View source for My Sweet Lord

{{Short description|1970 song by George Harrison}}
{{about|the song}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = My Sweet Lord
| cover         = Mysweetlord1971single.jpg
| cover_size    = 
| alt           = 
| border        = yes
| caption       = Original UK and US cover
| type          = single
| artist        = [[George Harrison]]
| album         = [[All Things Must Pass]]
| A-side        = "[[Isn't It a Pity]]" (US) <br />(double A-side)
| B-side        = "[[What Is Life]]" (UK)
| released      = 23 November 1970 (US)<br />15 January 1971 (UK)
| recorded      = 
| studio        = 
| genre         = {{Hlist|[[Folk rock]]|[[Gospel music|gospel]]|[[Pop music|pop]]<ref>Pitchfork Staff, [https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9935-the-200-best-songs-of-the-1970s/?page=6 "The 200 Best Songs of the 1970s"], ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', 22 August 2016 (retrieved 13 October 2022).</ref>}}
| length        = 4:39
| label         = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer        = [[George Harrison]] 
| producer      = {{Hlist|George Harrison|[[Phil Spector]]}}
| prev_title    = 
| prev_year     = 
| next_title    = [[What Is Life]]
| next_year     = 1971
| prev_track    = 
| track_no      = 
| next_track    = 
| misc          = {{Extra chronology
 | artist     = [[George Harrison]]
 | type       = single
 | prev_title = [[Cheer Down]]
 | prev_year  = 1989
 | title      = My Sweet Lord
 | year       = 2002
 | next_title = [[Stuck Inside a Cloud]]
 | next_year  = 2002
}}{{Extra album cover
 | header  = Alternative cover
 | type    = single
 | cover   = George Harrison - My Sweet Lord 2002.jpg
 | border  =
 | alt     =
 | caption = 2002 reissue cover
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|04v-SdKeEpE|"My Sweet Lord"}}}}
}}
"'''My Sweet Lord'''" is a song by the English musician [[George Harrison]], released in November 1970 on his triple album ''[[All Things Must Pass]]''. It was also released as a single, Harrison's first as a solo artist, and topped charts worldwide; it was the biggest-selling single of 1971 in the UK. In America and Britain, the song was the first number-one single by an ex-[[The Beatles|Beatle]]. Harrison originally gave the song to his fellow [[Apple Records]] artist [[Billy Preston]] to record; this version, which Harrison co-produced, appeared on Preston's ''[[Encouraging Words]]'' album in September 1970.

Harrison wrote "My Sweet Lord" in praise of the [[God in Hinduism|Hindu god]] [[Krishna]],<ref>Newport, p. 70.</ref> while intending the lyrics as a call to abandon religious [[sectarianism]] through his blending of the [[Hebrew]] word ''[[hallelujah]]'' with chants of "[[Hare Krishna (mantra)|Hare Krishna]]" and [[Vedas|Vedic]] prayer.<ref>Leng, pp. 71, 84.</ref> The recording features producer [[Phil Spector]]'s [[Wall of Sound]] treatment and heralded the arrival of Harrison's [[slide guitar]] technique, which one biographer described as "musically as distinctive a signature as the mark of [[Zorro]]".<ref name="Clayson p 280" /> [[Ringo Starr]], [[Eric Clapton]], [[Gary Brooker]], [[Bobby Whitlock]] and members of the group [[Badfinger]] are among the other musicians on the recording.

Later in the 1970s, "My Sweet Lord" was at the centre of a heavily publicised copyright infringement suit due to its alleged similarity to the [[Ronnie Mack]] song "[[He's So Fine]]", a 1963 hit for the New York [[girl group]] [[the Chiffons]]. In 1976, Harrison was found to have subconsciously [[plagiarism|plagiarised]] the song, a verdict that had repercussions throughout the music industry. Rather than the Chiffons song, he said he used the out-of-copyright [[Christianity|Christian]] hymn "[[Oh Happy Day]]" as his inspiration for the melody.

Harrison performed "My Sweet Lord" at [[the Concert for Bangladesh]] in August 1971, and it remains the most popular composition from his post-Beatles career. He reworked it as "My Sweet Lord (2000)" for inclusion as a bonus track on the [[All Things Must Pass (30th Anniversary Edition)|30th-anniversary reissue]] of ''All Things Must Pass''. Many artists have covered the song, most notably [[Edwin Starr]], [[Johnny Mathis]] and [[Nina Simone]]. "My Sweet Lord" was ranked 454th on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]" in 2004 and 460th in the 2010 update and number 270 on a similar list published by the ''[[NME]]'' in 2014. It reached number one in Britain again when re-released in January 2002, two months after Harrison's death.

==Background and inspiration==
[[George Harrison]] began writing "My Sweet Lord" in December 1969, when he, [[Billy Preston]] and [[Eric Clapton]] were in [[Copenhagen]], Denmark,<ref name="Clayson p 280">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 280.</ref><ref name="Leng p 71" /> as guest artists on [[Delaney & Bonnie]]'s European tour.<ref name="Eds of RS p 180">The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 180.</ref><ref name="Harris p 70">John Harris, "A Quiet Storm", ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'', July 2001, p. 70.</ref> By this time, Harrison had already written the [[Gospel music|gospel]]-influenced "[[Hear Me Lord]]" and, with Preston, the [[Spiritual (music)|African-American spiritual]] "[[Sing One for the Lord]]".<ref name="Apple/EncouragingWords">Andy Davis, Billy Preston ''[[Encouraging Words]]'' CD, liner notes ([[Apple Records]], 2010; produced by George Harrison & Billy Preston).</ref> He had also produced two religious-themed hit singles on [[the Beatles]]' [[Apple Records|Apple]] record label: Preston's "[[That's the Way God Planned It (song)|That's the Way God Planned It]]" and [[Radha Krsna Temple|Radha Krishna Temple (London)]]'s "[[Hare Krishna Mantra (song)|Hare Krishna Mantra]]".<ref name="Eds of RS p 180" /><ref>Inglis, p. 21.</ref> The latter was a musical adaptation of the 5,000-year-old [[Vaishnavism|Vaishnava Hindu]] [[mantra]], performed by members of the [[International Society for Krishna Consciousness]] (ISKCON), colloquially known as "the Hare Krishna movement".<ref name="Allison p 46" /><ref name="Apple/RKT">Andy Davis, ''[[The Radha Krsna Temple]]'' CD, liner notes ([[Apple Records]], 2010; produced by George Harrison; reissue produced by Andy Davis & Mike Heatley).</ref> Harrison wanted to fuse the messages of the [[Christianity|Christian]] and [[Gaudiya Vaishnavism|Gaudiya Vaishnava]] faiths<ref name="Badman p 203" /> into what musical biographer Simon Leng terms "gospel incantation with a Vedic chant".<ref name="Leng p 71">Leng, p. 71.</ref>

The Copenhagen stopover marked the end of the Delaney & Bonnie tour, with a three-night residency at the Falkoner Theatre on 10–12 December.<ref>Miles, p. 362.</ref> According to Harrison's 1976 court testimony, "My Sweet Lord" was conceived while the band members were attending a backstage press conference and he had ducked out to an upstairs room at the theatre.<ref name="berkeley p 179">[http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Bright_Tunes_Music_v_Harrisongs.pdf ''Bright Tunes Music v Harrisongs''] (p. 179), [[UC Berkeley School of Law]] (retrieved 17 September 2012).</ref> Harrison recalled [[Vamp (music)#Vamp|vamping]] chords on guitar and alternating between sung phrases of "hallelujah" and "Hare Krishna".<ref name="Huntley p 130">Huntley, p. 130.</ref><ref name="Self">{{Cite web |last=Self |first=Joseph C. |date=1 January 1993 |title=The "My Sweet Lord"/"He's So Fine" Plagiarism Suit |url=https://www.abbeyrd.net/mysweet.htm |access-date=1 August 2025 |website=The "My Sweet Lord"/"He's So Fine" Plagiarism Suit}}</ref> He later took the idea to the others, and the chorus vocals were developed further.<ref name="berkeley p 179" />

Band leader [[Delaney Bramlett]]'s later version of events is that the idea originated from Harrison asking him how to go about writing a genuine gospel song,<ref name="Harris p 70" /> and that Bramlett demonstrated by [[scat singing]] the words "Oh my Lord" while wife [[Bonnie Bramlett|Bonnie]] and singer [[Rita Coolidge]] added gospel "hallelujah"s in reply.<ref name="Leng pp 66-67">Leng, pp. 66–67.</ref> Music journalist [[John Harris (critic)|John Harris]] has questioned the accuracy of Bramlett's account, however, comparing it to a fisherman's "It was this big"–type bragging story.<ref name="Harris p 70" /> Preston recalled that "My Sweet Lord" came about through Harrison asking him about writing gospel songs during the tour. Preston said he played some chords on a backstage piano and the Bramletts began singing "Oh my Lord" and "Hallelujah". According to Preston: "George took it from there and wrote the verses. It was very impromptu. We never thought it would be a hit."<ref name="Wilson/MojoSpecial">Lois Wilson, "The Fifth Element", ''[[The Mojo Collection|Mojo Special Limited Edition]]: 1000 Days of Revolution (The Beatles' Final Years – Jan 1, 1968 to Sept 27, 1970)'', Emap (London, 2003), p. 80.</ref>

Using as his inspiration [[Edwin Hawkins|the Edwin Hawkins Singers]]' rendition of an eighteenth-century Christian hymn, "[[Oh Happy Day]]",<ref name="Clayson p 280" /><ref name="Greene p 181">Greene, p. 181.</ref> Harrison continued working on the theme.<ref name="IMM p 176">George Harrison, p. 176.</ref> He completed the song, with help from Preston, once they had returned to London.<ref name="Huntley p 130" /><ref name="Self" />

==Composition==
The lyrics of "My Sweet Lord" reflect Harrison's often-stated desire for a direct relationship with God, expressed in simple words that all believers could affirm, regardless of their [[religion]].<ref name="Inglis p 24">Inglis, p. 24.</ref><ref name="Huntley p 54">Huntley, p. 54.</ref> He later attributed the song's message to [[Swami Vivekananda]],<ref>Harry, p. 238.</ref> particularly the latter's teaching: "If there's a God, we must see him. And if there is a soul, we must perceive it."<ref>Kahn, p. 539.</ref> Author Ian Inglis observes a degree of "understandable" impatience in the first verse's line "Really want to see you, Lord, but it takes so long, my Lord".<ref name="Inglis p 24" /> By the end of the song's second verse, Harrison declares a wish to "know" God also<ref name="Leng p 84">Leng, p. 84.</ref><ref name="Allison p 6">Allison, p. 6.</ref> and attempts to reconcile the impatience.<ref name="Inglis p 24" />

{{quote box|quote="My Sweet Lord" has got a [[mantra]] in there and mantras are – well, they call it a mystical sound vibration encased in the syllable{{nbsp}}... Once I chanted it for like three days non-stop, driving through Europe, and you just get hypnotised{{nbsp}}...<ref>Olivia Harrison, p. 280.</ref>|source= – George Harrison|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Following this verse, in response to the main vocal's repetition of the song title, Harrison devised a choral line singing the Hebrew word of praise, "hallelujah", common in the Christian and [[Judaism|Jewish]] religions.<ref name="Greene p 181" /> Later in the song, after an instrumental break, these voices return, now chanting the first twelve words of the Hare Krishna mantra, known more reverentially as the Maha mantra:<ref name="Allison p 46">Allison, p. 46.</ref><ref name="Greene p 181" />
{{Poemquote|
Hare [[Rama]], Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare}}

These [[Sanskrit]] words are the main mantra of the Hare Krishna faith, with which Harrison identified,<ref name="Eds of RS p 180" /><ref name="Lavezzoli, p. 195">Lavezzoli, p. 195.</ref><ref>Leng, pp. 58–59.</ref> although he did not belong to any spiritual organisation.<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 267.</ref><ref>Olivia Harrison, "A Few Words About George", in The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 10–11.</ref> In his 1980 autobiography, ''[[I, Me, Mine (book)|I, Me, Mine]]'', Harrison says that he intended repeating and alternating "hallelujah" and "Hare Krishna" to show that the two terms meant "quite the same thing",<ref name="IMM p 176" /> as well as to have listeners chanting the mantra "before they knew what was going on!"<ref name="MacFarlane p 79">MacFarlane, p. 79.</ref>

