This was Harrison's first single as a solo artist, and it was his biggest hit. The song is about the Eastern religions he was studying.
Highly unusual for a hit song, Harrison repeats part of a Hindu mantra in the lyric when he sings, "Hare Krishna... Krishna, Krishna." When set to music, this mantra is typically part of a chant, that acts as a call to the Lord. Harrison interposes it with a Christian call to faith: "Hallelujah" - he was pointing out that "Hallelujah and Hare Krishna are quite the same thing."
In the documentary The Material World, Harrison explains: "First, it's simple. The thing about a mantra, you see... mantras are, well, they call it a mystical sound vibration encased in a syllable. It has this power within it. It's just hypnotic."
Lyrics
My sweet Lord
Mm, my Lord
Mm, my Lord
I really want to see you
Really want to be with you
Really want to see you, Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord
My sweet Lord
Mm, my Lord
Mm, my Lord
I really want to know you
I really want to go with you
Really want to show you, Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
My Lord
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
I really wanna see you
I really wanna see you
I really wanna see you Lord
I really wanna see you Lord
But it takes so long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mm, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my my Lord
(Hallelujah)
I really wanna know you
(Hallelujah)
I really wanna go with you
(Hallelujah)
I really wanna show you, Lord
That it won't take long, my Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mmm
(Hallelujah)
My sweet Lord
(Hallelujah)
My my Lord
(Hallelujah)
Mmm My Lord (Hare Krishna) My my my Lord (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Krishna, Krishna) Oohh (Hare Hare) Now I really wanna see you (Hare Rama) I really wanna be with you (Hare Rama) I really wanna see you Lord But it takes so long, my Lord (Hallelujah) Mmmm My Lord (Hallelujah) My my my Lord (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Krishna, Krishna) My Lord (Hare Hare) Mmmm (Gurur Brahma) Mmmm (Gurur Vishnu) Mmmm (Gurur Devo) Mmmm (Maheshwara) My sweet Lord (Gurur Sakshaat) My sweet Lord (Parabrahma) My, my my Lord (Tasmayi Shree) My, my my my Lord (Guruve Namah) My sweet Lord (Hare Rama) (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Hare Krishna) My sweet Lord (Krishna Krishna)
Songwriters: George Harrison My Sweet Lord lyrics © The Bicycle Music Company, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC