George Harrison’s ‘Living in the Material World’ and Madonna’s ‘Material Girl’ Have More in Common Than Their Titles

George Harrison claimed Madonna “helped herself” to his music “Living in the Material World” for her tune “Material Girl.” The 1973 rock music’s identify undoubtedly influenced the 1984 pop hit’s title, however that’s not the place the tune’s similarities finish.

George Harrison and Madonna | David Levenson/Getty Photos

George Harrison mentioned Madonna ‘helped herself’ to his ‘Living in the Material World’ for ‘Material Girl’

In 1971, Vivid Tunes Music, the publishing firm of The Chiffons’ “He’s So Fine,” sued George for copyright infringement. They claimed the former Beatle copied the 1963 music for his 1970 music “My Sweet Lord.”

In 1976, Choose Richard Owen of the United States District Court docket declared that George had “subconsciously” copied “He’s So Fine.”

The lawsuit made George paranoid. He vented his frustrations in his 1976 tune “This Song.” Whereas recording, comic Eric Idle dubbed two arguing voices saying, “Sounds like ‘Sugar Pie Honey Bunch’” and “Naw! Sounds more like ‘Rescue Me!’”

George usually confessed he used his favourite songs as inspiration. Nevertheless, that didn’t imply he copied any music. Throughout a 1987 interview with Timothy White at Musician Journal, George mentioned loads of artists copied one another.

“Not to mention Madonna helping herself to ‘Living in the Material World’ for ‘Material Girl.’ I was ahead of my time,” George mentioned.

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George and Madonna’s songs have extra in frequent than their titles

Madonna may’ve gotten “Material Girl” from George’s “Living in the Material World,” however that’s not all the songs have in frequent.

Evaluating the two tunes, a minimum of at face worth, one can’t deny how totally different they’re. George sings about wanting to flee the materials world.

He sings, “Can’t say what I’m doing here/ But I hope to see much clearer/ After living in the material world…/ I got born into the material world/ Getting worn out in the material world…/ Got caught up in the material world/ From the Spiritual Sky/ Such sweet memories have I/ To the Spiritual Sky/ How I pray/ Yes I pray/ That I won’t get lost/ Or go astray/ As I’m fated for the material world/ Get frustrated in the material world/ Senses never gratified/ Only swelling like a tide/ That could drown me in the Material world…/ Living in the material world/ I hope to get out of this place.”

Initially, one would assume Madonna is singing about being a gold digger in “Material Girl.” She sings, “Some boys kiss me/ Some boys hug me/ I think they’re ok/ If they don’t give me proper credit/ I just walk away/ They can beg and they can plead/ But they can’t see the light (that’s right)/ ‘Cause the boy with the cold hard cash/ Is always Mister Right.”

Whereas George needs to go away the materials world, Madonna can’t dwell with out it. Nevertheless, that’s not true. The pair are each warning towards materialism.

George wished to go away this world for the non secular realm. Ever since he turned non secular in the mid-Sixties, George wished to attach with God in each approach he might. Finally, every thing in George’s life, together with the materials issues, didn’t impress him. Irrespective of how a lot cash he had, it by no means really introduced him happiness like God did.

In 1967, George informed Melody Maker (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters), “The Beatles got all the material wealth that we needed and that was enough to show us that this thing wasn’t material. We are all in the physical world, yet what we are striving for isn’t physical. We all get so hung up with material things like cars and televisions and houses, yet what they can give you is only there for a little bit and then it’s gone.”

George informed Crawdaddy 10 years later, “But people interpret it to mean, money, cars, that sort of thing– although those are part of the material world. The material world is like the physical world, as opposed to the spiritual. For me, living in the material world just meant being in this physical body with all the things that go along with it.”

Ten years after that, George added to Anthony DeCurtis, “What I realized over the years is that it’s not what you own, it’s how attached to it you are. And I think the danger is when you become attached obsessively to each other, even to your own body, or to your wealth, your motorcars, your fame and your fortune. It’s to be unattached to it, but you still can experience it. It’s all part of life’s experience.”

Nothing in George’s life held him all the way down to the materials world. In Martin Scorsese’s documentary, George Harrison: Dwelling in the Material World, George defined that whereas he laid stabbed throughout his household’s 1999 dwelling invasion, he couldn’t discover a cause to remain and ready for dying.

He mentioned, “If I had to leave my body in an hour’s time, what is it that I would miss? And I think, well, I’ve got a son who needs a father, so I have to stick around for him as long as I can, but other than that, I can’t think of much reason to be here [laughs].”

In the meantime, Madonna wasn’t eager for one other realm when she recorded “Material Girl,” however she wasn’t precisely singing about her love of fabric issues. She may appear to be a gold digger in “Material Girl,” nevertheless it’s extra of a satirical music.

The pop star confirmed she didn’t establish along with her well-known music. Throughout a 2009 interview with Rolling Stone, Madonna mentioned she preferred “Material Girl” as a result of it was “ironic and provocative at the same time but also unlike me.” She continued, “I’m not a materialistic individual…

“I feel lucky to be able to afford a Frida Kahlo [painting] or live in a nice house, but I know that I can live without it. I’m resourceful, and if I ended up in a log cabin in the middle of the forest, that would work too. These things are not mandatory for my happiness. That’s what I meant by ‘I’m not a materialistic person.’”

“Living in the Material World” and “Material World” have related titles and warnings about possessions. So, meaning George and Madonna had related views of the materials world.

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The pair weren’t related pop stars

Later, in 1986, George and Modonna labored collectively on Shanghai Shock. George informed Creem Magazine it was robust working with the pop star and her then-husband, Sean Penn.

George mentioned he preferred Penn and his work, however getting a efficiency out of him was arduous when he was pissed off. In the meantime, George thought Madonna was good however didn’t have a humorousness. She hadn’t discovered from The Beatles’ errors both.

Madonna may not have been a materialistic individual like George, however the pair didn’t have related views on fame.

Creem mentioned it was ironic that George needed to defend the unstable couple towards the press. George had skilled the media for years with The Beatles. It was a hundred instances worse than what Penn and Madonna had skilled on the set of Shanghai Shock.

George defined that The Beatles ought to’ve been an instance to all pop stars. Every time somebody in the group “would start getting snooty or big­ ‘eaded we’d just broadside him,” George mentioned. The Beatles sorted each other and remained humble.

Nevertheless, pop stars like Madonna didn’t take a look at what occurred to the group and be taught from it. They “sudden­ly start thinking they’re God’s gift to man­ kind, when really all they are is silly pop stars. There’s much more to life than just being a famous pop star. Unfortunately, a lot them fall into the trap,” George mentioned.

“They get sur­rounded by folks saying how nice they’re, all these sycophants who encompass them. And sadly, she has acquired all that going and she’s fallen for it. However I believe she has the potential to be a very nice individual–­it’s a must to see it from the different facet, which I can see too, which is that the strain you’re underneath if you find yourself fab is large.

“It sometimes does get you crazy when you can’t write and can’t do this when everybody’s bugging you and shooting cameras in your face. So I sympathize from that point of view, too. But what she needs is just 500 milligrams of LSD (laughs).”

George and Madonna weren’t related by any means, however they did agree on the materials world.

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