Following the Sanskrit lines, "hallelujah" is sung twice more before the mantra repeats,<ref name="Tillery p 88">Tillery, p. 88.</ref> along with an ancient Vedic prayer.<ref name="Leng p 84" /> According to Hindu tradition, this prayer is dedicated to a devotee's spiritual teacher, or [[guru]], and equates the teacher to the divine [[Trimurti]] – [[Brahma]], [[Vishnu]] and [[Shiva]] (or Maheshvara) – and to the Godhead, [[Brahman]].<ref name="Greene p 182">Greene, p. 182.</ref>
{{Poemquote|
Gurur Brahmā, gurur Viṣṇur
gurur devo Maheśvaraḥ
gurus sākṣāt, paraṃ Brahma
tasmai śrī gurave namaḥ.}}

Religious academic Joshua Greene, one of the Radha Krishna Temple devotees in 1970, translates the lines as follows: "I offer homage to my guru, who is as great as the creator Brahma, the maintainer Vishnu, the destroyer Shiva, and who is the very energy of God."<ref>Greene, pp. ix, 182.</ref> The prayer is the third verse of the [[Guru Stotram]], a fourteen-verse hymn in praise of Hindu spiritual teachers.<ref>Swami Atmananda (trans.), [http://www.chinmayatoronto.org/pdf/slokas/GuruStotram.pdf "Guru Stotram (Prayerful glorification of the Spiritual Teacher)"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601010759/http://www.chinmayatoronto.org/pdf/slokas/GuruStotram.pdf |date=1 June 2013 }}, chinmayatoronto.org (retrieved 11 September 2012).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The same verse appears at the end of [[Ravi Shankar]]'s "Vandanaa Trayee", the opening track of the Harrison-produced 1997 album ''[[Chants of India]]''.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 428, 488.</ref>}}

Several commentators cite the mantra and the simplicity of Harrison's lyrics as central to the song's universality.<ref name="Inglis p 24" /><ref name="Lavezzoli p 186">Lavezzoli, p. 186.</ref> In Inglis's view, "[The] lyrics are not directed at a specific manifestation of a single faith's [[deity]], but rather to the concept of one god whose essential nature is unaffected by particular interpretations and who pervades everything, is present everywhere, is all-knowing and all-powerful, and transcends time and space&nbsp;... All of us – Christian, Hindu, [[Muslim]], Jew, [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] – can address our gods in the same way, using the same phrase ['my sweet Lord']."<ref name="Inglis p 24" />

==Billy Preston's version==
{{Infobox song
| name          = My Sweet Lord
| cover         = Billy Preston "My Sweet Lord" French picture sleeve.jpg
| alt           = 
| type          = single
| artist        = [[Billy Preston]]
| album         = [[Encouraging Words]]
| B-side        = Little Girl
| released      = 3 December 1970
| recorded      = 
| studio        = 
| venue         = 
| genre         = [[Soul music|Soul]], [[Gospel music|gospel]]
| length        = 3:21
| label         = [[Apple Records|Apple]]
| writer        = [[George Harrison]]
| producer      = George Harrison, Billy Preston
| prev_title    = [[All That I've Got (I'm Gonna Give It to You)]]
| prev_year     = 1970
| next_title    = [[I Wrote a Simple Song (song)|I Wrote a Simple Song]]
| next_year     = 1971
}}

With the Beatles still together officially in December 1969, Harrison had no plans to make a solo album of his own and reportedly intended to offer "My Sweet Lord" to [[Edwin Hawkins]].<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 428">Madinger & Easter, p. 428.</ref><ref name="Spizer p 211">Spizer, p. 211.</ref> Instead, following the Delaney & Bonnie tour, he decided to record it with Billy Preston,<ref name="Clayson p 280" /> for whom Harrison was co-producing a second Apple album, ''[[Encouraging Words]]''.<ref>Leng, pp. 70–71.</ref><ref>Spizer, pp. 211, 340.</ref> Recording took place at [[Olympic Studios]] in London, in January 1970,<ref name="Apple/EncouragingWords" /> with Preston as principal musician,<ref name="Self" /> supported by the guitarist, bass player and drummer from [[the Temptations]]' backing band.<ref name="Badman p 203">Badman, p. 203.</ref> The Edwin Hawkins Singers happened to be on tour in the UK as well, so Harrison invited them to participate.<ref name="Badman p 203" /><ref name="Madinger & Easter p 428" />{{refn|group=nb|Hawkins' gospel group also [[Overdubbing|overdubbed]] vocals onto the Harrison–Preston collaboration "Sing One for the Lord" at this time.<ref name="Leng p 71" />}}

Preston's version of "My Sweet Lord" differs from Harrison's later reading in that the "hallelujah" refrain appears from the start of the song and, rather than the full mantra section, the words "Hare Krishna" are sung only twice throughout the whole track.<ref name="Badman p 203" /> With the Vedic prayer also absent, Leng views this original recording as a possible "definitive 'roots' take{{'"}} of the song, citing its "pure gospel groove" and Hawkins' participation.<ref name="Leng p 71" /> In his review of ''Encouraging Words'', Bruce Eder of [[AllMusic]] describes "My Sweet Lord" and "[[All Things Must Pass (song)|All Things Must Pass]]" (another Harrison composition originally given to Preston to record)<ref name="Clayson p 281">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 281.</ref> as "stunning gospel numbers&nbsp;... that make the Harrison versions seem pallid".<ref name="Eder/AM">Bruce Eder, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/encouraging-words-r1952618/review "Billy Preston ''Encouraging Words''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 13 September 2012).</ref>

It was stated in February 1970 that "My Sweet Lord" would be Preston's next single, and was later confirmed that it would be released in the UK on 4 September.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=14 February 1970 |title=Hare Krishna Disc |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |page=3}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=29 August 1970 |title=New LPs from Ringo Doris and Billy |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |page=4}}</ref> However, the single was withdrawn prior to release. Following the release of ''Encouraging Words'' in the US in November, "My Sweet Lord" was released as a single there in December. It climbed to number 90 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] by the end of February 1971,<ref>Spizer, p. 340.</ref> helped by the enormous success of Harrison's version.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 90, 91, 95, 352.</ref> Preston's single also peaked at number 23 on ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Billboard R&B chart|Best Selling Soul Singles]] chart.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 323.</ref> In March 1971, he recorded a live version with [[King Curtis]] that was released in 2006 on the expanded edition of Curtis's album ''[[Live at Fillmore West]]''.<ref name="Dennis/FT" />

==Recording==
===Basic track===
Five months after the Olympic session, with the Beatles having [[The Beatles' break-up|broken up]] in April 1970, "My Sweet Lord" was one of 30 or more tracks that Harrison recorded for his ''All Things Must Pass'' triple album.<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 427–34.</ref> He was initially reluctant to record the song, for fear of committing himself to such an overt religious message.<ref name="MacFarlane p 79" /><ref name="Spizer p 212">Spizer, p. 212.</ref> In ''I, Me, Mine'', he states: "I was sticking my neck out on the chopping block because now I would have to live up to something, but at the same time I thought 'Nobody's ''saying'' it; I wish somebody else was doing it.{{'"}}<ref name="IMM p 176" />

[[File:Abbey Rd Studios.jpg|left|230px|thumb|[[Abbey Road Studios]] (formerly EMI Studios), where Harrison recorded "My Sweet Lord"]]
Principal recording took place at EMI Studios (now [[Abbey Road Studios]]) in London, with [[Phil Spector]] co-producing the sessions.<ref name="Badman p 10">Badman, p. 10.</ref> [[Phil McDonald]] was the recording engineer for the basic track.<ref>MacFarlane, pp. 71–72.</ref> It was taped on 28 May, the first day of formal recording for ''All Things Must Pass'', after "[[Wah-Wah (song)|Wah-Wah]]".<ref name="Fleming & Radford p 18">Fleming & Radford, p. 18.</ref> Having assembled a large cast of backing musicians for the sessions, Harrison initially recorded five takes of "My Sweet Lord" with just acoustic guitars and [[Pump organ|harmonium]] before changing to a full band arrangement.<ref>Fleming & Radford, pp. 6–7, 18.</ref>

The line-up of musicians on the song has been hard to ascertain due to the lack of available studio documentation and conflicting recollections over the ensuing decades.<ref name="Spizer p 212" /><ref>Kruppa, event occurs at 13:30–13:39.</ref> The musicians were requested by Harrison and booked by former Beatles roadie [[Mal Evans]], acting in a role that Beatles scholar [[Kenneth Womack]] likens to a [[stage manager]] for the project. According to Womack and his co-author Jason Kruppa, Evans' diaries from the period provide the first reliable record of the participants at the ''All Things Must Pass'' sessions, since Evans paid the musicians and had to justify this expenditure to Apple.<ref>Kruppa, event occurs at 13:30–17:15.</ref>

Harrison said that the musicians included "about five" acoustic guitarists, [[Ringo Starr]] and [[Jim Gordon (musician)|Jim Gordon]] on drums,<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 428" /> two piano players and a bassist.<ref name="Harris/ClassicRock">John Harris, [https://www.loudersound.com/features/greatest-albums-of-the-70s-31 "How George Harrison Made the Greatest Beatles Solo Album of Them All"], ''[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]''/loudersound.com, 27 November 2016 (retrieved 1 November 2020).</ref> Evans' diary entry for 28 May lists the players on "My Sweet Lord" as Harrison, [[Eric Clapton]] and [[Badfinger]] guitarists [[Pete Ham]] and [[Joey Molland]], all on acoustic guitars; [[Gary Brooker]] on piano; [[Bobby Whitlock]] on harmonium; [[Klaus Voormann]] on bass; Starr on drums; and [[Alan White (Yes drummer)|Alan White]] on tambourine.<ref name="Kruppa/MSL personnel">Kruppa, event occurs at 19:37–20:05.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Authors Simon Leng and [[Bruce Spizer]] list Preston as having played on the recording, along with Clapton, [[Gary Wright]] (on piano), Voormann, and all four members of Badfinger (on acoustic guitars and tambourine).<ref name="Spizer p 212" /><ref name="Leng p 83">Leng, p. 83.</ref> Wright's first Harrison session was for "[[Isn't It a Pity]]", however, which took place on 2 June.<ref>Fleming & Radford, pp. 20–21.</ref> Leng compiled his description of the album sessions after consulting Voormann and [[John Barham]] in the early 2000s, and from an interview with Molland; Leng states that his keyboard credits for ''All Things Must Pass'' are "more indicative than authoritative".<ref>Leng, pp. 79fn, 82fn.</ref> According to Kruppa, citing Evans' list, Badfinger drummer [[Mike Gibbins]] was evidently "sitting out" the session for "My Sweet Lord", having played tambourine on "Wah-Wah" earlier that day.<ref name="Kruppa/MSL personnel" />}}

Harrison recalled working hard with the other acoustic guitarists "to get them all to play exactly the same rhythm so it just sounded perfectly in sync".<ref name="Harris/ClassicRock" /> To achieve the resonant guitar sound on this and other ''All Things Must Pass'' tracks, Molland said that he and his bandmates were partitioned off inside a plywood structure.<ref name="Simons/AcousticGuitar">David Simons, [https://web.archive.org/web/20071010121901/http://www.acousticguitar.com/issues/ag122/feature122.html "The Unsung Beatle: George Harrison's behind-the-scenes contributions to the world's greatest band"], ''[[Acoustic Guitar (magazine)|Acoustic Guitar]]'', February 2003, p. 60 (archived version retrieved 6 May 2021).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Molland added: "I remember hearing the rough-mix playback of 'My Sweet Lord'. The balance was all there, it was so incredibly full – an enormous acoustic guitar sound without any [[double tracking]] or anything. Just all of us going at once, straight on."<ref name="Simons/AcousticGuitar" />}} McDonald put what he terms a "half soundproof box" around Harrison, to help capture his acoustic guitar.<ref name="Fleming & Radford p 18" />

===Overdubs===
{{quote box|quote="My Sweet Lord" must have taken about twelve hours to overdub the guitar solos. He must have had that in triplicate, six-part harmony, before we decided on two-part harmony. Perfectionist is not the word{{nbsp}}... He was beyond that. He just had to have it so right. He would try and try and experiment upon experiment{{nbsp}}... He'd do the same with the background vocals.<ref name="OliviaH p 282" />|source= – [[Phil Spector]] on Harrison's dedication to overdubs on the initial recording|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Take 16 of "My Sweet Lord" was selected for [[Overdubbing|overdubs]].<ref name="Fleming & Radford p 18" /> From late July onwards,<ref>Fleming & Radford, pp. 37–38.</ref> Harrison and [[Peter Frampton]] added further acoustic guitars to the song<ref>Goldmine1, [https://www.goldminemag.com/articles/peter-framptons-farewell-to-the-road "Peter Frampton Gives His Farewell to the Road"], ''[[Goldmine (magazine)|Goldmine]]'', 24 July 2019 (retrieved 4 July 2019).</ref> and to other tracks from the album.<ref>Harry, p. 180.</ref><ref>Tim Jones, "Peter Frampton Still Alive!", ''[[Record Collector]]'', April 2001, p. 83.</ref> The chorus vocals were all sung by Harrison and credited to "the George O'Hara-Smith Singers".<ref name="MacFarlane p 79" /><ref name="Schaffner p 142">Schaffner, p. 142.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|In his 2010 autobiography, however, Bobby Whitlock states that he sang backing vocals with Harrison.<ref name="Whitlock pp 79-80">Whitlock, pp. 79–80.</ref>}} These contributions, together with Harrison's [[slide guitar]] parts and Barham's orchestral arrangement, were overdubbed during the next two months,<ref name="OliviaH p 282">Olivia Harrison, p. 282.</ref> partly at [[Trident Studios]] in central London with engineer [[Ken Scott]].<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 428" /><ref>MacFarlane, pp. 72, 76, 79.</ref>

