirical songs]]

The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)

2025-05-09T23:33:26Z

187.53.75.51: Added a recording date, per https://livinginthematerial.world/timeline/

{{good article}}
{{EngvarB|date=July 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}}
{{Infobox song
| name = The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)
| cover =
| alt =
| caption = 1973 side two [[LP record|LP]] face label
| type =
| artist = [[George Harrison]]
| album = [[Living in the Material World]]
| EP =
| written =
| published = [[Material World Charitable Foundation]] (administered by [[Harrisongs]])
| released = 30 May 1973
| format =
| recorded = 2 October 1972
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = [[Rock music|Rock]]
| length = 4:34
| label = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer = [[George Harrison]]
| composer =
| lyricist =
| producer = George Harrison
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| title =
| next_title =
| next_year =
}}
"'''The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)'''" is a song by English rock musician [[George Harrison]], released on his 1973 album ''[[Living in the Material World]]''. Like the album's [[Living in the Material World (song)|title track]], it was inspired by the teachings of [[A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada|A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]], founder of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] (ISKCON), more commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement. The song is an uptempo rock track with elements of [[blues]] and [[gospel music|gospel]]. Some commentators have described it as the musical highpoint of ''Living in the Material World'', with Harrison's [[slide guitar]] playing singled out as being among the finest performances of his career.

The composition originated during a period marked by Harrison's devotion to a [[Hinduism|Hindu]]-aligned ascetic life and the height of his public association with the Hare Krishna movement, which included his donation of [[Bhaktivedanta Manor]] for use as an ISKCON temple. In his lyrics, Harrison sings of the falsehood of striving for wealth or power in the material world and advocates a direct relationship with one's deity as a genuine life goal. In doing so, he belittles the role of political leaders, as well as his own status as a celebrated rock musician. The song's Krishna Conscious message was also reflected in Harrison's choice of artwork for the ''Material World'' album, specifically the reproduction of a painting from a Prabhupada-published edition of the ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]''.

Harrison recorded "The Lord Loves the One" between October 1972 and March 1973 with session musicians [[Nicky Hopkins]], [[Klaus Voormann]], [[Jim Keltner]] and [[Jim Horn]]. While the music has invited critical praise, the devout assertions in Harrison's lyrics typified what some reviewers in 1973 viewed as an overly didactic message on much of the parent album. Among reviewers in the 21st century, the composition continues to divide opinion. Although some commentators consider it an obvious choice as a live track, Harrison performed "The Lord Loves the One" only once in concert – on the opening night of his 1974 North American tour with [[Ravi Shankar]].

==Background==
{{quote box|quote= [If] I didn't get feedback from Prabhupada on my songs about Krsna or the philosophy, I'd get it from the devotees. That's all the encouragement I needed really ... He's the one who explained to me how we're not these physical bodies. We just happen to be in them.<ref>''Chant and Be Happy'', p. 26.</ref>|source= – George Harrison to ISKCON devotee [[Mukunda Goswami]], 1982|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
In his 1980 autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', [[George Harrison]] credits the influence for "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)" to [[A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada|A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada]],<ref name="IMM p 254">George Harrison, p. 254.</ref> founder of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] (ISKCON), also known as the Hare Krishna movement.<ref>Allison, p. 45.</ref> Harrison's association with ISKCON began in December 1968,<ref name="Tillery p 69">Tillery, p. 69.</ref> when he befriended a small group of devotees that Prabhupada had sent to London to establish what became the [[Radha Krishna Temple]].<ref>Greene, pp. 103, 106.</ref><ref>Muster, p. 26.</ref> The [[Gaudiya Vaishnava]] teachings of Prabhupada, based on [[Hindu texts]] such as the [[Bhagavad Gita]], resonated with Harrison,<ref>Greene, pp. 150–51.</ref> whose quest for an ego-less, [[Higher consciousness|God-conscious]] existence amid the false reality of [[Beatlemania]] had first taken him to [[India]] in September 1966.<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 33–34, 36.</ref><ref>Lavezzoli, p. 176.</ref>

