|
"Living in the Material World" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released as the title track to his 1973 solo album. In the song's lyrics, Harrison presents a contrast between the world of material things and his spiritual goals, and the conflicting themes are represented in the musical arrangement, via juxtaposing sections in the rock genre and an Indian music setting. Inspired by Gaudiya Vaishnava teacher A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the song promotes the need to recognise the illusory nature of human existence and escape the constant cycle of reincarnation, and thereby attain moksha in the Hindu faith. The contrasts presented in "Living in the Material World" inspired both a photograph by Ken Marcus that appeared inside the album's gatefold cover, and designer Tom Wilkes's incorporation of Krishna-related symbolism elsewhere in the packaging. Harrison references his Beatles past as one of the trappings of the material world and refers by name to former bandmates John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. The latter played drums on the track, recording for which took place in England between October 1972 and February 1973, while the other contributing musicians include Jim Horn, Gary Wright and Jim Keltner. In a production that is highly regarded by some commentators, the rock portions of "Living in the Material World" include a slide guitar solo by Harrison, saxophone, two drummers and prominent Hammond organ, whereas the meditative Indian interludes feature flute, Zakir Hussain on tabla, and a rare post-Beatle sitar performance by Harrison. Amid the favourable critical reception to the song on release, Stephen Holden of ''Rolling Stone'' termed it "an incantatory, polyrhythmic rocker with a falsetto-on-sitar refrain".〔 In addition to providing the title for the ''Living in the Material World'' album, the song inspired Harrison's choice for a name for his charity, the Material World Charitable Foundation, to which he donated his publishing royalties from the composition. The 2006 reissue of the album includes a film clip of "Living in the Material World", featuring archival footage of the vinyl LP's manufacturing process. Film-maker Martin Scorsese used the song's title for that of his 2011 documentary on the life of George Harrison. ==Background== In his 1980 autobiography, ''I, Me, Mine'', George Harrison credits the influence for his song "Living in the Material World" to A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,〔George Harrison, p. 258.〕 founder and leader of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), commonly known as the Hare Krishna movement.〔Clayson, pp. 210, 247–48.〕 Harrison adds that the song specifically espouses the message that "we are not these bodies, we are ''in'' these material bodies in the physical world."〔 His friend Ravi Shankar once observed that Harrison exhibited ''tyagi'', a trait meaning non-attachment or renunciation,〔Lambert Ramirez, ("George Harrison: The not-so-quiet Beatle" ), philstar.com, 17 March 2014 (retrieved 11 February 2015).〕 a point to which Shankar added: "He had everything – all the wealth, the fame, whatever he wanted. But he was not attached to it ... because he was searching for something much higher, much deeper. It does seem like he already had some Indian background in him (a previous life )."〔Olivia Harrison, pp. 11, 244.〕 Harrison later said of life in the material world, referring to the need to break the cycle of rebirth associated with reincarnation:〔Allison, pp. 79, 84.〕 "The whole point to being here, really, is to figure a way to get out."〔Tillery, p. 112.〕〔''Chant and Be Happy'', p. 18.〕 Author Gary Tillery draws parallels between Harrison's approach to "() through the motions of living in the material world" and the way someone in the 21st century might play a virtual reality game.〔Tillery, pp. 105–06.〕 Tillery writes that "what we see and experience during the game is actually an illusion" – or ''maya'' in the Hindu belief to which Harrison subscribed〔Allison, p. 83.〕 – and that "()hat ''does'' matter in the great scheme of things is to wake up from the dreamlike state we mistake for reality."〔Tillery, p. 106.〕 Speaking at a 1974 press conference,〔Badman, p. 136.〕 in reply to whether there was a "paradox" between his spiritualism and the lifestyle of a musician, Harrison conceded: "It is difficult ... You can go to the Himalayas and miss it completely and () be stuck in the middle of New York and be very spiritual ... I think one by one we all free ourselves from the chains that we have chained ourselves to, whatever we're chained to."〔Anne Moore, "George Harrison On Tour – Press Conference Q&A", ''Valley Advocate'', 13 November 1974; available at (Rock's Backpages ) (''subscription required''; retrieved 16 December 2013).〕〔Steven Rosen, "(George Harrison )", Rock's Backpages, 2008 (''subscription required''; retrieved 16 December 2013).〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Living in the Material World (song)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|