Harrison experimented with several harmony ideas in his guitar parts,<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', pp. 279–80.</ref> having first applied himself to mastering slide during the 1969 Delaney & Bonnie tour.<ref>Lavezzoli, p. 188.</ref> Scott had to extend the original track, repeating a portion of the final section, to allow for the closing prayer and fadeout.<ref>MacFarlane, p. 158.</ref> The session for Barham's string arrangement took place on 18 September, involving 22 orchestral musicians.<ref name="Kruppa/MSL strings">Kruppa, event occurs at 31:15–31:30.</ref>

===Arrangement===
Harrison biographer Simon Leng describes the completed recording as a "painstakingly crafted tableau" of sound, beginning with a bank of "chiming" acoustic guitars and the "flourish" of [[zither]] strings that introduces Harrison's slide-guitar [[motif (music)|motif]].<ref name="Leng pp 83-84">Leng, pp. 83–84.</ref> At close to the two-minute mark, after the tension-building [[bridge (music)|bridge]], a subtle two-[[semitone]] shift in [[Key (music)|key]] (from [[E major]] to the rarely used key of [[F-sharp major|F{{music|sharp}} major]], via a C{{music|sharp}} [[dominant seventh chord]]) signals the song's release from its extended introduction.<ref name="Pedler pp 621-24">Pedler, pp. 621–24.</ref> This higher register is then complemented by Harrison's "increasingly impassioned" vocal, according to Inglis, and the subsequent "timely reappearance" of his twin slide guitars,<ref name="Inglis p 24" /> before the backing vocals switch to the Sanskrit mantra and prayer.<ref name="Tillery p 88" /> Leng comments on the [[Music of India|Indian music]] aspects of the arrangement, in the "[[swarmandal]]-like" zithers, representing the [[sympathetic string]]s of a [[sitar]], and the slide guitars' evocation of [[sarangi]], [[Esraj|dilruba]] and other string instruments.<ref>Leng, pp. 83, 84–85.</ref> In an interview for [[Martin Scorsese]]'s 2011 documentary ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'', Spector recalls that he liked the results so much, he insisted that "My Sweet Lord" be the [[lead single]] from the album.<ref name="PS interview">Phil Spector interview, in ''[[George Harrison: Living in the Material World]]'' DVD, 2011 (directed by Martin Scorsese; produced by Olivia Harrison, Nigel Sinclair & Martin Scorsese).</ref>

This [[rock music|rock]] version of the song was markedly different from the "Oh Happy Day"-inspired gospel arrangement in musical and structural terms,<ref name="Apple/EncouragingWords" /> aligning Harrison's composition with [[pop music]] conventions, but also drawing out the similarities of its melody line with that of the Chiffons' 1963 hit "[[He's So Fine]]".<ref name="Clayson p 280" /> Beatles historian [[Bruce Spizer]] writes that this was due to Harrison being "so focused on the feel of his record",<ref name="Spizer p 213" /> while ''[[Record Collector]]'' editor [[Peter Doggett]] wrote in 2001 that, despite Harrison's inspiration for "My Sweet Lord" having come from "Oh Happy Day", "in the hands of producer and arranger Phil Spector, it came out as a carbon copy of the Chiffons' [song]".<ref>Doggett, p. 36.</ref> Chip Madinger and Mark Easter rue that Spector, as "master of all that was '[[Girl group|girl-group]]' during the early '60s", failed to recognise the similarities.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 428" />

==Release==
Before arriving in New York on 28 October to carry out mastering on ''All Things Must Pass'', Harrison had announced that no single would be issued – so as not to "detract from the impact" of the album.<ref>Badman, p. 15.</ref> Apple's US executive, Allan Steckler, surprised him by insisting that not only should Harrison abandon thoughts of paring down his new material into a single LP, but there were three sure-fire hit singles: "My Sweet Lord", "[[Isn't It a Pity]]" and "[[What Is Life]]".<ref>Spizer, p. 220.</ref> Spector said that he had to "fight" Harrison and the latter's manager, [[Allen Klein]], to ensure that "My Sweet Lord" was issued as the single.<ref name="PS interview" /> Film director Howard Worth recalls a preliminary finance meeting for the ''[[Raga (film)|Raga]]'' documentary (for which Harrison would provide emergency funding through [[Apple Films]])<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 308.</ref> that began with the ex-Beatle asking him to listen to a selection of songs and pick his favourite, which was "My Sweet Lord".<ref>{{YouTube|-VVi6sC54kA|"Howard Worth discussing ''Raga'' (2010)"}} (retrieved 15 February 2012).</ref> The song was selected even though Preston's version was already scheduled for release as a single in America the following month.<ref name="Spizer p 212" />

Harrison was opposed to the release, but relented to Apple's wishes.<ref>Rodriguez, p. 62.</ref> "My Sweet Lord" was issued as the album's lead single around the world, but not in Britain;<ref name="PS interview" /> the release date was 23 November 1970 in the United States.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 93.</ref> The mix of the song differed from that found on ''All Things Must Pass'' by featuring less [[Reverberation|echo]] and a slightly altered backing-vocal track.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 428" /><ref name="Spizer p 212" /> Both sides of the North American picture sleeve consisted of a [[Barry Feinstein]] photo of Harrison taken through a window at his recently purchased [[Friar Park]] home, with some of the estate's trees reflected in the glass.<ref name="Spizer p 213" /> Released as a [[double A-side]] with "Isn't It a Pity", with Apple catalogue number 2995 in America, both sides of the disc featured a full Apple label.<ref name="Spizer p 213">Spizer, p. 213.</ref>

Public demand via constant [[airplay]] in Britain led to a belated UK release,<ref>Badman, p. 22.</ref> on 15 January 1971.<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 99.</ref> There, as Apple R 5884, the single was backed by "What Is Life", a song that Apple soon released elsewhere internationally as the follow-up to "My Sweet Lord".<ref>Spizer, pp. 211, 231.</ref>

==Impact and commercial performance==
{{quote box|quote=''All Things Must Pass'' was an unconditional triumph for Harrison{{nbsp}}... "My Sweet Lord" was everything that people wanted to hear in November 1970: shimmering harmonies, lustrous acoustic guitars, a solid Ringo Starr [[backbeat]], and an exquisite [Harrison] guitar solo.<ref name="Lavezzoli p 186" />|source= – Author Peter Lavezzoli, ''The Dawn of Indian Music in the West''|width=25%|align=left|style=padding:8px;}}
Harrison's version of "My Sweet Lord" was an international number 1 hit by the end of 1970 and through the early months of 1971.<ref name="Doggett/RecColl p 37" /> It was the first solo single by a Beatle to reach the top,<ref name="Frontani p 158">Frontani, p. 158.</ref> and the biggest seller by any of the four throughout the 1970s.<ref>Schaffner, pp. 142–43.</ref><ref>Leng, pp. 85, 105.</ref> Without the support of any concert appearances or promotional interviews by Harrison, the single's commercial success was due to its impact on radio,<ref name="Spizer p 211" /> where, Harrison biographer [[Gary Tillery]] writes, the song "rolled across the airwaves like a [[juggernaut]], with commanding presence, much the way [[Bob Dylan|Dylan]]'s '[[Like a Rolling Stone]]' had arrived in the mid-sixties".<ref name="Tillery p 89">Tillery, p. 89.</ref> [[Elton John]] recalled first hearing "My Sweet Lord" in a taxi and named it as the last of the era's great singles: "I thought, 'Oh my God,' and I got chills. You know when a record starts on the radio, and it's great, and you think, 'Oh, what is this, what is this, what is this?' The only other record I ever felt that way about [afterwards] was '[[Brown Sugar (Rolling Stones song)|Brown Sugar]]'&nbsp;..."<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 233.</ref>

Writing for ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in 2002, [[Mikal Gilmore]] said "My Sweet Lord" was "as pervasive on radio and in youth consciousness as anything the Beatles had produced".<ref name="Eds of RS p 40">The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 40.</ref> The release coincided with a period when religion and spirituality had become a craze among Western youth, as songs by Radha Krishna Temple and adaptations of the Christian hymns "Oh Happy Day" and "[[Amazing Grace]]" were all worldwide hits,<ref name="Clayson p 294">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 294.</ref> even as church attendance continued to decline.<ref name="Frontani p 158" />{{refn|group=nb|Author [[Ian MacDonald]] credited Harrison with inspiring this "Spiritual Revival", due to his championing of Indian culture and Hindu philosophy from 1966 onwards with the Beatles.<ref>Ian MacDonald, "The Psychedelic Experience", ''[[The Mojo Collection|Mojo Special Limited Edition]]: 1000 Days That Shook the World (The Psychedelic Beatles – April 1, 1965 to December 26, 1967)'', Emap (London, 2002), pp. 35–36.</ref>}} Harrison's song popularised the Hare Krishna mantra internationally,<ref name="Beliefnet">[https://www.beliefnet.com/wellness/health/health-support/grief-and-loss/2002/12/george-harrison-the-art-of-dying.aspx "George Harrison & the Art of Dying: How a lifetime of spiritual search led to a beautiful death"], [[Beliefnet]], December 2002 (retrieved 1 November 2020).</ref> further to the impact of the Radha Krishna Temple's 1969 recording.<ref name="Lavezzoli, p. 195"/> In response to the heavy radio play, letters poured into the London temple from around the world, thanking Harrison for his religious message in "My Sweet Lord".<ref>Greene, pp. 182–83.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Harrison said he still received such letters in the 1980s.<ref>Greene, p. 183.</ref>}} According to music historian Andrew Grant Jackson, the single's impact surpassed that of any other song in the era's spiritual revival, and Harrison's Indian-influenced slide playing, soon heard also in recordings by Lennon, Starr and Badfinger, was one of the most distinctive sounds of the early 1970s.<ref>Jackson, p. 28.</ref>

The single was certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] on 14 December 1970 for sales of over 1 million copies.<ref name="Spizer p 211" /><ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 332.</ref> It reached number 1 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] on 26 December,<ref>Badman, p. 18.</ref> remaining on top for four weeks, three of which coincided with ''All Things Must Pass''{{'}}s seven-week run atop the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' albums chart]].<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, pp. 352, 262.</ref><ref>Badman, p. 21.</ref> While ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' recognised both sides of the single in the US,<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 352.</ref> only "Isn't It a Pity" was listed when the record topped Canada's [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'' 100]] chart.<ref name="RPM chart">[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3733&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=5ppv5gl1nvtb61pjd64e29bap6 "''RPM'' 100 Singles, 26 December 1970"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429161226/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3733&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=5ppv5gl1nvtb61pjd64e29bap6 |date=29 April 2014 }}, [[Library and Archives Canada]] (retrieved 4 August 2012).</ref>

In Britain, "My Sweet Lord" entered the charts at number 7, before hitting number 1 on 30 January<ref>Badman, p. 25.</ref> and staying there for five weeks.<ref name="UKchart">[http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/_/george%20harrison/ "Artist: George Harrison"], [[Official Charts Company]] (retrieved 6 May 2013).</ref> It was the biggest-selling single of 1971 in the UK<ref>[http://www.popreport.co.uk/chart_history/71_main.php "Top 10 Best Selling UK Singles of 1971"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914033245/http://www.popreport.co.uk/chart_history/71_main.php |date=14 September 2012 }}, Pop Report (retrieved 16 September 2012).</ref><ref name="Badman p 59">Badman, p. 59.</ref> and performed similarly well around the world,<ref name="Schaffner p 142" /> particularly in France and Germany, where it held the top spot for nine and ten weeks, respectively.<ref name=goldendiscs2 /> In his 2001 appraisal of Harrison's Apple recordings, for ''Record Collector'', Doggett described Harrison as "arguably the most successful rock star on the planet" over this period, adding: {{"'}}My Sweet Lord' and ''All Things Must Pass'' topped charts all over the world, easily outstripping other solo Beatles projects later in the year, such as ''[[Ram (album)|Ram]]'' and ''[[Imagine (John Lennon album)|Imagine]]''."<ref name="Doggett/RecColl p 37">Doggett, p. 37.</ref>

The single's worldwide sales amounted to 5 million copies by 1978, making it one of the [[List of best-selling singles|best-selling singles of all time]].<ref name=goldendiscs2>Murrells, p. 395.</ref> By 2010, according to Inglis, "My Sweet Lord" had sold over 10 million copies.<ref>Inglis, p. 23.</ref> The song returned to the number 1 position again in the UK when reissued in January 2002, two months after Harrison's death from cancer at the age of 58.<ref name="UKchart" />

==Contemporary critical reception==
Reviewing the single for ''Rolling Stone'', [[Jon Landau]] called the track "sensational".<ref name="Frontani pp 158, 266">Frontani, pp. 158, 266.</ref> ''Billboard''{{'}}s reviewer described the record as "a powerhouse two-sided winner", saying that "My Sweet Lord" had the "potent feel and flavor of another 'Oh Happy Day{{'"}}, with powerful lyrics and an "infectious rhythm".<ref>Billboard Review Panel, [https://books.google.com/books?id=tCkEAAAAMBAJ&q=harrison "Spotlight Singles"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 21 November 1970, p. 88 (retrieved 21 October 2020).</ref> ''[[Record World]]'' called it "a haunting inspirational hare krishna chant-song to a tune reminiscent of the Chiffons' 'He's So Fine.'"<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Picks of the Week|magazine=Record World|date=November 28, 1970|page=1|accessdate=2023-04-23|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/70s/70/RW-1970-11-28.pdf}}</ref> Ben Gerson of ''Rolling Stone'' commented that the substituting of Harrison's "Hare Krishna" refrain for the trivial "Doo-lang, doo-lang, doo-lang"s of "He's So Fine" was "a sign of the times"<ref name="Gerson/RS">Ben Gerson, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/all-things-must-pass-19710121 "George Harrison ''All Things Must Pass''"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428064752/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/all-things-must-pass-19710121 |date=28 April 2013 }}, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 21 January 1971, p. 46 (retrieved 30 March 2014).</ref> and recognised Harrison as "perhaps the premier studio musician among rock band guitarists".<ref name="Frontani p 158" />{{refn|group=nb|Lennon told a reporter, "Every time I put the radio on, it's 'Oh my Lord' – I'm beginning to think there must be a God."<ref name="Schaffner p 143">Schaffner, p. 143.</ref>}} In his December 1970 album review for ''[[NME]]'', Alan Smith bemoaned the apparent lack of a UK single release for "My Sweet Lord". Smith said the song "seems to owe something" to "He's So Fine",<ref name="Smith/NME">Alan Smith, "George Harrison: ''All Things Must Pass'' (Apple)", ''[[NME]]'', 5 December 1970, p. 2; available at [http://www.rocksbackpages.com/article.html?ArticleID=20023 Rock's Backpages] (subscription required; retrieved 30 March 2014).</ref><ref name="Moore/NMEOrig" /> and Gerson called it an "obvious re-write".<ref name="Gerson/RS" />

Led by the single, the album encouraged widespread recognition of Harrison as a solo artist and revised views of the nature of the Beatles' creative leadership.<ref name="Frontani pp 158, 266" /> Among these writers,<ref>Frontani, p. 266.</ref> Don Heckman of ''[[The New York Times]]'' predicted that "My Sweet Lord" / "Isn't It a Pity" would soon top the US charts and credited Harrison with having "generated some of the major changes in the style and substance of the Beatles" through his championing of Indian music and Eastern religion.<ref>Don Heckman, [https://www.nytimes.com/1970/12/20/archives/pop-two-and-a-half-beatles-on-their-own.html "Pop: Two and a Half Beatles on Their Own"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 20 December 1970, p. 104 (retrieved 3 November 2020).</ref>

In a January 1971 review for ''NME'', Derek Johnson expressed surprise at Apple's delay in releasing the single in the UK, and stated: "In my opinion, this record – finally and irrevocably – establishes George as a talent equivalent to either Lennon or McCartney."<ref name="Moore/NMEOrig">Hunt, p. 32.</ref> David Hughes of ''[[Disc (magazine)|Disc and Music Echo]]'' said he had run out of superlatives to describe the two sides. He deemed "My Sweet Lord" "the most instant and the most commercial" track on ''All Things Must Pass'', adding that the single release was long overdue and a solution for those put off by the high price of the triple LP. Hughes also wrote: "A great rhythm is set up and then comes that superb steel guitar with which he's so fallen in love{{nbsp}}... [The track] does sound like the old Chiffons' song 'He's So Fine', but that's not a knock, just a cocky observation."<ref>David Hughes, "New Singles: Sweet smell of success for George!", ''[[Disc (magazine)|Disc and Music Echo]]'', 16 January 1971, p. 19.</ref>

At the end of 1971, "My Sweet Lord" topped the ''[[Melody Maker]]'' reader's polls for both "Single of the Year" and "World's Single of the Year".<ref name="UMD">[http://umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Search=george+harrison&Where=Bands Artist: George Harrison], UMD Music (retrieved 14 September 2012).</ref> It was also voted "Single of the Year" in a poll conducted by [[Radio Luxembourg (English)|Radio Luxembourg]].<ref>Badman, p. 58.</ref> In the US publication ''[[Record World]]'', the song was voted best single and Harrison was named as "Top Male Vocalist of 1971".<ref name="Badman p 59" /> In June 1972, Harrison won two [[Ivor Novello Awards|Ivor Novello]] songwriter's awards for "My Sweet Lord".<ref name="Badman p 75">Badman, p. 75.</ref>

==Copyright infringement suit==
===Initial action===
On 10 February 1971, Bright Tunes Music Corporation filed suit against Harrison and associated organisations (including [[Harrisongs]], Apple Records and [[Broadcast Music, Inc.|BMI]]), alleging copyright infringement of the late Ronnie Mack's song "He's So Fine".<ref name="Self" /> In ''I Me Mine'', Harrison admits to having thought "Why didn't I realise?" when others started pointing out the similarity between the two songs.<ref name="IMM p 176" /> By June that year, country singer [[Jody Miller]] had released a cover of "He's So Fine" incorporating Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" slide-guitar riffs,<ref name="Clayson p 354" /> thereby "really putting the screws in" from Harrison's point of view.<ref name="Huntley p 131">Huntley, p. 131.</ref> At this time, Bright Tunes were themselves the subject of litigation, as Mack's mother had sued the company over non-payment of royalties.<ref name="Clayson p 353" /> Allen Klein entered into negotiations with Bright Tunes, offering to buy its entire catalogue, but no settlement could be reached before the company was forced into [[receivership]].<ref name="Self" />

[[Musicology|Musicologist]] Dominic Pedler writes that both songs have a three-syllable title refrain followed by a 5-3-2 descent of the [[major scale]] in the [[Tonic (music)|tonic key]] (E major for "My Sweet Lord" and G major for "He's So Fine"); respective [[tempo]]s are similar: 121 and 145 beats per minute.<ref>Pedler, p. 624.</ref> In the respective B sections ("I really want to see you" and "I dunno how I'm gonna do it"), there is a similar ascent through 5-6-8, but the Chiffons distinctively retain the G tonic for four bars and, on the repeat of the [[Motif (music)|motif]], uniquely go to an A-note [[Ninth|9th]] embellishment over the first syllable of "gonna".<ref name="Pedler pp 621-24" /> Harrison, on the other hand, introduces the more complex harmony of a relative [[Major and minor|minor]] (C#m), as well as the fundamental and distinctly original slide-guitar motif.<ref name="Pedler pp 621-24" />

While the case was on hold, Harrison and his former bandmates Lennon and Starr chose to sever ties with Klein at the end of March 1973 – an acrimonious split that led to further lawsuits for the three ex-Beatles.<ref>Badman, pp. 94, 109.</ref> Bright Tunes and Harrison later resumed their negotiations. His final offer of 40 percent of "My Sweet Lord"{{'s}} US composer's and publisher's royalties, along with a stipulation that he retain copyright for his song, was viewed as a "good one" by Bright's legal representation, yet the offer was rejected.<ref name="Huntley p 131" /> It later came to light that Klein had renewed his efforts to purchase the ailing company, now solely for himself, and to that end was supplying Bright Tunes with insider details regarding "My Sweet Lord"{{'s}} sales figures and copyright value.<ref name="Self" /><ref name="Huntley p 132" />

According to journalist [[Bob Woffinden]], writing in 1981, the case would most likely have been settled privately, as so many had been in the past, had Mack still been alive and had "personal ownership of the copyright" been a factor.<ref>Woffinden, pp. 99, 102.</ref> In the build-up to the case going to court, the Chiffons recorded a version of "My Sweet Lord" in 1975, with the aim of drawing attention to the lawsuit.<ref name="Clayson p 354">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 354.</ref> Author [[Alan Clayson]] has described the [[Music plagiarism|plagiarism suit]] as "the most notorious civil action of the decade",<ref>Clayson, ''Ringo Starr'', p. 263.</ref> saying that the "extremity" of the proceedings were provoked by a combination of the commercial success of Harrison's single and the intervention of "litigation-loving Mr Klein".<ref name="Clayson p 353">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 353.</ref>

===Court hearing and ruling===
''Bright Tunes Music v. Harrisongs Music'' went to the [[United States district court]] on 23 February 1976, to hear evidence on the allegation of plagiarism.<ref name="Self" /><ref name="Huntley p 132">Huntley, p. 132.</ref> Harrison attended the proceedings in New York, with a guitar, and each side called musical experts to support its argument.<ref name="Clayson p 354" /> Harrison's counsel contended that he had drawn inspiration from "Oh Happy Day" and that Mack's composition was also derived from that hymn. The judge presiding was [[Richard Owen (judge)|Richard Owen]], a classical musician and composer of operas in his spare time.<ref name="Woffinden p 102">Woffinden, p. 102.</ref>

After reconvening in September 1976, the court found that Harrison had subconsciously copied "He's So Fine", since he admitted to having been aware of the Chiffons' recording.<ref>Badman, p. 191.</ref> Owen said in his conclusion to the proceedings:<ref>''[https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?q=bright+tunes+v.+harrisongs&hl=en&as_sdt=400006&case=7721050309378220492&scilh=0 Bright Tunes Music Corp. v. Harrisongs Music, Ltd.]'', 420 F. Supp. 177 – Dist. Court, SD New York 1976.</ref>
<blockquote>Did Harrison deliberately use the music of "He's So Fine"? I do not believe he did so deliberately. Nevertheless, it is clear that "My Sweet Lord" is the very same song as "He's So Fine" with different words, and Harrison had access to "He's So Fine". This is, under the law, infringement of copyright, and is no less so even though subconsciously accomplished.</blockquote>

===Damages and litigation===
With liability established, the court recommended an amount for the [[damages]] to be paid by Harrison and Apple to Bright Tunes, which Owen totalled at $1,599,987.<ref name="Huntley p 136" /> This figure amounted to three-quarters of the royalty revenue raised in North America from "My Sweet Lord", as well as a significant proportion of that from the ''All Things Must Pass'' album.<ref name="Self" /> Some observers have considered this unreasonable and unduly harsh,<ref name="Clayson pp 353-54">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', pp. 353–54.</ref> since it underplayed the unique elements of Harrison's recording – the universal spiritual message of its lyrics, the signature guitar hook, and its production – and ignored the acclaim his album received in its own right.<ref name="Self" /><ref name="Huntley pp 133-34">Huntley, pp. 133–34.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Elliot Huntley comments: "People don't usually hear a single and then automatically go and buy an expensive boxed-set triple album on the off-chance."<ref name="Huntley p 134">Huntley, p. 134.</ref>}} The award factored in the royalty revenue raised from "My Sweet Lord"{{'s}} inclusion on the recent ''[[The Best of George Harrison|Best of George Harrison]]'' compilation, though at a more moderate percentage than for the 1970 album.<ref name="Self" /> In the UK, the corresponding damages suit, brought by Peter Maurice Music, was swiftly settled out of court in July 1977.<ref name="Clayson p 353" />

During the drawn-out damages portion of the US suit, events played into Harrison's hands when Klein's [[ABKCO Records#History|ABKCO Industries]] purchased the copyright to "He's So Fine", and with it all litigation claims,<ref name="Clayson pp 353-54" /> after which Klein proceeded to negotiate sale of the song to Harrison.<ref name="Self" /> On 19 February 1981, the court decided that, due to Klein's duplicity in the case, Harrison would only have to pay ABKCO $587,000 instead of the $1.6 million award and would also receive the rights to "He's So Fine" – $587,000 being the amount Klein had paid Bright Tunes for the song in 1978.<ref name="Self" /><ref name="Huntley p 136">Huntley, p. 136.</ref> The court ruled that Klein's actions had been in breach of the [[fiduciary]] duty owed to Harrison, a duty that continued "even after the principal–agent relationship ended".<ref name="Self" />

