Did George Harrison Steal My Sweet Lord?

Did George Harrison Steal My Sweet Lord?

[@briangonigal3974]

Billy Joel tells a story about having come up with a song idea with a lot of potential, bringing it in to show his band, and then being embarrassed when all the band members immediately recognized it and said "Dude, you just wrote ____________" (some very well known classic rock song, I really wish I could remember which one) Joel honestly did not recognize the song as he was "writing" it, but as soon as it was pointed out to him he realized, dammit, they're right.

[@justinparkman3585]

they knew george was loaded and a nice guy the perfect target

[@rstone303]

I did not understand 98% of what you said, but I enjoyed this whole video for some reason. I liked how extremely detailed and knowledgeable you were.

[@bryanlea8115]

Honestly I'm always surprised when plagiarism cases go to court for pop/rock songs. The very nature of music means that after all the years people have been composing and performing that similarities are going to creep in. Apart from the chord structure and time sequences, production, arrangement, performance and lyrics all have their part to play. I guess that this occasional rush to litigation is one of the reasons we have two or three people writing sings using the same four chords, drum machines etc that you mentioned in the video. They can hardly sue themselves, or be sued by each other because they are equally guilty. George was both subconsciously guilty and unlucky. Most pop/rock composers are probably equally guilty, but they aren't generally successful enough to be unlucky and get sued.

[@67Ivar]

La Bamba Vs Twist And Shout.

[@derekroberts6654]

open.spotify.com/track/4H8io3ErXXv25WE5Y7tRsC?si=ZHSQ8KefSyO9E3uAzyrZqg

[@buddyneher9359]

Verdict: Unlucky

[@shanerod9708]

Great video. Personally I think it is ridiculous that he lost. I enjoy both songs and there r some similarities, but they r not the same song.

[@VenusRadha]

I just love listening to your analysis videos. Seriously, I kind of miss theory classes. 🌺I rarely have the chance to talk music in that way while living abroad.

[@steverogers2635]

I really enjoyed this video TJR. I think that in this particular case justice was served. Except that the original writer of He's So Fine never saw a penny of the settlement against George. That said, as you discussed in this video, it's the extra musical touches that George added, and the excellent production of the song itself, that will always put My Sweet Lord light years ahead of the "original" imo. Peace....Steve

[@robertsaul234]

I think it was due more to Phil Spector being the producer. He was the wall of sound girl group guy.

[@farrellmcnulty909]

Makes sense

[@UlloMark]

Wow... thank you for this outstanding video; IMO, George having to pay more than a half-million dollar$ to the Chiffons' lawyers, was one of the biggest legal injustices of all time... (if there was any fault, it would be attributable to the oversight of George's music-producer, Phil Spector.)

[@beatmet2355]

Classical composers regularly lifted melodies from other composers but it was looked at as a form of respect and admiration. The highest form of flattery, in other words

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

Short answer: No. Long answer: Both were probably inspired by Oh Happy Day. Gene Simmons from KISS also has a song with a similar chord structure called "See You Tonight" (which features members of Beatlemania on backing vocals).

[@franco426]

To quote another George Harrison song - Not Guilty. That being said John Lennon said he could have changed a few chord around and nobody would have touched him. I like HE's so Fine and MY Sweet Lord but like the latter better.

[@NortholtJohn3]

Guilty not (such an emotive word), unlucky yes, the influence of artists from the late 50’s/early 60’s looms large in how the Beatles developed their sound so it’s hardly surprising that George should pay homage to the legacy that artists like the Chiffons and other vocal groups left.

[@farrellmcnulty909]

He just didn't realize he was paying homage at the time.

[@fanboy2015]

Brother, that never crossed my mind! maybe George was inspired by it, but didn’t mean to copy that song.

[@yanailahav5320]

It's hard to say about a man like George Harrison that he is guilty. He is a huge artist with tremendous musicality. You can say for sure he has heard it in the past and loved it. It entered the memory subconsciously and was raised again.

[@zoran.cikovac]

George, not guilty at all...

[@minkahed6724]

I really enjoyed this presentation. Technically, how many songs from the 1950's original "Rock n Roll" songs were written in the same keys, arrangements arc etc. I think, iirc, Zeppelin had the same problem with a tune from their first album.

[@VenusRadha]

Excellent point!

[@elvisleeboy]

The lawsuit against George Harrison epitomizes the culture of greed, particularly in America. What real harm did the similarities to He's So Fine do to anyone? Ludicrous to think a chord progression or a series of notes can belong to one person. The world is all the richer for having these two fantastic songs in it, and all the poorer for having these greedy opportunist bastards in it. The former is to the betterment of mankind and the latter is to its detriment and as a society, we should stigmatise that sort of behaviour.

[@heygreydey]

best comment on this thread. can I copy and paste it and post it as my own? just kidding! you hit the nail on the head.

[@elvisleeboy]

@@heygreydey You're quite welcome to copy and paste it. I won't try and sue.

[@thomasalbers208]

Well said Sir! Very well said!

[@gabrielsanchez5635]

The best análisis and conclusion of this case.

