It can be—and has been—argued that all works of art draw inspiration from those that came before them. However, some works cross the line from inspiration into imitation. Some of music’s finest artists, including John Fogerty and Johnny Cash, have found themselves defending their work against plagiarism accusations. And on Aug. 31, 1976, former Beatle George Harrison learned that you don’t even necessarily have to be aware that you’re committing plagiarism to be found guilty of it.
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In November 1970—just five months after the Beatles’ breakup—lead guitarist George Harrison stepped out on his own with “My Sweet Lord.” Off his triple album All Things Must Pass, the song dispelled any notions that Harrison was nothing without his bandmates. “My Sweet Lord,” written in praise of the Hindu god Krishna, topped charts globally and became the U.K.’s best-selling single of 1971.
George Harrison Claimed This Christian Hymn as His Real Inspiration
When he penned “My Sweet Lord,” George Harrison’s chief concern was that audiences wouldn’t respond well to his blending of Hindu mantra and Western Christianity.
However, on Feb. 10, 1971, as Harrison’s solo debut single sat atop the charts for the fourth week straight, Bright Tunes Music Corporation filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the former Beatle. The New York company accused Harrison of ripping off “He’s So Fine,” recorded eight years earlier by girl group the Chiffons.
The case stalled for five years before hitting the U.S. district court in 1976. Harrison claimed he had actually drawn inspiration from the Christian hymn “Oh Happy Day.” However, Judge Richard Owen determined in his ruling that the Liverpool native had “subconsciously” copied the Chiffons’ work.
“Did Harrison deliberately use the music of He’s So Fine? I do not believe he did so deliberately,” Owen wrote. “Nevertheless, it is clear that My Sweet Lord is the very same song as He’s So Fine with different words, and Harrison had access to He’s So Fine.”
Ultimately, Harrison’s manager, Allen Klein, purchased the copyright to “He’s So Fine” through his own label, ABKCO Industries. Harrison was ordered to pay ABKCO $587,000, which also landed him the rights to “He’s So Fine.”
“I wasn’t consciously aware of the similarity when I wrote the song,” Harrison said. “But once it started to get a lot of airplay, people started talking about it, and it was then I thought, ‘Why didn’t I realize?’ It would have been very easy to change a note here or there and not affect the feeling of the record.”
Featured image by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
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