The litigation continued through to the early 1990s as the finer points of the settlement were finally decided. In his 1993 essay on ''Bright Tunes v. Harrisongs'', Joseph Self describes it as "without question, one of the longest running legal battles ever to be litigated in [the United States]".<ref name="Self" /> Music journalist [[David Cavanagh]] termed it "the most absurd legal [[black comedy]] in the annals of rock".<ref name="Cavanagh/Uncut" /> Matters were concluded in March 1998.<ref name="Spizer p 213" /> Harrison retained the rights for both songs in the UK and North America, and Klein was awarded the rights elsewhere in the world.<ref name="Dennis/FT" />

===Reaction===
The ruling set new legal precedents and was a personal blow for Harrison, who said he was too "paranoid" to write anything new for some time afterwards.<ref name="Clayson p 355">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 355.</ref><ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 47, 132.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|He commented that whenever he listened to the radio, "every tune I hear sounds like something else."<ref name="Dennis/FT" />}} Early reaction in the music industry saw [[Little Richard]] claim for breach of copyright in a track recorded by the Beatles in 1964 for the ''[[Beatles for Sale]]'' album,<ref name="Clayson p 354" /> as well as Ringo Starr credit songwriter [[Clifford T. Ward]] as the inspiration for his ''[[Ringo's Rotogravure]]'' song "Lady Gaye".<ref>Clayson, ''Ringo Starr'', p. 267.</ref>

{{quote box|quote=Look, I'd be willing, every time I write a song, if somebody will have a computer and I can just play any new song into it, and the computer will say, "Sorry" or, "OK". The last thing I want to do is keep spending my life in court.<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', pp. 355, 479.</ref>|source= – George Harrison, October 1977|width=25%|align=right|style=padding:8px;}}
Shortly before the ruling was handed down in September 1976, Harrison wrote and recorded a song inspired by the court case – the upbeat "[[This Song]]".<ref>Huntley, p. 147.</ref> It includes the lines "This tune has nothing 'Bright' about it" and "don't infringe on anyone's copyright".<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 132.</ref> The 1960s [[Soul music|soul]] hits "[[I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)]]" and "[[Rescue Me (Fontella Bass song)|Rescue Me]]", as well as his own composition "[[You (George Harrison song)|You]]", are all name-checked in the lyrics,<ref>Inglis, p. 61.</ref> as if to demonstrate the point that, as he later put it, "99 per cent of the popular music that can be heard is reminiscent of something or other."<ref>George Harrison, p. 340.</ref><ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 356.</ref> In ''I, Me, Mine'', Harrison says of the episode: "I don't feel guilty or bad about it, in fact ['My Sweet Lord'] saved many a heroin addict's life. I know the ''motive'' behind writing the song in the first place and its effect far exceeded the legal hassle."<ref name="MacFarlane p 103">MacFarlane, p. 103.</ref>

According to Woffinden, the ruling came as no surprise in the US. "He's So Fine" had been a major hit there, unlike in the UK, and American commentators had been quick to scrutinise "My Sweet Lord" for its similarities.<ref name="Woffinden p 99">Woffinden, p. 99.</ref> Woffinden nevertheless wrote that "within the context of rock music, it was an unjust decision" and that Owen "clearly understood nothing of rock 'n' roll, or gospel, or popular music" in terms of shared influences. Woffinden commented that, as of 1981, no comparable action over copyright infringement had been launched despite the continuation of this tradition; he cited the appropriation of aspects of Harrison's 1966 song "[[Taxman]]" in [[the Jam]]'s recent number 1 hit "[[Start!]]" as an example of the industry's preference for avoiding the courtroom.<ref name="Woffinden p 102" />{{refn|group=nb|Woffinden said that Harrison showed admirable restraint in declining to take legal action against the Jam or publicly comment on such a "blatant" appropriation.<ref name="Woffinden p 102" /> Clayson cites Harrison's agitation at the {{"'}}He's So Fine' affair" as the reason he overlooked several other potential infringements, including [[Roxy Music]]'s "A Song for Europe" (which resembled "[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]"), [[Madonna]]'s "[[Material Girl]]" (which borrowed from "[[Living in the Material World (song)|Living in the Material World]]"), and [[Enya]]'s "[[Orinoco Flow]]" (which used Harrison's guitar motif from "[[Blow Away]]").<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', pp. 354–55, 367.</ref>}}

When asked to comment on the decision in a 1976 interview, Starr said: "There's no doubt that the tune is similar but how many songs have been written with other melodies in mind? George's version is much heavier than the Chiffons – he might have done it with the original in the back of his mind, but he's just very unlucky that someone wanted to make it a test case in court."<ref>Badman, p. 195.</ref> In his 1980 interview with ''[[Playboy]]'', [[John Lennon]] expressed doubt about the notion of "subconscious" plagiarism, saying of Harrison: "He must have known, you know. He's smarter than that&nbsp;... He could have changed a couple of bars in that song and nobody could ever have touched him, but he just let it go and paid the price. Maybe he thought God would just sort of let him off."<ref>Sheff, p. 150.</ref><ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', pp. 296, 353.</ref> McCartney conceded that the Beatles "stole a lot of stuff" from other artists.<ref>Nick Deriso, [https://ultimateclassicrock.com/classic-rock-rip-offs/ "Classic Rock Artists Who (Allegedly) Ripped Somebody Off"], ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]'', 6 October 2017 (retried 22 October 2020).</ref> In a 2008 interview, he said Harrison taking from "He's So Fine" was justified because Harrison had avoided the "boy–girl thing" and offered an important spiritual message.<ref name="Cavanagh/Uncut">David Cavanagh, "George Harrison: The Dark Horse", ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]'', August 2008, p. 43.</ref>

==Retrospective reviews and legacy==
AllMusic's [[Richie Unterberger]] says of the song's international popularity: {{"'}}My Sweet Lord' has a quasi-religious feel, but nevertheless has enough conventional pop appeal to reach mainstream listeners who may or may not care to dig into the spiritual lyrical message."<ref name=autogenerated2>Richie Unterberger, [https://www.allmusic.com/song/my-sweet-lord-t743153 "George Harrison 'My Sweet Lord{{'"}}], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 1 April 2012).</ref> Some [[Christian fundamentalist]] anti-rock activists have objected that chanting "Hare Krishna" in "My Sweet Lord" was anti-Christian or [[Satan]]ic, while some [[Born again (Christianity)|born-again Christians]] adopted the song as an [[anthem]].<ref>Mark Sullivan, {{"'}}More Popular Than Jesus': The Beatles and the Religious Far Right", ''Popular Music'', vol. 6 (3), October 1987, p. 319.</ref> Simon Leng describes the slide guitar motif as "among the best-known guitar passages in popular music".<ref name="Leng p 85">Leng, p. 85.</ref> Ian Inglis highlights the combination of Harrison's "evident lack of artifice" and Spector's "excellent production", such that "My Sweet Lord" can be heard "as a prayer, a love song, an anthem, a contemporary gospel track, or a piece of perfect pop".<ref name="Inglis p 24" />

According to music historians David Luhrssen and Michael Larson, "My Sweet Lord" "became an early battleground over music as intellectual property" and the ruling against Harrison "opened a floodgate of suits over allegedly similar melodies and chord progressions".<ref>Luhrssen & Larson, p. 158.</ref> In a 2016 ''Rolling Stone'' article on landmark [[List of songs that have been the subject of plagiarism disputes|music copyright cases]], the suit is credited with establishing "a precedent of harsher copyright standards" as well as "introducing the phrase 'subconscious plagiarism' into the popular lexicon".<ref>Jordan Runtagh, [https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-lists/songs-on-trial-12-landmark-music-copyright-cases-166396/george-harrison-vs-the-chiffons-1976-64089/ "Songs on Trial: 12 Landmark Music Copyright Cases"], ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 8 June 2016 (retrieved 21 October 2020).</ref>{{refn|group=nb|Subsequent charges of plagiarism in the music industry have resulted in a policy of swift settlement and therefore limited damage to an artist's credibility: [[the Rolling Stones]]' "[[Anybody Seen My Baby?]]", [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]' "[[Shakermaker]]", "[[Whatever (Oasis song)|Whatever]]" and "Step Out", and [[the Verve]]'s "[[Bitter Sweet Symphony]]" are all examples of songs whose writing credits were hastily altered to acknowledge composers of a potentially plagiarised work, with the minimum of litigation.<ref>Davis, p. 540.</ref><ref>"Vinyl Countdown: The 50 Best Oasis Songs", ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]: Oasis Special Edition'', May 2002, pp. 71, 74, 76.</ref><ref>Greg Prato, [https://www.allmusic.com/song/bittersweet-symphony-mt0003763279 "The Verve 'Bittersweet Symphony{{'"}}], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 17 September 2012).</ref>}} Writing in ''[[The New York Review of Books]]'' in 2013, author and neurologist [[Oliver Sacks]] cited the case when stating his preference for the word [[cryptomnesia]] over plagiarism, which he said was "suggestive of crime and deceit". Sacks added that Owen had displayed "psychological insight and sympathy" in deeming Harrison's infringement to have been "subconsciously accomplished".<ref>Oliver Sacks, [https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2013/02/21/speak-memory/ "Speak, Memory"], ''[[The New York Review of Books]]'', 21 February 2013 (retrieved 23 October 2020).</ref>

Due to the plagiarism suit, "My Sweet Lord" became stigmatised.<ref name=autogenerated2 /><ref>Hamish Champ, ''The 100 Best-Selling Albums of the 70s'', Amber Books (London, 2004); quoted in The Super Seventies "Classic 500", [http://www.superseventies.com/harrison1.html George Harrison – ''All Things Must Pass''] (retrieved 14 September 2012).</ref><ref name="Huntley p 53">Huntley, p. 53.</ref> While acknowledging the similarity with "He's So Fine", music critic [[David Fricke]] describes Harrison's composition as "the honest child of black American sacred song".<ref name="Eds of RS p 180" /> Jayson Greene of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' writes that the court ruling of subconscious plagiarism "could be a good euphemism for 'pop songwriting{{'"}} generally, and the episode was "doubly ironic considering Harrison's intrinsic generosity as an artist".<ref>Jayson Greene, [https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22037-all-things-must-pass/ "George Harrison ''All Things Must Pass''"], ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', 19 June 2016 (retrieved 21 October 2020).</ref> In a 2001 review, [[Greg Kot]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' said that "My Sweet Lord" serves as the entrance to Spector's "cathedral of sound" on ''All Things Must Pass'', adding that although Harrison lost the lawsuit, the song's "towering majesty{{nbsp}}... remains undiminished".<ref>Greg Kot, [https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-12-02-0112020017-story.html "All Things Must Pass"], ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', 2 December 2001 (retrieved 3 November 2020).</ref> Mikal Gilmore calls it an "irresistible devotional".<ref name="Eds of RS p 40" /> In 2009, pop culture critic Roy Trakin commented that if music fans were in doubt as to Harrison's enduring influence, they should "listen to [[Wilco]]'s [[Wilco (The Album)|latest album]] for a song called 'You Never Know', which is even closer to 'My Sweet Lord' than that one was to 'He's So Fine', with its slide guitar lines practically an homage to the original."<ref>Roy Trakin, "By George: Harrison's Post-Beatles Solo Career", ''Capitol Vaults'', June 2009; available at [https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/by-george-harrisons-post-beatles-solo-career Rock's Backpages] (subscription required).</ref> David Simons of ''[[Acoustic Guitar (magazine)|Acoustic Guitar]]'' magazine says that, further to his contributions to the Beatles' recordings, Harrison "elevated the sound and scope of recorded acoustic guitar" with his debut single.<ref name="Simons/AcousticGuitar" />

In their written tributes to Harrison shortly after his death, [[Mick Jagger]] and [[Keith Richards]] each named "My Sweet Lord" among their personal favourites of all his songs, along with "[[While My Guitar Gently Weeps]]".<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', pp. 227, 229.</ref> In 2010, [[AOL Radio]] listeners voted it the best song from Harrison's solo years.<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]], 3 April 2010 (archived version retrieved 5 April 2021).</ref> According to a chart published by [[Phonographic Performance Limited|PPL]] in August 2018, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Apple Records' founding, "My Sweet Lord" had received the most airplay in the 21st century of any song released by the record label,<ref>[https://www.irishnews.com/magazine/entertainment/2018/08/29/news/george-harrison-s-my-sweet-lord-is-apple-records-most-played-track-this-century-1420048/ "George Harrison's My Sweet Lord Is Apple Records' Most Played Track This Century"], ''[[The Irish News]]'', 29 August 2018 (retrieved 23 October 2020).</ref> ahead of Lennon's "[[Imagine (John Lennon song)|Imagine]]" and the Beatles' "[[Hey Jude]]".<ref>[http://www.noise11.com/news/george-harrison-my-sweet-lord-is-apples-most-played-song-of-the-century-20180830 "George Harrison 'My Sweet Lord' Is Apple's Most Played Song of the Century"], [[Noise11]], 30 August 2018 (retrieved 21 October 2020).</ref>