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Thank you.

[@sunshinecoolwater3960]

There was a similar situation with the Beach Boys "Surfin USA" and Chuck Berry. I agree with your view on "My Sweet Lord." At least George made "the Pirate Song" out of that debacle.

[@curlywurly4770]

Also this was a vengeance lawsuit, Alan Klein got the rights to HSF cheap just so he could sue a Beatle

[@danmiller847]

I’d like to hear your analysis of the 1975 motion picture score for The Eiger Sanction by John Williams and Miles Davis’ 1960 release of Sketches of Spain

[@PinkDevilFish]

I think that he did it unconsciously which makes him guilty of plagiarism but as it wasn't an intentional thing there really is not any wrong doing. I've been aware of this case for years but he had said if I recall it was inspired by an old song in the public domain but I've never heard it so can't compare. I once wrote a song when I was in college that I was super excited about. I had demo of it recorded and showed it to an old band mate and they were like nice cover. I couldn't understand. Ended up it was a song I had heard a couple times maybe by group I was only aware of. My chords were almost the same but my opening verse and chorus were so similar that I had to drop working on it. I thought I was feeling inspired or something. Like it just came to me.

[@NBP123]

In my opinion, there was nothing worth causing concern for plagiarism. Surely, the songs are quite the same, but I personally think George did a better arrangement with the chords. I love both songs, but "My Sweet Lord" befits me especially because of my faith. I am a Kemeticist, and this is someone who is a practitioner of the revival of ancient Egyptian religion.

[@Meeshrick]

I'm in a bar cover band and we realized that Weezer Beverly Hills sounds very simular The Steve Miller band The Joker ...we've played both songs in our set and when we realized how close they were we ended up playing the two songs in a one song mash up. I'd love to see you analyze those two with the experience you have.

[@TJRtheOriginal]

I will want to look at that.

[@Meeshrick]

TJR hey Tim. I found this on KZbin it's basically Beverly hills over lapping The Joker. I don't know if it is it's plagiarism (I will leave that to you...you are very good at this stuff) but I would think there was definitely an inspiration. Maybe subconsciously? What I picked up: The catcall whistle are in the same spot in both songs. The vocal melody is simular The solos are the same length one in the middle and one at the end and both solos in both songs can fit in either song, and the beat is the same however, softer in the Joker. Check out the link. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bpDRZ2R8idV7a6s

[@Noah1997callahan]

Absolutely not stolen

[@forbiddenyoungones]

I have a chorus to a song I wrote which I was very proud of until my brother pointed out it was Hotel California verse. I had used the same chords in the same order except for one chord. However the melody line I sang and the way I played the chords were different. I often wonder if I ever released the song (which is highly unlikely), would I be guilty of plagiarism?

[@Alex_Plante]

maybe ask whoever owns the rights to Hotel California.

[@ceedoubleyou]

thanks for that, never thought the 2 songs were that close, I'm sure if he had John and Paul to bounce off, one of them would've picked it up.

[@musicworthbuying2]

Great video TJ! I love George's musical response to the lawsuit, "This Song." That is worth a follow-up; he takes digs at anyone who thinks that song is stolen...

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Thanks. Great to hear from you. Looking forward to when we can do videos together again.

[@smmst80]

The video for This Song is quite on the nose too!

[@peterscott2662]

Unlucky. I'm sad the case went against him. A certain amount of borrowing should be allowed in music. With copyright maximalism it's getting to the point you can't be inspired by something, and that's terrible. You get things like John Fogerty sued for sounding like John Fogerty (thankfully John Fogerty won).

[@VenusRadha]

Rock on, man!🕉

[@popgoesthe60s52]

As George would later note, he never would have gotten sued if the song wasn't a huge hit. It's too bad he didn't recognize the similarities because it will always be a black mark on his resume. Well done TJR!

[@heygreydey]

if this joyful song of George’s consitutes a black mark then all culture is a cesspool of rehash. and it is. but it isn’t. halleluia!

[@Man_of_Oil]

Loved the video TJR. I’m in business college right now, and I had a marketing professor who always used the mantra “what makes your product different, better or special?” In that context it was about bolstering those things in your marketing efforts, but I think it applies to music like this too. What seems unfair to me was that George’s song was undeniably different/better/special. I think a plagiarism claim should go a lot more nuanced than just “is a musical motifs or melody similar”. Lyrically, instrumentally, even the chord progression like you demonstrated, they’re very separate from each other. In that sense, did it do any actual damage to the writers of the other song? It just feels like more of a legal gotcha as opposed to an actual ethical dilemma. Here’s a tangent, but that’s also my opinion on bands that use a sound that intentionally is a throwback to certain eras of music, like the 60’s or 70’s. A lot of people get hung up on “why should I listen to music that employs outdated sounds and songwriting techniques?”, but I just think that is such a narrow perspective on music. Music is more than just a style that expires after a certain date. It’s about telling a story, stating a message, conveying an emotion, whatever. If they do that through an “outdated” sound, so what? Did they use that sound to make something different/better/special? If so then I really couldn’t care less what time period it sounds like.

