How Did George Harrison Influence World Religion

Jack Schultz

Mr. Jackson

World Religions

4 April 2023

How World Religions Influenced the Life and Music of George Harrison From the 1960s to today, nearly everyone with access to world music is familiar with the Beatles. The Beatles were so popular that in 1966, John Lennon claimed that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus” (Cleave). As crazy as that sounds, this was not far from the truth. Yet, George Harrison, the lead guitarist known as “the quiet Beatle,” was often overshadowed by his more well-known counterparts, John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Many people fail to understand how greatly George Harrison influenced the Beatles. However, it was religion that opened up Harrison to impact the world. George Harrison’s curiosity in Hinduism,

His family practiced Christianity, but George was not particularly religious as a kid. George, along with the rest of the Beatles, was actually anti-religious in the Beatles’ early years. According to the book George Harrison on George Harrison, Harrison states, “Maybe I misinterpreted [Christianity], but what I felt was pain, fear” (Kahn). He also described Catholicism as “full of hypocrisy” (Fact or Fantasy?). According to Derek Taylor, the former press officer in the Beatles, in an August 1964 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, all four of the Beatles had firmly renounced their religious beliefs and backgrounds by the time of publication (Aronowitz 28). In fact, they even began to embrace their own statuses as god-like people, which was not uncommon during the peak of “Beatlemania.” Harrison, in particular, abandoned his Christian beliefs at just 13 years old (Nethercutt). While the Beatles’ superhuman praise from the public has not stopped to this day, their rejection of spirituality

In the movie, the Beatles are in a conflict against a Hindu cult loosely based on the Thuggee cult in India that existed until the nineteenth century (IMDb). This film exposed the Beatles to many aspects of Indian culture. Harrison, in particular, was fascinated with Indian music and spirituality. In 1965, while filming at an Indian restaurant, Harrison heard, for the first time, a sitar (Nethercutt). He was astounded by the sound and beauty of the instrument and became increasingly curious about the instrument and the culture behind it. A few months later, he learned to play the sitar from Ravi Shankar, an Indian classical musician known for performing worldwide with a sitar (Jones). Harrison played the sitar multiple times across Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. “Norwegian Wood,” the Beatles’ most popular song featuring the sitar, was the first Western song to blend Indian music with Western pop and rock music (Jones). This song, in particular, marks a transition point in the Beatles’