[[File:Prabhupada on a morning walk with Baron von Durkheim in Frankfurt.jpg|thumb|235px|left|[[A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada|Swami Prabhupada]] (''front row, second from left'') and devotees in conversation with [[Karlfried Graf Dürckheim]] during the 1970s]]
Harrison provided the devotees with financial assistance,<ref name="Lavezzoli p 195">Lavezzoli, p. 195.</ref> in addition to producing their [[Hare Krishna Mantra (song)|hit recording]] of the 5000-year-old [[Hare Krishna (mantra)|Hare Krishna mantra]], to help spread the message of Krishna Consciousness.<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 180.</ref><ref>Olivia Harrison, p. 236.</ref> He then met Prabhupada in England in September 1969<ref>Tillery, pp. 71–72, 161.</ref> and was impressed by the [[acharya]]'s declaration that he was merely "the humble servant of the servant of the servant" of the Hindu god [[Krishna]].<ref>Clayson, p. 269.</ref><ref>Greene, pp. 85, 149–50.</ref> In line with Prabhupada's contention that the [[chanting]] of [[Sanskrit]] [[mantra]]s led to a direct connection with God,<ref>Tillery, p. 58.</ref> Harrison adopted the practice, counting out each mantra on [[Hindu prayer beads]] stored inside a cloth bag that he wore over his shoulder.<ref>Clayson, pp. 247, 299.</ref><ref>O'Dell, pp. 139–40, 154.</ref>

Further Harrison-produced recordings by the Radha Krishna Temple followed their "Hare Krishna Mantra" single, culminating in an [[The Radha Krsna Temple (album)|eponymous album]] released on [[Apple Records]] in May 1971.<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.applerecords.com/#!/albums/The_Radha_Krishna_Temple "The Radha Krishna Temple"], [[Apple Records]] (retrieved 1 June 2014).</ref><ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 101.</ref> By that time, the devotees were regular guests at Harrison's [[Friar Park]] estate,<ref>Clayson, p. 306.</ref> and he subsequently bought permanent accommodation for the growing UK arm of ISKCON, at what became known as [[Bhaktivedanta Manor]].<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>Dwyer & Cole, pp. 31–32.</ref> When Prabhupada died in November 1977, he bequeathed one of the rings he was wearing to Harrison, referring to him as the Hare Krishna movement's "archangel".<ref name=autogenerated2>Clayson, p. 268.</ref><ref>Greene, p. 225.</ref>
{{-}}

==Composition==
Author [[Dale Allison]] writes of the lyrical themes in "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)": "this song preaches [[karma]], warns about judgment at death, and exalts love as our most important aspiration."<ref>Allison, p. 149.</ref> Harrison wrote the song over 1971–72,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439" /> a period of heightened devotion on his part,<ref>Huntley, pp. 87, 89.</ref><ref>Clayson, pp. 318–19.</ref> as well as one of frustration due to the [[The Day the World Gets 'Round#The Concert for Bangladesh album release|legal and business issues]] afflicting his [[The Concert for Bangladesh|Concert for Bangladesh]] aid project.<ref name="Doggett p 192" /> The idea for the composition came about after a conversation with Prabhupada,<ref>Tillery, p. 112.</ref> when the latter visited Harrison at Friar Park.<ref name="IMM p 254">George Harrison, p. 254.</ref>

The song begins with a [[riff]] over the chords of B major and B7,<ref>''George Harrison'' Living in the Material World'': Sheet Music for Piano, Vocal & Guitar'', p. 76.</ref> which is then followed by a [[Chorus (song)|chorus]], rather than a verse.<ref name="IMM p 256">George Harrison, p. 256.</ref> Author Simon Leng describes the musical mood as "mean, dirty [[blues]] – funky and low-down", accompanying a "most uncompromising lyric".<ref name="Leng p 132">Leng, p. 132.</ref> In Allison's view, the lyrics to the chorus equate love received from one's deity with "human love" (in that it "grows as it is reciprocated"), while also serving as a statement on karmic retribution:<ref name="Allison p 126">Allison, p. 126.</ref>

{{blockquote|The Lord loves the one that loves the Lord And the law says if you don't give, then you don't get loving Now the Lord helps those that help themselves And the law says whatever you do's gonna come right back on you.}}

The first verse reflects Harrison and Prabhupada's discussion that day<ref name="IMM p 254" /> – although the reference to political leaders "acting like big girls" is an example of Harrison reverting to "[[Scouse]] parlance", according to author [[Alan Clayson]].<ref>Clayson, p. 322.</ref> The latter also notes the antipathy that Harrison felt towards politicians following the Bangladesh aid project, when the American and British governments continued to withhold funds intended for the millions of starving Bangladeshi refugees.<ref>Clayson, pp. 315–16, 317.</ref> The lyric centres on [[Maya (illusion)|maya]], or the illusory nature of human existence, as Harrison sings of humankind behaving as if "we own this whole world", oblivious to the consequences and the end that awaits the individual in this life.<ref>Allison, pp. 79, 85.</ref> Allison summarises the message to mean: "karma is the law of our existence; substituting ego for God is our problem; we must prepare ourselves for death."<ref>Allison, pp. 45–46.</ref>