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Well said. What if The Animals had said that before recording “House Of The Rising Sun” which was a public domain folk song.

[@F8NcH8Ng]

Good video. As someone else pointed out, it would be fun to compare both songs against Oh Happy Day. All 3 are very similar, yet different. My Sweet Lord doesn't have a bridge per se, the other 2 do, and they're different from each other. The interesting thing for me is that My Sweet Lord and Oh Happy Day use the same transition chord between the verse / chorus thingy. Where you show a diminished chord plus a B7, Oh Happy Day likewise uses a B7 (in a different key), whereas He's So Fine does not have this transition chord. This is the proof for me that George was truthful about being inspired by OHD and not HSF, even though the melody line of HSF is the same as MSL. There are videos up on KZbin of medleys of MSL / OHD, check out the one by "River Pointe & West End Church" from 2014, it's fab !! Cheers n chips...

[@frankgercas1392]

Great commentary. I think unlucky. As you have mentioned, the chord structure is more detailed. Also did he buy the rights to the song?

[@TJRtheOriginal]

No he did not.

[@beatmet2355]

Out and out BS. Music belongs to everyone and it’s an unashamed cash in when an allegation Iike this is made. I’m pretty sure there’s other songs predating He’s so fine that sound similar to that song. So, a lawsuit could be filed against the songwriter of He’s so fine.

[@quint150]

You should teach guitar playing. Much better than Esteban. LOL

[@227716689]

By listening to your video, I agree with you that George did it subconsciously. Not having been in the court room and hearing all the evidence, I cannot say. But if I am a juror, and from your video, I would vote not guilty.

[@doncourtreporter]

No, apparently he didn't. Harrison claims he did not. He paid them a settlement so this is irrelevant.

[@Engineer_Who]

There's a funny story about Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks panicking after writing "Afterglow" (from _Wind & Wuthering,_ 1977) because he thought he had accidentally rewritten "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Maybe you could look at that next time.

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Going to go listen to “Afterglow” now.......Listening now.....I don’t Tony Banks had anything to worry about 😊

[@jerardnijel]

It is indeed very similar!!!!!! Many of the Rock in Roll stars did steal the music of the black south

[@nickpalliser9590]

Awesome analysis.... excellent. You know your stuff dude

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Thanks. I appreciate it.

[@alexm566]

does any normal person think they're the same?

[@city2024newsanahid]

This man looks like Steve Jobs

[@TJRtheOriginal]

(Wayne's World Voice) .....”OK”!

[@fanboy2015]

I wonder if they ever tried to go after John for copying the opening guitar riff on REVOLUTION from that early 60s song. Don’t remember the name of it nor the artist.

[@erniefernandez4758]

John Lennon commented in an interview when asked in regard to George Harrison's My Sweet Lord lawsuit"He should have known better"

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Yeah, Lennon was not very kind. But I think his comments “might” have been motivated by George’s embracement of God Vs Lennon’s disillusionment with the concept of God....BTW: That’s just a casual observation.

[@erniefernandez4758]

Good observation TJR, I also like to add that George did a parody on His lawsuit of My Sweet Lord in a song titled-This Song- from his 1976 album 33 1/3 -Also another observation is George's 2000 remake of My Sweet Lord where he Made a few changes to the song, Check It out.

[@charlescole645]

I would say George Harrison was unlucky, and I can see how scary that can be for any songwriter, but only when your song is a hit, it seems. Next songs: Come Together vs You Can’t Catch Me.

[@TJRtheOriginal]

LOL.

[@brianjones3191]

Why didn't you compare the songs with "Oh, Happy Day"?

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Because there was no lawsuit between the two.

[@jake105]

Yup!

[@Alex_Plante]

unlucky

[@Stonecutter334]

No bullshit law suit

[@lamt99]

I been listening to both songs I don’t see any similarities, George got mess up, can’t believe he lost in court, with today standard and all songs sound like nothing, he would have been embraced

[@montyrose78]

Unlucky unlike Led Zep who were lucky

[@olaf1191]

A "Beatle" is never guilty! A "Dylan" is never guilty! A "Bowie" is never guilty! E.g. listen to "Life on Mars" by the latter. Then listen to Rachmaninov's 2:nd piano concerto, about 1/3 into the piece it starts. Never seen anyone mention this blatant similarity.

[@catkatt2855]

Steal.... really?... similar in some ways... yes... but I can say that about a lot of songs. A person would have to be kind of an idiot to plagiarize a song and not expect people to know they ripped someone else off. I can't see George Harrison sitting down listening to H'es so Fine nd taking out the pen to rip it off.

[@firesoulrocker]

Well ok how about sister Golden hair

[@TJRtheOriginal]

What “other” song do you feel Sister Golden Hair sounds like.

[@firesoulrocker]

Oh lol my sweet lord.

[@TJRtheOriginal]

Really?.....Hmmm. I will need to take a closer look (IE: see how both a re played).

[@firesoulrocker]

Ok hear one the doors touch me and grapefruits c'mon marianne

[@firesoulrocker]

Tjr you like yes look up Peter banks EMPIRE.