Buttkickin' Holiday Songs: "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)" - George Harrison (1973)

blggivemelove I’m not a particularly religious man, by any stretch of the imagination.

I think that’s the rub, really. “Religious man”. As in, religion is a man-made construct: a home-made, grassroots means of interpreting God. And yet also a bureaucratic, flawed, collective means of interpreting the Universe, Creation, Existence, and Eternity.

It just doesn’t work all that well with me. I’ve often found simpler means of expressing spiritual longing, confusion, thankfulness, understanding, and joy — like enjoying the music of George Harrison.

George was always the “spiritual” Beatle, and that always seemed a bit… trivializing to me. Like John was the witty agitprop poet, Paul was the prettyboy songwriter showman, Ringo was Ringo, and George… the quiet spiritual one. As if his foray into sitars, Eastern meditation, and spiritualism were just 60s trappings he adopted because it was the fashion du jour. Balderdash. It was part and parcel of his being long before (and after) it became the “fashionable” thing to do.

Well anyway… the kickoff track from hits 1973 Living In The Spiritual World, Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) reads as a simple poem, a prayer really… wanting to know God, to understand Him, free from dogma and restriction, that absolute purity of Love. It speaks deeply to me. And I think it makes for a beautiful holiday song, no matter what your faith (or even if you eschew faith).

Give me love
Give me love
Give me Peace on Earth
Give me light
Give me life
Keep me free from birth
Give me hope
Help me cope, with this heavy load
Trying to, touch and reach you with,
Heart and soul