{{quote box|quote= Most of the world is fooling about, especially the people who ''think'' they control the world and the community. The presidents, the politicians, the military, etc., are all jerking about acting as if they are Lord over their own domains. That's basically Problem One on the planet.<ref name="IMM p 254" />|source= – Harrison discussing the song with ''I, Me, Mine'' editor [[Derek Taylor]], 1979|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
As with another Prabhupada-inspired track that he wrote during this period, "[[Living in the Material World (song)|Living in the Material World]]",<ref>Lavezzoli, pp. 194–95.</ref> Harrison expresses his belief that the pursuit of fame and riches – particularly in the music industry – is meaningless.<ref>Leng, p. 131.</ref> In the second verse of "The Lord Loves the One", he sings: "We all fool around, with objectives in mind / To become rich or famous, with our reputations signed ..."<ref>George Harrison, p. 257.</ref> While author Joshua Greene compares Harrison's songs from this period to [[Vedic]] [[sutra]]s,<ref name="Greene p 194">Greene, p. 194.</ref> Allison specifies this verse-two message to a passage from the [[Katha Upanishad]], which reads: "Intoxicated, deluded by the glamour of riches, the childish do not see that they must pass away. They think, 'This is the world and there is no other.'"<ref name="Allison p 85">Allison, p. 85.</ref>

As with the ISKCON-inspired "[[Awaiting on You All]]", Allison views the conditions that Harrison imposes in the song's choruses as a rare exception within the singer's work. Elsewhere, Allison continues, Harrison's songwriting reveals "a strong belief in the efficacy of unmerited divine grace".<ref>Allison, pp. 126, 129.</ref> In a 1982 interview, Harrison described his statement on God rewarding those who first look to God as a "flexible" one, adding: "In one way, I'm never going to get out of here [i.e., escape the constant cycle of [[reincarnation]]] unless it's by His grace, but then again … [t]he amount of grace I would expect from God should be equal to the amount of grace I can gather or earn."<ref>''Chant and Be Happy'', pp. 29–30.</ref>

Among other Harrison biographers' interpretations of the lyrics, Ian Inglis writes of Harrison's unwelcome "evangelical" message regarding "the consequences of a life of selfishness and greed which finds no place for 'the Lord'".<ref name="Inglis p 41" /> In contrast, Leng views the verses as "the singer's inner conversation", in which Harrison acknowledges the futility of his own existence, at a time when he felt overwhelmed by his success as a solo artist following [[Break-up of the Beatles|the Beatles' break-up]] in 1970.<ref>Leng, pp. 132, 137–38.</ref> Of the apparent sermonising in the choruses, Leng concludes: "'The Lord Loves the One' conveys the same basic message as 'what you put in is what you get out,' so, at one level, it's more a matter of common sense than divine revelation."<ref name="Leng p 132" />

==Recording==
Harrison began sessions for his ''[[Living in the Material World]]'' album in October 1972,<ref>Leng, p. 124.</ref> at [[Apple Studios (recording studio)|Apple Studio]] in London.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 439">Madinger & Easter, p. 439.</ref> As a result of the problems associated with the Bangladesh project, author [[Peter Doggett]] writes, "[e]verything connected with the physical world seemed to annoy him."<ref name="Doggett p 192" /> The studio manager at the time,<ref name="Doggett p 192">Doggett, p. 192.</ref> former Beatles engineer [[Geoff Emerick]], recalls Harrison wearing his Hindu prayer bag and "mumbling away, chanting his mantra", often unable to reply to questions put to him.<ref>Emerick & Massey, p. 330.</ref> As for all the tracks on the album, the recording engineer on "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)" was [[Phil McDonald]],<ref name="Spizer p 254" /> who had also worked in that capacity for the Beatles.<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 462.</ref><ref>Emerick & Massey, pp. 275, 318.</ref>

