My Sweet Lord
George Harrison · Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Genuine longing, but aimed at a different Lord
What do these signals mean?
- Edifying: Points the heart toward God, truth, hope, or love.
- Worth Weighing: Real good and real concern together. Test it before you take it in.
- Take Caution: Leans toward what could dull or mislead. Approach carefully.
- Consider Avoiding: Celebrates what Scripture warns against. Little here builds up.
Weighed against Scripture
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
The command to have no other gods before the Lord sits in direct tension with a song that moves from 'Hallelujah' into devotion addressed to Krishna and Vishnu, however sincerely that devotion is expressed.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
Jesus' claim to be the way, the truth, and the life means the longing Harrison expresses, 'I really want to see you, Lord,' points to a specific answer Christians believe is not interchangeable with other divine figures.
“As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
The raw ache of the song, the desperate wanting to see and be with the Lord, genuinely echoes the psalmist's thirst for the living God. The longing itself is recognizable and human, even when aimed differently.
On the surface this feels like a worship song: the longing is real, the melody is reverent, and 'Hallelujah' is right there. But the song gradually layers in Hare Krishna mantras and Sanskrit invocations of Hindu deities, ending fully in Vaishnava devotion. Harrison was not confused about this; he was a sincere devotee of Krishna consciousness. For a Christian listener, the question is not whether the longing is beautiful (it is) but whether the 'Lord' being sought is the God of the Bible or a different one entirely. Those are not the same destination, even if the ache feels familiar.
No profanity or adult content. The language is devotional throughout, warm and yearning in tone.
The song carries a real ache to know and be with the divine, which is spiritually alive in its feeling. However, the object of that devotion shifts gradually from language that sounds Christian (Hallelujah) to explicitly Hindu devotion (Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, invocations of Brahma and Vishnu). Harrison was a committed Krishna devotee, and the song reflects that sincerely.
Harrison said he wanted to write a song that snuck up on listeners — starting with 'Hallelujah' so Christian ears would feel at home, then easing into Vedic chant. He was not being deceptive in a malicious sense; this was his genuine, integrated spiritual worldview. But the intent to blur the distinction matters for a Christian listener trying to weigh what they are actually participating in when they sing along.
When you sing 'my sweet Lord' alongside this song, whose face comes to mind, and does the answer matter to you?
