"The Inner Light" , the B-side to The Beatles' March 1968 single "Lady Madonna" written by George Harrison. Released on Parlophone (UK), this track was the first Harrison composition to appear on a Beatles single, recorded in India-inspired style.
This song stood as the pinnacle—and the conclusion—of Harrison’s efforts to weave Indian classical elements into the band's discography. Interestingly, the verses were lifted nearly word-for-word from a Japanese poem by Roshi, via R.H. Blyth’s translation:
"Without going out of his door. he knows everything in the world, without looking out of his window, he knows the way to heaven. The farther we go, the less we learn"
The musical backing was captured in Mumbai alongside masters of Indian instrumentation. George had trekked there in January to oversee the music for the film "Wonderwall." At the time, Paul expressed genuine admiration for George's work, noting: "Forget the Indian music and listen to the melody. Don't vou think it's a beauti- ful melody? It's really lovely.'
However, during that era, George struggled to convince the group to treat his contributions with gravity.
Even their producer, George Martin, admitted to being part of the problem:
"I confess I didn't offer him much support either. When you’re dealing with two giants of such immense talent as Lennon and McCartney, looking elsewhere seems almost redundant."
The song’s musical foundation featured Indian masters such as Hariprasad Chaurasia, Aashish Khan, and Hanuman Jadev.
Apart from Harrison’s lead vocals—which were captured in London—the other Beatles only participated by adding harmony vocals to the track’s concluding line. Over the years, the song has earned significant acclaim from scholars and critics alike, who highlight its graceful melody and its ability to capture the essence of a meditative state.
The ensemble for the Bombay sessions was organized by Vijay Dubey (HMV India’s A&R chief) and Shambhu Das, who had previously helped George with his sitar studies in 1966. Harrison eventually finalized the track back in London during a period when the band was prepping a new release to maintain their presence while they stayed with the Maharishi in Rishikesh.
On February 6, at EMI Studios, George laid down his vocal tracks. Initially hesitant about hitting the high notes required for the song, he was eventually cheered on and encouraged by Lennon and McCartney to finish the take. Forty-eight hours later, John and Paul added their vocal overdubs to the final phrase, "Do all without doing."
In 2020, the Material World Foundation launched "The Inner Light Challenge" to support global relief efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, benefiting organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières and Save the Children. The foundation committed to a $100,000 donation for every social media tribute—whether a cover or a snippet—shared by fans.
Dhani Harrison posted a performance of "The Inner Light" on Facebook, while Harrison's widow, Olivia,said of the song: "These lyrics sung by George are a positive reminder to all of us who are isolating, in quarantine or respecting the request to shelter in place. Let's get and stay connected at this difficult time. There are things we can do to help and we invite you to share your Inner Light."
........................................
🟠Would you like to support the page with a donation? Enter HERE 
🟠We invite o to visit our NEW #Facebook PAGE: BEATLES MAGAZINE
FOLLOW US HERE: https://www.facebook.com/BEATLESMAGAZINE1/
WELCOME! FOLLOW US! 24Hrs a Day, 8 Days a Week!
🟠Help us keep The Beatles' legacy alive! Visit, Comment, Like, and Share our pages!
Follow us on our social media platforms:
https://www.beatlesmagazine.com
https://www.facebook.com/BEATLESMAGAZINE1/
https://beatlesmagazine.blogspot.com/
https://beatlesmagazinebootleg.blogspot.com/
https://beatlesmagazinevideo.blogspot.com/
https://www.instagram.com/beatlesmagazine/
https://x.com/BEATLESMAGAZINE
https://www.tiktok.com/@beatlesmagazine
https://www.threads.net/@beatlesmagazine
🟠 VISIT PAUL McCARTNEY’s OFFICIAL AMAZON STORE: https://amzn.to/4r3DN4w
🟠BEATLES STORES (Associated with Amazon, Shipments Worldwide)￫ HERE , HERE & HERE