The recording opens with Harrison's acoustic guitar and an electric piano riff that creates "a sense of foreboding", according to Inglis, who likens the intro to [[Three Dog Night]]'s 1970 hit single "[[Mama Told Me Not to Come]]".<ref name="Inglis p 41" /> Along with Harrison, the musicians on the basic track were [[Jim Keltner]] (drums), [[Nicky Hopkins]] (electric piano) and [[Klaus Voormann]] (bass).<ref name="Spizer p 254">Spizer, p. 254.</ref> Part of Harrison's guide vocal from the basic track was retained for the official release.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 441">Madinger & Easter, p. 441.</ref>

Among the [[Overdubbing|overdubs]], which were completed by the end of February 1973, Harrison added [[slide guitar]]<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 440, 441.</ref> and [[Jim Horn]] played various saxophone parts that Leng describes as "a straight lift from Harrison's favorite '[[Savoy Truffle]]' model", with [[baritone saxophone]] prominent in the mix.<ref>Leng, pp. 37, 132.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Released on the Beatles' [[The Beatles (album)|White Album]] in 1968, "Savoy Truffle" features a horn arrangement by [[Chris Thomas (record producer)|Chris Thomas]], who also played electric piano on the song.<ref>MacDonald, p. 281.</ref>}} Assisting Horn on "The Lord Loves the One", Voormann played one of the [[tenor saxophone]] parts,<ref>Kevin Howlett's liner notes, booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] ([[EMI]]/[[Parlophone]], 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), p. 11.</ref> a role he had recently provided on [[Harry Nilsson]]'s ''[[Son of Schmilsson]]'' album (1972), to which Harrison and Hopkins also contributed.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 115, 208, 220.</ref>

==Release and representation in album artwork==
[[File:LITMW Krishna inner sleeve3.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Lyric insert artwork for the ''Material World'' album, taken from a Prabhupada-published version of the ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]'']]
Apple released ''Living in the Material World'' in May 1973 in the United States (June 1973 in Britain),<ref>Badman, p. 102.</ref> with "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)" sequenced as the first track on side two of the [[LP record|LP]].<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 125.</ref> According to authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, Harrison had considered an alternative running order, whereby the album opener, "[[Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)]]", began side two.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440">Madinger & Easter, p. 440.</ref> The UK [[Compact Cassette|cassette]] format followed the latter sequence, which also placed "The Lord Loves the One" as the second track on side one, following "[[Sue Me, Sue You Blues]]".<ref>[http://www.discogs.com/George-Harrison-Living-In-The-Material-World/release/4272699 "George Harrison – Living in the Material World (Cassette, Album)"], [[Discogs]] (retrieved 1 June 2014).</ref> As with eight other songs on ''Material World'', Harrison donated the copyright to "The Lord Loves the One" to the [[Material World Charitable Foundation]],<ref name="Schaffner p 160">Schaffner, p. 160.</ref><ref>Clayson, pp. 322–23.</ref> which he launched in April 1973<ref>Badman, p. 98.</ref> with a stated aim "to encourage the exploration of alternative life views and philosophies".<ref>Book accompanying ''[[Collaborations (Ravi Shankar and George Harrison album)|Collaborations]]'' box set by Ravi Shankar and George Harrison ([[Dark Horse Records]], 2010; produced by Olivia Harrison; package design by Drew Lorimer & Olivia Harrison), p. 32.</ref>

Reflecting the lyrical content of songs such as "The Lord Loves the One" and "Living in the Material World",<ref>Woffinden, pp. 69–70.</ref><ref>Tillery, pp. 111–12.</ref> [[Tom Wilkes]]'s design for the album artwork contrasted a devout spiritual existence with life in the material world.<ref>Spizer, pp. 256, 258.</ref> The front of the inner-sleeve insert reproduced a painting from a Prabhupada-published edition of the Bhagavad Gita,<ref name="Allison p 47">Allison, p. 47.</ref> depicting Krishna and the warrior prince [[Arjuna]] driving a chariot.<ref name="Spizer p 256" />{{refn|group=nb|Published by Prabhupada's [[Bhaktivedanta Book Trust]] in 1972,<ref>Dwyer & Cole, p. 34.</ref> the book was titled ''[[Bhagavad Gita As It Is]]''.<ref>Album credits, booklet accompanying [[Living in the Material World#Reissues|''Living in the Material World'' reissue]] ([[EMI]]/[[Parlophone]], 2006; produced by Dhani & Olivia Harrison), p. 37.</ref>}} Part of this image was also used on the LP's side-one face label;<ref name="Spizer p 256">Spizer, p. 256.</ref> in addition, it appeared opposite the words to "The Lord Loves the One" in the lyrics section of the ''Material World'' songbook, published by the [[Chas. H. Hansen Music Corp.|Charles Hansen]] sheet music company.<ref>''George Harrison'' Living in the Material World'': Sheet Music for Piano, Vocal & Guitar'', pp. 6–7.</ref>

