We need My Sweet Lord right now!

In George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord, the lyrics serve as a deeply personal expression of his internal spiritual quest. While the song is widely recognized for its transcendental anthem-like quality, a closer look at the lyrics reveals the intricacies of Harrison’s search for meaning, his devotion to the Hindu god Krishna, and his hope for a world beyond religious boundaries.

Harrison’s invocation of “My Sweet Lord” as both a yearning and a prayer reflects the intimate dialogue between the seeker and the divine. The repetition of the phrase “My Sweet Lord” throughout the song is both simple and profound. It conveys a sense of deep, almost childlike longing for a personal relationship with God, but the Lord he speaks of is not confined to any one religion. This is where the brilliance of Harrison’s songwriting comes through: his Lord could be interpreted as Krishna, Christ, or any divine being, depending on the listener’s perspective.

Harrison’s choice to blend the Christian “Hallelujah” with the Hindu “Hare Krishna” chant, alongside the Vedic prayer “Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshvara” (which praises the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), underscores his belief that the search for the divine transcends sectarian boundaries. The song is less about aligning with a specific religious tradition and more about the universality of that search. In praising Krishna, Harrison calls upon a figure he revered within the Hindu tradition, but his approach is inclusive—by interspersing Hebrew and Sanskrit in the same breath, he invites the listener to join him, regardless of their faith background.

The lyrics also reflect Harrison’s internal spiritual struggle. The line “I really want to see you, but it takes so long my Lord” expresses both hope and frustration. Harrison, like many seekers, acknowledges the difficulty of finding a direct experience of the divine, despite his deep desire for that connection. This mirrors the internal journey of faith—a journey often marked by moments of longing and impatience. His repetition of “really want to see you” reinforces the earnestness of his quest, while also hinting at the idea that the divine may be elusive, hidden behind the material distractions of the world.

Harrison’s praise of Krishna, the supreme deity in Vaishnavism (one of the major branches of Hinduism), reveals the depths of his spiritual devotion. Harrison was deeply influenced by his association with the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and his friendship with its founder, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Through the chant “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,” Harrison invokes the divine names of Krishna and Rama (another Hindu deity), which are believed to elevate the soul and bring one closer to the divine. For Harrison, this chant was not merely lyrical; it was a meditative practice, a form of japa (repetition of the divine names), which played a key role in his spiritual discipline.

Yet, beyond this praise of Krishna, Harrison’s fusion of religious expressions makes My Sweet Lord an anthem for unity. By intertwining these diverse spiritual traditions, he illustrates a world in which devotion to God transcends religious divisions. This blending of traditions is a call to abandon religious sectarianism, something Harrison was keenly aware of and disheartened by. His lyrics suggest that, at the core of every religious tradition, the same longing for connection to the divine exists. It is this commonality, Harrison suggests, that should unite humanity, rather than the superficial differences in doctrine or practice.

Moreover, the structure of the song itself mirrors a kind of spiritual progression. The initial verses, dominated by “Hallelujah,” slowly give way to the “Hare Krishna” chants. It’s as if Harrison is moving from the familiar territory of Western Christian worship toward the Eastern spiritual practices that he adopted later in life. The song becomes a metaphor for his spiritual journey, beginning with a deep reverence for the Christian faith of his youth and transitioning into the broader spiritual truths he discovered through Hinduism.

In essence, My Sweet Lord is both a devotional hymn and an internal dialogue about Harrison’s search for divine connection. It reflects the tension between the human longing to experience the divine and the frustration of not reaching that union immediately. The song’s blend of Hebrew, Sanskrit, and Christian elements highlights Harrison’s core belief that spiritual truth transcends religious boundaries, uniting people in a universal search for the divine.

By creating a song that integrates these spiritual traditions, Harrison invites listeners to reflect on their internal journey toward the divine and to see beyond the divisions of organized religion. In My Sweet Lord, we find a call for unity, peace, and the idea that at the heart of every spiritual path is a shared yearning for the divine presence. Harrison’s lyrics, therefore, not only offer praise to Krishna but also serve as a meditation on the nature of faith itself, urging us to look within and seek a deeper, more personal relationship with the divine.