My Sweet Lord

The harmony of 'My Sweet Lord' is deceptively simple — built on a I–vi oscillation and a ii–V7–I gospel cadence — but its power lies in the cumulative effect of repetition and the dramatic half-step modulation. The chord vocabulary is modest, yet the Wall of Sound layering and Harrison's slide guitar add textural richness that belies the straightforward progressions. The cyclical ii–V movement was central to the 'He's So Fine' plagiarism case, illustrating how a common harmonic pattern can carry distinct melodic identities.

George Harrison began writing 'My Sweet Lord' in December 1969 while in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a guest artist on Delaney & Bonnie's European tour. He was accompanied by Billy Preston and Eric Clapton during the stopover, which included a three-night residency at the Falkoner Theatre on 10–12 December. Harrison wanted to create a song that fused Christian gospel with Vedic chanting, inspired by his deepening involvement with the Hare Krishna movement. He originally gave the song to Billy Preston, whose version appeared on his Encouraging Words album in September 1970 before Harrison recorded his own definitive version.

Released in 1970 as the lead single from the triple album All Things Must Pass, 'My Sweet Lord' became the first number-one hit by an ex-Beatle in both the US and UK. Its fusion of Christian and Hindu devotional lyrics over a lush, layered production defined Harrison's spiritual identity as a solo artist and remains his most iconic composition.