Writing in 1977, author [[Nicholas Schaffner]] described the combination of these "color representations of the Hindu scriptures" and the album-wide message espoused by Harrison in "The Lord Loves the One" as "a luxuriant rock devotional designed to transform his fans' stereo equipment into a temple".<ref name="Schaffner p 159">Schaffner, p. 159.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|As a contrast with the scene from the Bhagavad Gita, the album's inner gatefold contained a photograph showing Harrison and his fellow musicians at a [[Last Supper]]-style banquet, behind which are items of material opulence such as a [[stretch limousine]], a sportscar, and a country mansion with attendant staff.<ref name="Spizer p 256" /><ref>Woffinden, pp. 70–71.</ref>}} In a 1982 interview with ISKCON's [[Mukunda Goswami]],<ref name="Allison p 47" /> Harrison discussed the song's lyrics and referred to his use of the Krishna and Arjuna picture, along with the credit he gave Prabhupada's book, as a "plug" for the Hare Krishna movement.<ref>''Chant and Be Happy'', p. 20.</ref>
{{-}}

==Critical reception==

===Contemporary reviews===
The song, if not the title alone, was a source of irritation for those critics who deemed ''Living in the Material World'' overly preachy and didactic.<ref name="Leng pp 131, 132">Leng, pp. 131, 132.</ref><ref>Spizer, p. 255.</ref> In a full-page album review in ''[[Melody Maker]]'', Michael Watts summarised his impression of Harrison's spiritual message: "One gets this feeling of George, somewhat remote and rarefied, indicting the world for being what it is, although if anybody could change the world it would be an old Beatle."<ref name="Watts/MM">Michael Watts, "The New Harrison Album", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 3.</ref> While noting the song as an autobiographical statement on the singer's "struggle to retain personal dignity and peace of mind", Watts wrote: "He's dealing in lofty sentiments and abstractions; not everyone will want to drink of the cup."<ref name="Watts/MM" />

In his 1973 album review for the ''[[NME]]'', [[Tony Tyler]] described ''Material World'' as "so damn holy I could scream".<ref>Tony Tyler, "George Harrison: ''Living in the Material World'' (Apple)", ''[[NME]]'', 9 June 1973, p. 33.</ref><ref name="Tyler/NME Orig">Chris Hunt (ed.), ''[[NME|NME Originals]]: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980'', IPC Ignite! (London, 2005), p. 70.</ref> Two years later, he and his ''[[The Beatles: An Illustrated Record|Beatles: An Illustrated Record]]'' co-author [[Roy Carr]] remarked of Harrison's religious beliefs: "it's difficult to see why he travelled all the way to India to import a God who, by the sound of him ('The Lord Loves the One [That] Loves the Lord') is as intractable and selfish as the petulant [[Jehovah]] of [[Victorian era|Victorian]] Sunday schools."<ref>Carr & Tyler, p. 107.</ref>

To [[Stephen Holden]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', the track was "a compelling [[Gospel music|gospel]]-flavored rocker ... a stunning achievement that carries the authority of pop scripture".<ref name="Holden/RS">Stephen Holden, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 "George Harrison, ''Living in the Material World''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003030517/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/living-in-the-material-world-19730719 |date=3 October 2017 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 July 1973, p. 54 (retrieved 30 May 2014).</ref> On an album that he considered "a pop religious ceremony for all seasons, one in which Harrison acts as priest, deliberately placing his gifts and his legend into public service for God", Holden added of the song: "I hope that [[Aretha Franklin]] gets her hands on it, and soon."<ref name="Holden/RS" />