"My Sweet Lord" was ranked 454th on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s list of "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]" in 2004<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080622112029/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/500songs/page/5 "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time (1–500)"], [[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]], 9 December 2004 (archived version retrieved 16 July 2021).</ref> and 460th on the magazine's revised list in 2010.<ref name="RS 500">[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407/george-harrison-my-sweet-lord-19691231 "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 460. George Harrison, 'My Sweet Lord{{'"}}], [[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]], 7 April 2011 (retrieved 16 July 2021).</ref> It has also appeared in the following critics' best-song lists and books, among others: ''The 7,500 Most Important Songs of 1944–2000'' by author Bruce Pollock (2005),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pollock |first1=Bruce |title=Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs of the Rock and Roll Era: 1944–2000 |date=2005 |publisher=Routledge |location=New York and London |isbn=9780415970730 |page=253 |edition=Second}}</ref> [[Dave Thompson (author)|Dave Thompson]]'s ''1000 Songs That Rock Your World'' (2011; ranked at number 278),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=Dave |title=1000 Songs That Rock Your World |date=2011 |publisher=Krause Publications |location=Iola, Winsconsin |isbn=9781440214226 |page=13}}</ref> ''[[Ultimate Classic Rock]]''{{'}}s "Top 100 Classic Rock Songs" (2013; number 56),{{CN|date=December 2023}} the ''NME''{{'}}s "100 Best Songs of the 1970s" (2012; number 65),{{CN|date=December 2023}} and the same magazine's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" (2014; number 270).{{CN|date=December 2023}}

==Re-releases and alternative versions==
Since its initial release on ''All Things Must Pass'', "My Sweet Lord" has appeared on the 1976 compilation ''[[The Best of George Harrison]]'' and 2009's career-spanning ''[[Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison]]''.<ref>Inglis, pp. 150, 156.</ref> The original UK single (with "What Is Life" as the B-side) was reissued on [[Christmas Eve]] 1976 in Britain<ref>Badman, p. 199.</ref> – a "provocative" move by [[EMI]], given the publicity the lawsuit had attracted that year for the song.<ref>Carr & Tyler, p. 122.</ref> The song appears in the 2017 [[Marvel Studios]] film ''[[Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2]]'',<ref name="Breihan/Stereogum" /> and it is included on [[Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (soundtrack)|the film's soundtrack]].<ref>Jack Shepard, [https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/guardians-of-the-galaxy-2-awesome-mixtape-vol-2-tracklist-released-elo-fleetwood-mac-a7691591.html "Tracklist for Guardians of the Galaxy's Awesome Mixtape Vol. 2 revealed"], ''[[The Independent]]'', 19 April 2017 (retrieved 27 August 2017).</ref>

To promote the [[All Things Must Pass#2020-2021|50th anniversary reissue]] of ''All Things Must Pass'' in December 2021, the Harrison estate released a music video for the 2020 mix of "My Sweet Lord".<ref name="Blistein/RollingStone">Jon Blistein, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/george-harrison-my-sweet-lord-music-video-1271317/ "Ringo Starr Chucks Popcorn at Fred Armisen in Video for George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord{{'"}}], [[Rolling Stone|rollingstone.com]], 15 December 2021 (retrieved 18 December 2021).</ref> Executive produced by [[Dhani Harrison]] and David Zonshine, it was written and directed by [[Lance Bangs]], and stars [[Mark Hamill]], [[Vanessa Bayer]] and [[Fred Armisen]] as secret agents investigating a mysterious phenomenon around Los Angeles. Much of the video follows Armisen's perspective, from a room filled with books to a large cinema showing a fictional film of George Harrison's home footage, titled ''All Things Must Pass''. The video features cameos from many celebrities – including [[Patton Oswalt]], [["Weird Al" Yankovic]], [[Ringo Starr]], [[Jeff Lynne]], [[Joe Walsh (musician)|Joe Walsh]], [[Claudia O'Doherty]], [[Taika Waititi]], and Dhani and [[Olivia Harrison]] – and ends with Armisen and Bayer's characters solving the mystery by hearing the song for the first time on their car radio.<ref name="Blistein/RollingStone" /><ref name="MSL video/YouTube">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04v-SdKeEpE "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord (Official Music Video)"], George Harrison/YouTube, 15 December 2021 (retrieved 18 December 2021).</ref>

===1975 – "The Pirate Song"===
On 26 December 1975, Harrison made a guest appearance on his friend [[Eric Idle]]'s [[BBC Two|BBC2]] comedy show ''[[Rutland Weekend Television]]'',<ref name="McCall p 47">McCall, p. 47.</ref><ref name="Badman p 172" /> sending up his serious public image, and seemingly about to perform "My Sweet Lord".<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 370.</ref>

As a [[running gag]] in the show, Harrison interrupts the proceedings, hoping for an acting role as "Pirate Bob", dressed in a [[Pirates in popular culture|pirate]] costume with a parrot on his shoulder.<ref name="Badman p 172">Badman, p. 172.</ref><ref name="MacFarlane p 107">MacFarlane, p. 107.</ref> He gets turned down each time by Idle and ''RWT'' regular [[Neil Innes]], who simply want him to play the part of "George Harrison".<ref name="Leng p 189">Leng, p. 189.</ref> At the end, dressed in more normal attire and backed by the house band, Harrison appears on stage strumming the introduction to "My Sweet Lord" on acoustic guitar.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 453">Madinger & Easter, p. 453.</ref> Instead of continuing with the song, Harrison takes his chance to play Pirate Bob<ref name="McCall p 47" /> by abruptly segueing into a [[sea shanty]].<ref name="Huntley p 129">Huntley, p. 129.</ref> Idle, in his role as a "greasy" [[Master of ceremonies|compère]], reacts with horror<ref name="Leng p 189" /> and attempts to have Harrison removed from the studio.<ref name="MacFarlane p 107" />{{refn|group=nb|Idle supplied the nagging references to "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch" and "Rescue Me" on "This Song".<ref name="Dennis/FT" />}}

This performance is known as "The Pirate Song", co-written by Harrison and Idle,<ref>George Harrison, p. 314.</ref> and the recording is only available unofficially on [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]] compilations such as ''Pirate Songs''.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 453" /> Commenting on the parallels with Harrison's real-life reluctance to play the pop star, Simon Leng writes, "there was great resonance within these gags."<ref name="Leng p 189" />

===2001 – "My Sweet Lord (2000)"===
In January 2001, Harrison included a new version of the song as a bonus track on the [[All Things Must Pass (30th Anniversary Edition)|remastered ''All Things Must Pass'']] album.<ref name="Eds of RS p 180" /> Titled "My Sweet Lord (2000)", it features Harrison sharing vocals with [[Sam Brown (singer)|Sam Brown]], the daughter of his friend [[Joe Brown (singer)|Joe Brown]],<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', pp. 446, 457.</ref> backed by mostly new instrumentation, including acoustic guitar by his son Dhani and tambourine by [[Ray Cooper]].<ref>George Harrison's liner notes, booklet accompanying ''[[All Things Must Pass (30th Anniversary Edition)|All Things Must Pass]]'' reissue (Gnome Records, 2001; produced by George Harrison & Phil Spector).</ref><ref name="Huntley pp 306−07" /> The track opens with a "snippet" of sitar, in Leng's description, to "emphasize its spiritual roots".<ref name="Leng p 285">Leng, p. 285.</ref> Harrison said that his motivation for remaking the song was partly to "play a better slide guitar solo".<ref name="Leng p 85" /> As further reasons, he cited the "spiritual response" that the song had long received, together with his interest in reworking the tune to avoid the contentious musical notes.<ref name="conversation GH Feb2001">Interview with Chris Carter (recorded Hollywood, CA, 15 February 2001) on ''A Conversation with George Harrison, Discussing the 30th Anniversary Reissue of "All Things Must Pass"'', [[Capitol Records]], DPRO-7087-6-15950-2-4; event occurs between 5:28 and 7:05.</ref> Of the extended slide-guitar break on "My Sweet Lord (2000)", Leng writes: "[Harrison] had never made so clear a musical statement that his signature [[Slide guitar|bottleneck]] sound was as much his tool for self-expression as his vocal cords."<ref name="Leng p 285" /> 

Harrison's limited vocal ability is notable due to his illness at the time. In this version, Harrison's lead vocals are supported halfway through the song by Sam Brown. Elliot Huntley opines that Harrison's vocal was more "gospel inflected" and perhaps even more sincere than on the original recording, "given his deteriorating health" during the final year of his life.<ref name="Huntley pp 306−07">Huntley, pp. 306–07.</ref>

This version also appeared on the January 2002 posthumous release of the "My Sweet Lord" charity CD single, comprising the original "My Sweet Lord", Harrison's reworking, and the acoustic run-through of "[[Let It Down#Other versions|Let It Down]]" (with recent [[overdubs]], another 2001 bonus track).<ref>William Ruhlmann, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/my-sweet-lord-2002-mw0000412421 "George Harrison 'My Sweet Lord (2002){{'"}}], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 15 September 2012).</ref> Proceeds went to Harrison's [[Material World Charitable Foundation]] for dispersal to selected charities, apart from in the United States, where proceeds went to the [[Self Realization Fellowship]].<ref>Harry, p. 120.</ref> For some months after the single release, a portion of "My Sweet Lord (2000)" looped on Harrison's official website over screen images of [[Nelumbo nucifera|lotus]] petals scattering and re-forming.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130222035155/http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/news/709georgenewcancer.html "In Memoriam: George Harrison"], Abbeyrd's Beatles Page, 16 January 2002 (retrieved 15 September 2012).</ref> It also appears on the 2014 ''[[The Apple Years 1968–75|Apple Years 1968–75]]'' reissue of ''All Things Must Pass''.<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 26 September 2014).</ref>

===2011 – Demo version===
In November 2011, a [[Demo (music)|demo]] of "My Sweet Lord", with Harrison backed by just Voormann and Starr,<ref>Terry Staunton, [http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/giles-martin-on-george-harrisons-early-takes-track-by-track-544713/3 "Giles Martin on George Harrison's ''Early Takes'', track-by-track"], ''[[MusicRadar]]'', 18 May 2012 (retrieved 17 February 2013).</ref><ref name="Kruppa MSL demo">Kruppa, event occurs at 11:12–11:33.</ref> was included on the [[George Harrison: Living in the Material World#Deluxe Edition CD|deluxe edition CD]] accompanying the British DVD release of Scorsese's ''Living in the Material World'' documentary.<ref name="Early Takes/AM">Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/early-takes-vol-1-mw0002332516 "George Harrison: ''Early Takes, Vol. 1''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 15 September 2012).</ref> The trio recorded the song at EMI Studios on 26 May 1970, on the first of two days dedicated to taping demos of compositions under consideration for ''All Things Must Pass''.<ref name="Kruppa MSL demo" /><ref>Fleming & Radford, pp. 6, 10–11.</ref>

[[Giles Martin]], who helped organise Harrison's recordings archive at Friar Park for the film project, described the track as an early "live take".<ref>Giles Martin's liner notes, ''[[Early Takes: Volume 1]]'' CD (UME, 2012; produced by George Harrison, Giles Martin & Olivia Harrison).</ref> The demo was released internationally in May 2012 on the ''[[Early Takes: Volume 1]]'' compilation.<ref name="Early Takes/AM" /><ref>Randy Lewis, [https://web.archive.org/web/20161104213322/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2012/05/george-harrison-martin-scorsese-material-world-documentary-cd-dvd.html "Rare Music from George Harrison, Martin Scorsese Doc out on CD, DVD"], ''Pop & Hiss''{{hair space}}/[[Los Angeles Times|latimes.com]], 2 May 2012 (archived version retrieved 10 September 2021).</ref> In his album review for ''Rolling Stone'', David Frick deemed this version of the song an "acoustic [[hosanna]]".<ref>David Fricke, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/early-takes-volume-1-20120523 "George Harrison ''Early Takes Volume 1''"], ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 23 May 2012 (retrieved 16 September 2012).</ref>

