The Beatles, “Inner Light” (1968): Deep Beatles

An unlikely b-side to the Beatles’ more commercial “Lady Madonna,” “The Inner Light” represents George Harrison’s ongoing experiments with bridging the rock and Indian music genres. More importantly, it exemplifies Harrison’s impressive growth as a songwriter, expanding upon philosophies previously expressed in “Love You To” and “Within You Without You.” “The Inner Light” can be seen as the final episode in a trilogy, the three songs providing spiritual guidance on how to achieve self-awareness and enjoy the quest for knowledge.

January 1968 became a particularly significant month in Harrison’s career; right before recording “The Inner Light,” he traveled to India to work on the Wonderwall soundtrack. The ambitious project holds a notable place in Harrison and Beatles history: it was George Harrison’s first solo release (and the first solo release by any Beatle) as well as the first album issued by the new Apple label. Wonderwall symbolizes Harrison’s desire to blend Eastern and Western influences, and “The Inner Light” is an offshoot of that artistic goal.

The song’s origins date to October 1967, when Harrison and John Lennon made their second appearance on the Frost Programme to discuss Transcendental Meditation. One of the other guests was Juan Mascaró, a Sanskrit scholar at Cambridge University; striking up a friendship with Harrison, Mascaró subsequently sent the musician a copy of his book Lamps of Fire. 

By: Kit O'Toole

Source: Something Else Reviews