===Retrospective reviews and legacy===
Among reviewers in the 21st century, Zeth Lundy of ''[[PopMatters]]'' and ''Music Box'' editor John Metzger highlight "The Lord Loves the One" as one of the standout tracks on ''Living in the Material World''.<ref name="Lundy/PM">Zeth Lundy, [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world/ "George Harrison: Living in the Material World"], [[PopMatters]], 8 November 2006 (retrieved 30 May 2014).</ref><ref name="John Metzger/MB">John Metzger, [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2006/georgeharrison-livinginthematerialworld.html#axzz20rOE4V00 "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], ''The Music Box'', vol. 13 (11), November 2006 (retrieved 30 May 2014).</ref> As with "[[The Day the World Gets 'Round]]", Simon Leng sees the lyrics' spiritual framework as a distraction from the true message of the song, which in this case is the "bankruptcy" of the music business.<ref>Leng, pp. 131–32, 135.</ref> While noting that the media and anyone else associated with "the rock circus" had a vested interest in upholding its importance, Leng comments on the hostile reception afforded the song originally: "In 1973, no one dared point out that the emperor had no clothes on – except Harrison."<ref name="Leng pp 131-32">Leng, pp. 131–32.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In a later example of what he terms "'inspirational' counsel [that] drew naked fire", Leng views [[Bob Dylan]]'s 1979 single "[[Gotta Serve Somebody]]" as a restatement of the sentiments expressed in "The Lord Loves the One" and "The Day the World Gets 'Round". Leng suggests that "there isn't so much as a cigarette paper's thickness" between Dylan's line "''You might be a rock 'n' roll addict prancing on the stage''" and Harrison's lyrics in verse two of "The Lord Loves the One".<ref>Leng, p. 276.</ref>}}

{{quote box|quote= Some people have thought that in certain songs like this one, I was giving ''them'' a telling-off or that I was implying that I was "holier than thou". I do not exclude myself and write a lot of things in order to make ''myself'' remember.<ref name="IMM p 254" />|source= – Harrison in ''I, Me, Mine'', responding to detractors of his lyrics to "The Lord Loves the One"|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Author Robert Rodriguez describes "The Lord Loves the One" as "''not'' the sanctimonious rant that some characterized it as", but a revelation of Harrison's inner conflict between his "earthly" status as a rock star and that role's "utter triviality in the Grand Scheme of things".<ref name="Rodriguez p 157">Rodriguez, p. 157.</ref> Conversely, writing for [[Rough Guides]], Chris Ingham finds the song's "'law says' finger-wagging" the exception on an album that otherwise "conveys his struggle" between the physical and spiritual worlds "with restraint and, in places, considerable grace and beauty",<ref>Ingham, p. 134.</ref> while former ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' editor [[Mat Snow]] commented in 2006 of this and the majority of the songs on ''Material World'': "The rest is Hari Georgeson at his most preachy, but it's never less than musical and often light on its feet."<ref>Mat Snow, "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2006, p. 124.</ref> Also writing for ''Mojo'', [[John Harris (critic)|John Harris]] pairs "The Lord Loves the One" with "Give Me Love", as two tracks that support ''Material World''{{'}}s standing as "a Hindu concept album … a pleasing fusion of Eastern religion, gospel, and the ghost of '[[For You Blue]]'".<ref name="Harris/Mojo">John Harris, "Beware of Darkness", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', November 2011, p. 82.</ref>

In his unfavourable assessment of the song, Ian Inglis contrasts it with the "impressive set of lyrics" on "Living in the Material World" and criticises Harrison for his "turgid proselytizing", which he likens to "the imprecations of an evangelical preacher".<ref>Inglis, pp. 40–41.</ref> Inglis concludes: "Harrison's impressive guitar work helps to compensate for the absence of a clear melody, but the song is ultimately undermined by some of his least-effective lyrics; the description of political leaders as 'big girls' is puerile and sexist."<ref name="Inglis p 41">Inglis, p. 41.</ref> Another Harrison biographer, Elliot Huntley, describes "The Lord Loves the One" as a "polished foot-tapper", on which "the drums push the song along nicely but the excessively wordy libretto somehow struggles to fit".<ref name="Huntley p 93">Huntley, p. 93.</ref> Terry Staunton of ''[[Record Collector]]'' considers ''Living in the Material World'' to be "sloganeering with slide guitars" but lacking in any "out-and-out protest" message, such that "the more generalised, universally religious themes of The Lord Loves The One (That Loves The Lord) tend to sound a tad diluted."<ref>Terry Staunton, "George Harrison ''Living In The Material World''", ''[[Record Collector]]'', December 2006, pp. 112, 113.</ref>

