Tag: Thirty Three & 1/3

After being sued for My Sweet Lord, George Harrison wrote this song. This was Harrison’s funny send-up of the He’s So Fine and My Sweet Lord plagiarism court case.

The line, “This tune has nothing Bright about it,” is a reference to Bright Tunes Music, the company that owned the publishing rights to “He’s So Fine” and sued Harrison.

It was the first single for Harrison’s Thirty Three & 1/3 album, and features Billy Preston on piano and organ, and Monty Python’s Eric Idle calling out a falsetto “Could be ‘Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch,” “No, sounds more like ‘Rescue Me’!” interjection right before the instrumental break.

The song peaked at #25 in the Billboard 100 and #30 in Canada in 1976. I bought this album when I was 10 and still enjoy it. I couldn’t stop playing Crackerbox Palace.

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Owens found that while he did not feel that George had ‘deliberately’ plagiarized the song ‘He’s So Fine’, there was substantial evidence that he did infringe on the song’s copyright. George was found guilty and ordered to pay damages in the amount of $587,000.”

From Songfacts

Harrison made a video for this song where he is seen pleading his case in courtroom that devolves into a full-on circus by the end, a metaphor for the actual proceedings. The video was shown on Saturday Night Live when Harrison was the musical guest on November 20, 1976. On the same show, Harrison’s video for “Crackerbox Palace” also aired.

This Song

This song has nothing tricky about it
This song ain’t black or white and as far as I know
Don’t infringe on anyone’s copyright, so

This song, we’ll let be
This song is in E
This song is for you and

This tune has nothing bright about it
This tune ain’t bad or good and come ever what may
My expert tells me it’s okay

As this song came to me
Unknowingly
This song could be you could be, ooh

This riff ain’t trying to win gold medals
This riff ain’t hip or square, well-done or rare
May end up one more weight to bear

But this song could well be
A reason to see
That without you there’s no point to this song
Ooh, ooh

But this song could well be
A reason to see
That without you there’s no point to this song

…