==Harrison live versions==
Harrison performed "My Sweet Lord" at every one of his relatively few solo concerts,<ref>Madinger & Easter, pp. 436–37, 447, 481–82.</ref> starting with the two [[The Concert for Bangladesh|Concert for Bangladesh]] shows at New York's [[Madison Square Garden]] on 1 August 1971.<ref name="Schaffner p 147">Schaffner, p. 147.</ref> The recording released on the subsequent [[The Concert for Bangladesh (album)|live album]] was taken from the evening show<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 438">Madinger & Easter, p. 438.</ref> and begins with Harrison's spoken "Hare Krishna" over his opening acoustic-guitar chords.<ref>Pieper, p. 27.</ref> Among the 24 backing musicians was a "Soul Choir" featuring singers [[Claudia Lennear]], Dolores Hall and [[Joe Greene (American singer)|Joe Greene]],<ref name="Spizer p 242">Spizer, p. 242.</ref> but it was Harrison who sang the end-of-song Guru Stotram prayer in his role as lead vocalist, unlike on the studio recording (where it was sung by the backing chorus).<ref>The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', p. 122.</ref> The slide guitar parts were played by Eric Clapton and [[Jesse Ed Davis]].<ref>Castleman & Podrazik, p. 196.</ref>

During his [[George Harrison–Ravi Shankar 1974 North American Tour|1974 North American tour]], Harrison's only one there as a solo artist, he performed "My Sweet Lord" as the [[Encore (concert)|encore]] at each show.<ref name="Madinger & Easter p 447">Madinger & Easter, p. 447.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|At his press conference in Los Angeles before the tour, Harrison said he would be playing the song with a "slightly different" arrangement,<ref>Kahn, p. 184.</ref> adding that, as with "[[Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)]]", "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>}} In contrast with the subtle shift from "hallelujah"s to Sanskrit chants on his 1970 original,<ref name="Tillery p 88" /> Harrison used the song to engage his audience in [[kirtan]], the practice of "chanting the holy names of the Lord" in [[Indian religions]] – from "[[Om]] Christ!" and Krishna, to [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] and [[Allah]]<ref name="Clayson p 339">Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 339.</ref> – with varying degrees of success.<ref>Leng, pp. 160–65.</ref><ref>Greene, p. 215.</ref> Backed by a band that again included Billy Preston, Harrison turned "My Sweet Lord" into an extended gospel-[[funk]] piece, closer in its arrangement to Preston's ''Encouraging Words'' version and lasting up to ten minutes.<ref>Leng, pp. 163, 172–73.</ref>{{refn|group=nb|The performance of the song at [[Tulsa, Oklahoma|Tulsa]]'s [[Tulsa Convention Center|Assembly Center]] on 21 November marked the only guest appearance of the tour when [[Leon Russell]] joined the band on stage.<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 449.</ref>}}

Harrison's second and final solo tour took place in Japan in December 1991, with Clapton's band.<ref>Badman, p. 471.</ref><ref>Lavezzoli, p. 196.</ref> A live version of "My Sweet Lord" recorded at the [[Tokyo Dome]], on 14 December, was released the following year on the ''[[Live in Japan (George Harrison album)|Live in Japan]]'' album.<ref>Madinger & Easter, p. 483.</ref>

==Cover versions and tributes==
"My Sweet Lord" attracted many cover versions in the early 1970s and was the most performed song of 1971. Its coinciding with a trend for spirituality in rock music ensured it was frequently performed on religious-themed television shows. The song was also popular among [[supper club]] performers following recordings by artists such as [[Johnny Mathis]].<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', pp. 294–95.</ref>

The song was accepted as an authentic work in the gospel tradition;<ref>Clayson, ''George Harrison'', p. 295.</ref> in music journalist Chris Ingham's description, it became a "genuine gospel classic".<ref>Ingham, pp. 127–28.</ref> Many of the Christian cover artists have omitted the mantra lyrics on religious grounds.<ref name="Breihan/Stereogum">Tom Breihan, [https://www.stereogum.com/2028987/the-number-ones-george-harrisons-my-sweet-lord/franchises/columns/the-number-ones/ "The Number Ones: George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord{{'"}}], ''[[Stereogum]]'', 18 January 2019 (retrieved 21 October 2020).</ref>

In 1972, [[Nina Simone]] released an 18-minute gospel reworking of "My Sweet Lord", performed live at [[Fort Dix]] before a group of African-American soldiers.<ref name="Richardson/AM" /> It served as an anti-[[Vietnam War]] statement and the centrepiece of her album ''[[Emergency Ward (album)|Emergency Ward!]]'',<ref name="Dennis/FT">Jon Dennis, [https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/my-sweet-lord.html "Life of a Song: My Sweet Lord – the song that earned George Harrison a lawsuit"], [[Financial Times|ft.com]], 31 July 2018 (retrieved 23 October 2020).</ref> which also included an 11-minute version of Harrison's "Isn't It a Pity".<ref name="Richardson/AM" /> Simone interspersed the song with the David Nelson poem "Today Is a Killer", giving the performance an apocalyptic ending.<ref name="Richardson/AM">Mark Richardson, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/emergency-ward%21-mw0000371066 "Nina Simone ''Emergency Ward!''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 16 June 2009).</ref>

By the late 1970s, "My Sweet Lord" was the most covered song written and released by any of the former Beatles since the band's break-up.<ref>Schaffner, p. 157.</ref> [[Edwin Starr]] and [[Byron Lee and the Dragonaires]] were among the other artists who recorded it.<ref name="Dennis/FT" />

In April 2002, [[Elton John]], [[Sting (musician)|Sting]], [[James Taylor]], [[Ravi Shankar]], [[Anoushka Shankar]] and others performed "My Sweet Lord" to close the Harrison-tribute opening portion of the [[Rock for the Rainforest]] benefit concert, held 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|foxnews.com]], 15 April 2002 (archived version retrieved 19 July 2016).</ref> At the [[Concert for George]] on 29 November 2002, it was performed by Billy Preston.<ref>Stephen Thomas Erlewine, [https://www.allmusic.com/album/concert-for-george-mw0000329292 "Original Soundtrack: ''Concert for George''"], [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 8 August 2012).</ref>

On July 28, 2023, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley released a single of his cover of “My Sweet Lord”. Marley said that he chose to cover “My Sweet Lord” because he “heard the song and liked it.” Afterwards, Marley learned that his father, Bob Marley, and George Harrison had met in 1975.

==Personnel==
According to Mal Evans' diary (except where noted), the following musicians played on Harrison's original version of "My Sweet Lord".<ref name="Kruppa/MSL personnel" />

*[[George Harrison]]{{snd}} vocals, acoustic guitars,<ref name="Fleming & Radford p 18" /> [[slide guitar]]s, backing vocals
*[[Eric Clapton]]{{snd}} acoustic guitar
*[[Pete Ham]]{{snd}} acoustic guitar
*[[Joey Molland]]{{snd}} acoustic guitar
*[[Peter Frampton]]{{snd}} acoustic guitar<ref name="Spizer p 212" />
*[[Gary Brooker]]{{snd}} piano
*[[Bobby Whitlock]]{{snd}} [[Pump organ|harmonium]]
*[[Klaus Voormann]]{{snd}} bass
*[[Ringo Starr]]{{snd}} drums
*[[Alan White (Yes drummer)|Alan White]]{{snd}} tambourine
*uncredited{{snd}} [[zither]]s<ref name="Leng p 83" />
* unidentified orchestral musicians&nbsp;– eight [[violin]]s, eight [[viola]]s, four [[cello]]s, two [[double bass]]es<ref name="Kruppa/MSL strings" />
*[[John Barham]]{{snd}} string arrangement

==Accolades==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Year
!Awards
!Category
!Result
|-
| rowspan="3"|1971
|''[[Record World]]''
|Best Single Disc of the Year
| style="text-align:center;"|Won<ref name="Badman p 59" />
|-
| rowspan="2"|''[[Melody Maker]]''
|British Single of the Year
| style="text-align:center;"|Won<ref name="UMD" />
|-
|World Single of the Year
| style="text-align:center;"|Won<ref name="UMD" />
|-
| rowspan="4"|1972
|[[NME Awards]]
|Best Single Disc
| style="text-align:center;"|Won<ref>[https://www.nme.com/awards-history/1972-606209/ "1972 Awards"], [[NME|nme.com]] (retrieved 19 October 2010).</ref>
|-
| [[14th Grammy Awards]]
|[[Grammy Award for Record of the Year|Record of the Year]]
| style="text-align:center;"|Nominated<ref>[http://www.awardsandshows.com/features/grammy-awards-1972-221.html "Grammy Awards 1972"], awardsandshows.com (retrieved 14 September 2014).</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2"|[[Ivor Novello Awards|17th Ivor Novello Awards]]
|The "A" Side of the Record Issued in 1971 Which Achieved the Highest Certified British Sales
| style="text-align:center;"|Won<ref name="Ivors1972">[https://ivorsacademy.com/awards/the-ivors/archive/?ay=1972 "The Ivors 1972"], ivorsacademy.com (retrieved 19 October 2020).</ref>
|-
|The Most Performed Work of the Year
| style="text-align:center;"|Won<ref name="Ivors1972"/>
|}

== Chart performance ==

=== Weekly charts ===
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
'''Original release'''
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+1970–1971 year-end chart performance for "My Sweet Lord"
!scope="col"|Chart (1970–1971)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian ''[[Go-Set]]'' National Top 60<ref name="auschart">[http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1971/19710220.html "Go-Set Australian charts – 20 February 1971"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200402124425/http://www.poparchives.com.au/gosetcharts/1971/19710220.html |date=2 April 2020 }}, poparchives.com.au (retrieved 20 October 2020).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Australian [[Kent Music Report]]<ref name="auchart">{{Cite book|title=[[Kent Music Report|Australian Chart Book 1970–1992]]|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=[[St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives, NSW]]|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Singles Chart<ref name="atchart70">[http://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=My+Sweet+Lord&cat=s "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], austriancharts.at (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian [[Ultratop]] Singles Chart<ref>[http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/ad/George-Harrison-My-Sweet-Lord "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], ultratop.be (retrieved 4 May 2014).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian [[RPM (magazine)|''RPM'' Singles Chart]]<ref>[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3748&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=1q79jbns5hv9q1loulrrc8lri4 "''RPM'' Top Singles, January 9, 1971"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006120502/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3748&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=1q79jbns5hv9q1loulrrc8lri4 |date=6 October 2014 }}, [[Library and Archives Canada]] (retrieved 4 May 2014). Note: the double A-side single was listed only as "Isn't It a Pity" when it topped ''RPM''{{'}}s chart.</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|[[Dutch Single Top 100|Dutch Singles Chart]]<ref name="nlchart">[http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=My+Sweet+Lord&cat=s "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], dutchcharts.nl (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|French [[Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique|SNICOP Hit Parade Officiel]]<ref name=goldendiscs2 />
|1
|-
!scope="row"|[[Number-one singles of 1971 (Ireland)|Irish Singles Chart]]<ref name="Ireland">{{cite web|url=http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=Search the Charts |publisher=[[Irish Recorded Music Association]] |access-date=3 May 2010 |format=enter "George Harrison" into the "Search by Artist" box, then select "Search" |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721125210/http://irishcharts.ie/search/placement |archive-date=21 July 2011 }}</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|[[Oricon|Japanese Oricon Singles Chart]]<ref name="jachart">{{Cite book|last=Okamoto| first= Satoshi|title = Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010|year= 2011|publisher=Oricon Entertainment| location=[[Roppongi]], [[Tokyo]]| language = ja| isbn = 978-4-87131-088-8}}</ref>
|4
|-
!scope="row"|[[List of number-one hits of 1971 (Mexico)|Mexico Singles Chart]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Billboard "Hits of the World" |date = 20 February 1971|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6QgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA52
|page=52|access-date=7 September 2022}}</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|[[List of number-one singles in 1971 (New Zealand)|New Zealand Singles Chart]]<ref name=goldendiscs2 />
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Norwegian [[VG-lista|VG-lista Singles]]<ref name="nochart70">[http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=My+Sweet+Lord&cat=s "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], norwegiancharts.com (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|South African Springbok Singles Chart<ref>[http://www.rock.co.za/files/sa_charts_1969_1989_songs_(M-O).html "SA Charts 1969–1989, Songs M–O"], South African Rock Lists, 2000 (retrieved 4 May 2014).</ref>
|3
|-
!scope="row"|[[Spanish Singles Chart]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish [[Sverigetopplistan|Kvällstoppen Chart]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130220053554/http://hitsallertijden.nl/charts/swedish%20charts/SwedishCharts%200969-0872.pdf "Swedish Charts 1969–1972/Kvällstoppen – Listresultaten vecka för vecka" > Mars 1971] (in Swedish), hitsallertijden.nl (archived version retrieved 15 November 2013).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|[[Swiss Singles Chart]]<ref name="chchart70">[http://hitparade.ch/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=My+Sweet+Lord&cat=s "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], hitparade.ch (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|[[UK Singles Chart]]<ref name="UKchart" />
|1
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]<ref name="Billboard_atmp">{{cite web|title=All Things Must Pass > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r8992/charts-awards/billboard-single|pure_url=yes}}}} [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|US ''[[Cash Box (magazine)|Cash Box]]'' Top 100<ref>[http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19710102.html "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, Week ending January 2, 1971"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220413033448/http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/70s_files/19710102.html |date=13 April 2022 }}, [[Cash Box (magazine)|cashboxmagazine.com]] (retrieved 20 October 2020).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|West German [[Media Control Charts|Media Control]] Singles<ref name="Germany">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140717120755/http://www.officialcharts.de/song.asp?artist=George+Harrison&title=My+Sweet+Lord&country=de "Single – George Harrison, My Sweet Lord"], charts.de (retrieved 3 January 2013).</ref>
|1
|}
{{Col-2}}
'''Posthumous reissue'''
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+2002 weekly chart performance for "My Sweet Lord"
!scope="col"|Chart (2002)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Singles Chart<ref>{{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia}}</ref>
|62
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Singles Chart<ref name="Billboard_GH">{{cite web|title=George Harrison > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p4444/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}}}} [[AllMusic]] (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Dutch Singles Chart<ref name="nlchart02">[http://dutchcharts.nl/weekchart.asp?year=2002&date=20020202&cat=s "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], dutchcharts.nl (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|46
|-
!scope="row"|Irish Singles Chart<ref name="Ireland" />
|5
|-
!scope="row"|Italian Singles Chart<ref name="itchart">[http://italiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=My+Sweet+Lord&cat=s "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], italiancharts.com (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|12
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles Chart<ref name="jpchart02">[http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/471657/1/ ジョージ・ハリスン-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージックHighest position and charting weeks of "My Sweet Lord" by George Harrison], [[Oricon]] Style (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|96
|-
!scope="row"|Norwegian Singles Chart<ref name="nochart02">[http://norwegiancharts.com/weekchart.asp?year=2002&date=200204&cat=s "Norwegian charts portal"], norwegiancharts.com (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|18
|-
!scope="row"|Scottish Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20020120/41/|title = Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 &#124; Official Charts Company|website = [[Official Charts Company|Official Charts]]}}</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish Singles Chart<ref name="sechart">[http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=George+Harrison&titel=My+Sweet+Lord&cat=s "George Harrison – My Sweet Lord"], swedishcharts.com (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|56
|-
!scope="row"|Swiss Singles Chart<ref name="chchart02">[http://hitparade.ch/weekchart.asp?cat=s&year=2002&date=20020217 "Schweizer Hitparade"], [[Swiss Music Charts]] (retrieved 28 April 2010).</ref>
|61
|-
!scope="row"|UK Singles Chart<ref name="UKchart" />
|1
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' Hot 100<ref name="Billboard_GH" />
|94
|}
{{Col-end}}