Leng praises the track's musical accompaniment, highlighting Horn's sax arrangement and particularly Harrison's slide-guitar playing, which includes a solo that he views as "one of the best of his career".<ref name="Leng p 132" /> Similar sentiments come from Bruce Eder of [[AllMusic]], who writes: "'The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)', despite its title, is the high point of the record, a fast, rollicking, funky, bluesy jewel with a priceless guitar break (maybe the best of Harrison's solo career) ..."<ref name="AMG">Bruce Eder, [http://www.allmusic.com/album/living-in-the-material-world-bonus-tracks-dvd-mw0000573364 "George Harrison ''Living in the Material World''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 30 May 2014).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Among other sources who compliment the lead guitar part, Rodriguez describes Harrison's playing as "stellar",<ref name="Rodriguez p 157" /> and Madinger and Easter write of his "superb slide guitar work" on the track.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 440" />}}

In a 2011 article for ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', coinciding with the release of [[Martin Scorsese]]'s documentary ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'', Steve Rabey describes Harrison as "perhaps the most explicitly and consistently theological rock star of the last half-century". Rabey refers to the song among Harrison's "mini-sermons illustrating Hindu concepts" (in this case, karma) and concludes: "While he failed to convert everyone to his beliefs, he nudged his [Beatles] bandmates – and his listener fans – a bit further to the East, encouraging audiences to open themselves to new (or very old) spiritual influences."<ref name="Rabey/HuffPost">Steve Rabey, [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/09/george-harrison-living-in-the-material-world_n_1001707.html "George Harrison, 'Living In The Material World'"], ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', 9 October 2011 (retrieved 16 November 2014).</ref>

==Performance==
Harrison performed "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)" at the start of his 1974 North American tour with [[Ravi Shankar]].<ref>Schaffner, p. 177.</ref> In addition to Jim Horn, the horn players on this live version were [[Tom Scott (saxophonist)|Tom Scott]] and [[Chuck Findley]].<ref>Leng, p. 167.</ref> Consistent with his perception of an anti-stardom message in the song, Leng writes of there being an "immense [paradox]" in Harrison's attitude to this highly publicised tour, since: "here was one of the world's most famous musicians telling a leading writer from ''Rolling Stone'' that he'd 'gladly kiss it all good-bye' and pursue his utterly sincere spiritual quest."<ref>Leng, p. 166.</ref>

On the first show of the tour, at Vancouver's [[Pacific Coliseum]] on 2 November, Harrison played the song following his opening instrumental, "[[Hari's on Tour (Express)]]".<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 447, 639.</ref> In ''Rolling Stone'', [[Ben Fong-Torres]] began his feature article with the words "Holy Krishna! What kind of an opening night for George Harrison is this?",<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 125.</ref> before writing of Harrison's performance of "The Lord Loves the One": "he sang off key, and the voice, in its first flight, instantly sounded tired."<ref name="FongTorres/RS">Ben Fong-Torres, "Lumbering in the Material World", ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 19 December 1974, p. 59.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison contracted [[laryngitis]] on the eve of the tour,<ref>Tillery, p. 114.</ref> as a result of having overextended himself on projects such as setting up [[Dark Horse Records]],<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 44.</ref> and then combining tour rehearsals with overdubbing the vocals for his 1974 album ''[[Dark Horse (George Harrison album)|Dark Horse]]''.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 58.</ref><ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 442.</ref>}} With Shankar's segments having been poorly received,<ref>Clayson, pp. 339, 340.</ref> Harrison then reworked the show's setlist, with the result that "The Lord Loves the One" and another ''Material World'' track, "[[Who Can See It]]", were dropped for the rest of the tour.<ref>Badman, p. 137.</ref><ref name="Madinger & Easter p 447">Madinger & Easter, p. 447.</ref> Leng writes of the song's removal as "a fate the heavy-funky arrangement did not deserve",<ref name="Leng p 170">Leng, p. 170.</ref> and Eder similarly considers that "The Lord Loves the One" belonged at "the heart" of any Harrison concert setlist.<ref name="AMG" />

Later on during the [[US West Coast|West Coast]] leg of his 1974 tour,<ref>Badman, p. 138.</ref> Harrison donated the profits from one concert to the [[Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic]] in San Francisco.<ref>Clayson, p. 334.</ref> As recorded in Fong-Torres's article, Harrison then visited the clinic and sang the chorus of "The Lord Loves the One" to the grateful staff, as a way to illustrate his point: "Don't thank me ... it's something else over us that acts through people like me. I'm just an instrument."<ref name="FongTorres/RS" />

==Personnel==
*[[George Harrison]] – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, [[slide guitar]]s, backing vocals
*[[Nicky Hopkins]] – [[electric piano]]
*[[Klaus Voormann]] – bass guitar, [[tenor saxophone]]
*[[Jim Keltner]] – drums, percussion
*[[Jim Horn]] – saxophones, horn arrangement

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em|group=nb}}

==References==
{{reflist|20em}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin}}
* Dale C. Allison Jr., ''The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-8264-1917-0}}).
* Keith Badman, ''The Beatles Diary Volume 2: After the Break-Up 1970–2001'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8307-0}}).
* Roy Carr & Tony Tyler, ''The Beatles: An Illustrated Record'', Trewin Copplestone Publishing (London, 1978; {{ISBN|0-450-04170-0}}).
* Harry Castleman & Walter J. Podrazik, ''All Together Now: The First Complete Beatles Discography 1961–1975'', Ballantine Books (New York, NY, 1976; {{ISBN|0-345-25680-8}}).
* ''Chant and Be Happy: The Power of Mantra Meditation'', Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (Los Angeles, CA, 1997; {{ISBN|978-0-89213-118-1}}).
* Alan Clayson, ''George Harrison'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-489-3}}).
* Peter Doggett, ''You Never Give Me Your Money: The Beatles After the Breakup'', It Books (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-06-177418-8}}).
* Graham Dwyer & Richard J. Cole (eds), ''The Hare Krishna Movement: Forty Years of Chant and Change'', I.B. Tauris (London, 2007; {{ISBN|1-84511-407-8}}).
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* Geoff Emerick & Howard Massey, ''Here, There & Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles'', Gotham (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|978-1-59240-269-4}}).
* ''George Harrison'' Living in the Material World'': Sheet Music for Piano, Vocal & Guitar'', Charles Hansen (New York, NY, 1973).
* Joshua M. Greene, ''Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison'', John Wiley & Sons (Hoboken, NJ, 2006; {{ISBN|978-0-470-12780-3}}).
* George Harrison, ''I Me Mine'', Chronicle Books (San Francisco, CA, 2002; {{ISBN|0-8118-3793-9}}).
* Olivia Harrison, ''George Harrison: Living in the Material World'', Abrams (New York, NY, 2011; {{ISBN|978-1-4197-0220-4}}).
* Elliot J. Huntley, ''Mystical One: George Harrison – After the Break-up of the Beatles'', Guernica Editions (Toronto, ON, 2006; {{ISBN|1-55071-197-0}}).
* Chris Ingham, ''The Rough Guide to the Beatles'', Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2006; 2nd edn; {{ISBN|978-1-84836-525-4}}).
* Ian Inglis, ''The Words and Music of George Harrison'', Praeger (Santa Barbara, CA, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-313-37532-3}}).
* Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West'', Continuum (New York, NY, 2006; {{ISBN|0-8264-2819-3}}).
* Simon Leng, ''While My Guitar Gently Weeps: The Music of George Harrison'', Hal Leonard (Milwaukee, WI, 2006; {{ISBN|1-4234-0609-5}}).
* Ian MacDonald, ''Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties'', Pimlico (London, 1998; {{ISBN|0-7126-6697-4}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Nori J. Muster, ''Betrayal of the Spirit: My Life Behind the Headlines of the Hare Krishna Movement'', University of Illinois Press (Champaign, IL, 2001; {{ISBN|0-252-06566-2}}).
* Chris O'Dell with Katherine Ketcham, ''Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved'', Touchstone (New York, NY, 2009; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles' Solo Years, 1970–1980'', Backbeat Books (Milwaukee, WI, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4165-9093-4}}).
* Nicholas Schaffner, ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* [[Bruce Spizer]], ''The Beatles Solo on Apple Records'', 498 Productions (New Orleans, LA, 2005; {{ISBN|0-9662649-5-9}}).
* Gary Tillery, ''Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biography of George Harrison'', Quest Books (Wheaton, IL, 2011; {{ISBN|978-0-8356-0900-5}}).
* Bob Woffinden, ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; {{ISBN|0-906071-89-5}}).
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{YouTube|aKY2s1NrI88|George Harrison "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)"}}

{{Living in the Material World}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)}}
[[Category:1973 songs]]
[[Category:George Harrison songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Harrison]]
[[Category:Music published by Harrisongs]]
[[Category:Indian mythology in music]]