=== Year-end charts ===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+1971 year-end chart performance for "My Sweet Lord"
!scope="col"|Chart (1971)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|[[List of Top 25 singles for 1971 in Australia|Australian Singles Chart]]<ref name="auchart" />
|2
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://austriancharts.at/year.asp?id=1971&cat=s|title=Austriancharts.st – Jahreshitparade 1971
|publisher=Hung Medien |access-date=1 May 2010}}</ref>
|2
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian [[RPM Year-End|''RPM'' Singles Chart]]<ref>[http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.7590&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=mhe12pta2k83e08udtq66ot062  "''RPM'' 100 Top Singles of '71"], [[Library and Archives Canada]] (retrieved 4 May 2014).</ref>
|7
|-
!scope="row"|Dutch Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1971&cat=s|title=Dutch charts jaaroverzichten 1971|format=ASP|language=nl|access-date=2 May 2014}}</ref>
|21
|-
!scope="row"|German Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1971|title=Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts|language=de|access-date=10 June 2018}}</ref>
|7
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Oricon Singles Chart<ref name="jachart" />
|38
|-
!scope="row"|[[List of best-selling singles by year in the United Kingdom|UK Singles Chart]]<ref>Dan Lane, [http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-biggest-selling-singles-of-every-year-revealed-1952-2011-1720/ "The biggest selling singles of every year revealed! (1952–2011)"], [[Official Charts Company]], 18 November 2012 (retrieved 4 May 2014).</ref>
|1
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Billboard Year-End|''Billboard'' Year-End Singles]]<ref name="bbye">[https://books.google.com/books?id=SQ8EAAAAMBAJ&q=George+Harrison&pg=RA1-PA15 "Top Pop 100 Singles"], ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 25 December 1971, p. 11 (retrieved 4 May 2014).</ref>
|31
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|+2002 year-end chart performance for "My Sweet Lord"
!scope="col"|Chart (2002)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Canadian Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_singles.html|title=Canada's Top 200 Singles of 2002|publisher=[[Jam!]]|date=14 January 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040906184715/http://www.jamshowbiz.com/JamMusicCharts/2002_singles.html|archive-date=6 September 2004|access-date=22 March 2022}}</ref>
|33
|-
!scope="row"|Irish Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rte.ie/2fm/charts/top100_2002.html|title=Top 100 Songs of 2002|publisher=[[Raidió Teilifís Éireann]]|year=2002|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040602113021/http://www.rte.ie/2fm/charts/top100_2002.html|archive-date=2 June 2004|access-date=16 March 2022}}</ref>
|89
|- 
!scope="row"|UK Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukchartsplus.co.uk/ChartsPlusYE2002.pdf|title=The Official UK Singles Chart 2002|work=[[UKChartsPlus]]|access-date=25 June 2018}}</ref>
|56
|}

==Certifications and sales==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for "My Sweet Lord"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Italy|type=single|title=My Sweet Lord|artist=George Harrison|award=Gold|relyear=1970|certyear=2021|id=9417|access-date=7 December 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Japan|type=single|title=My Sweet Lord|artist=George Harrison|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1970|certyear=1996|salesamount=269,000|salesref=<ref name="jachart" />|certref=<ref>{{cite book|first=Ren|last=Tatsaku|title=Oricon Sales Report|year=2011|location=[[Tokyo]]|publisher=Oricon Style|language=ja}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|title=My Sweet Lord|artist=George Harrison|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1970|certyear=2023|source=radioscope|access-date=18 December 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|type=single|title=My Sweet Lord|artist=George Harrison|award=Platinum|relyear=1970|certyear=2024|access-date=30 November 2024}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|title=My Sweet Lord|artist=George Harrison|award=Platinum|relyear=2007|certyear=2021|id=11541-920-1|salesamount=960,561|salesref=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-uks-official-chart-millionaires-revealed__20459/|title=The UK's Official Chart 'millionaires' revealed|last=Copsey|first=Rob|date=19 September 2017|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=19 October 2017}}</ref>|access-date=14 May 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=single|title=My Sweet Lord|artist=George Harrison|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1970|certyear=2025|access-date=18 December 2024}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}

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

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

==Sources==
{{refbegin|35em}}
* [[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}}).
* [[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}}).
* Alan Clayson, ''Ringo Starr'', Sanctuary (London, 2003; {{ISBN|1-86074-488-5}}).
* [[Stephen Davis (music journalist)|Stephen Davis]], ''Old Gods Almost Dead: The 40-Year Odyssey of the Rolling Stones'', Broadway Books (New York, NY, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7679-0312-9}}).
* [[Peter Doggett]], "The Apple Years", ''[[Record Collector]]'', April 2001, pp.&nbsp;34–40.
* The Editors of ''Rolling Stone'', ''Harrison'', Rolling Stone Press/Simon & Schuster (New York, NY, 2002; {{ISBN|0-7432-3581-9}}).
* Don Fleming & Richard Radford, ''Archival Notes – the Making of All Things Must Pass'', Capitol Records/Calderstone Productions (Los Angeles, CA/London, 2021).
* Michael Frontani, "The Solo Years", in [[Kenneth Womack]] (ed.), ''[[Cambridge Companions to Music|The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles]]'', Cambridge University Press (Cambridge, UK, 2009; {{ISBN|978-1-139-82806-2}}), pp.&nbsp;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 [1980]; {{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}}).
* [[Bill Harry]], ''The George Harrison Encyclopedia'', Virgin Books (London, 2003; {{ISBN|978-0-7535-0822-0}}).
* Chris Hunt (ed.), ''[[NME Originals]]: Beatles – The Solo Years 1970–1980'', IPC Ignite! (London, 2005).
* 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'' (2nd edn), Rough Guides/Penguin (London, 2006; {{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}}).
* Andrew Grant Jackson, ''Still the Greatest: The Essential Solo Beatles Songs'', Scarecrow Press (Lanham, MD, 2012; {{ISBN|978-0-8108-8222-5}}).
* [[Ashley Kahn]] (ed.), ''George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters'', Chicago Review Press (Chicago, IL, 2020; {{ISBN|978-1-64160-051-4}}).
* Jason Kruppa, [https://www.producingthebeatles.com/new-episodes/2022/4/24/013-george-harrison-my-sweet-lord "013 George Harrison, 'My Sweet Lord'"], ''Producing the Beatles: The Podcast'', 25 April 2022 (retrieved 27 October 2022).
* 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}}).
* David Luhrssen & Michael Larson, ''Encyclopedia of Classic Rock'', Greenwood (Santa Barbara, CA, 2017; {{ISBN|978-1-4408-3513-1}}).
* Thomas MacFarlane, ''The Music of George Harrison'', Routledge (Abingdon, UK, 2019; {{ISBN|978-1-138-59910-9}}).
* Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, ''Eight Arms to Hold You: The Solo Beatles Compendium'', 44.1 Productions (Chesterfield, MO, 2000; {{ISBN|0-615-11724-4}}).
* Douglas McCall, ''Monty Python: A Chronology, 1969–2012'', McFarland (Jefferson, NC, 2014; {{ISBN|978-0-7864-7811-8}}).
* [[Barry Miles]], ''The Beatles Diary Volume 1: The Beatles Years'', Omnibus Press (London, 2001; {{ISBN|0-7119-8308-9}}).
* Joseph Murrells, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=UxRAAAAAMAAJ&q=%22my+sweet+lord+(%22 The Book of Golden Discs]'' (2nd edn), Barrie & Jenkins (London, 1978; {{ISBN|0-214-20480-4}}).
* John P. Newport, ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=Rxss1cqHWYIC&pg=PA70 The New Age Movement and the Biblical Worldview: Conflict and Dialogue]'', W.B. Eerdmans (Grand Rapids, MI, 1998; {{ISBN|0-8028-4430-8}}).
* Dominic Pedler, ''The Songwriting Secrets of the Beatles'', Omnibus Press (London, 2003; {{ISBN|978-0-7119-8167-6}}).
* Robert Rodriguez, ''Solo in the 70s: John, Paul, George, Ringo: 1970–1980'', Parading Press (Downers Grove, IL, 2013; {{ISBN|978-0-9892555-0-9}}).
* [[Nicholas Schaffner]], ''The Beatles Forever'', McGraw-Hill (New York, NY, 1978; {{ISBN|0-07-055087-5}}).
* [[David Sheff]], ''All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono'', Macmillan (London, 2010; {{ISBN|978-1-4299-5808-0}}).
* [[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}}).
* [[Bobby Whitlock]] with Marc Roberty, ''Bobby Whitlock: A Rock 'n' Roll Autobiography'', McFarland (Jefferson, NC, 2010; {{ISBN|978-0-7864-6190-5}}).
* [[Bob Woffinden]], ''The Beatles Apart'', Proteus (London, 1981; {{ISBN|0-906071-89-5}}).
{{refend}}

==External links==
*[http://www.superseventies.com/sw_mysweetlord.html The Super Seventies: "My Sweet Lord"/"Isn't It a Pity" from ''The Billboard Book of Number One Hits''] by Fred Bronson
*[http://www.law.berkeley.edu/files/Bright_Tunes_Music_v_Harrisongs.pdf ''Bright Tunes Music v. Harrisongs''] at [[UC Berkeley School of Law]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20081221135306/http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/mysweet.htm The "My Sweet Lord"/"He's So Fine" Plagiarism Suit] by Joseph C. Self

{{All Things Must Pass}}
{{George Harrison}}
{{George Harrison singles}}
{{UK best-selling singles (by year) 1970–1989}}
{{Billy Preston}}
{{The Chiffons}}

{{authority control}}

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