"We're more popular than Jesus now," quipped John Lennon in 1966, roguishly referring to his band the Beatles. While I wouldn't have put even money on the accuracy of this statement, Lennon's off-the-cuff remark to a reporter at the London Evening Standard does point to the god-like status of rock stars amongst their fans. Given famous rockers' simultaneous all-too-human frailty, it's no wonder that these larger-than-life figures have often sought spiritual guidance themselves.
Most famous was the Beatles trip to India to sit at the feet of and merrily make music with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Also along for this particular ride was Mia Farrow and her sister Prudence, who was immortalized in the song "Dear Prudence." For anyone who'd like to travel down memory lane, a nostalgic look back is provided by filmmaker and photographer Paul Saltzman's website and book of photographs documenting this 1968 pilgrimage. You may also want to watch film footage (click HERE to view) of this spiritual interlude that led Lennon to his new, arguably more profound insight: "If the Beatles or the sixties had a message, it was learn to swim. Period. And once you learn to swim, swim. You make your own dream. That's the Beatles' story, isn't it?"
The Beatles were certainly not the only British rockers to consider ultimate questions and otherworldly matters under the tutelage of a South Asian mystic. The wise words and inspiring presence of the avatar Meher Baba captivated members of The Who. As much is discussed in this excerpt from a BBC documentary on the late Ronnie Lane (click HERE to view). Fascinatingly, in the clip's final moments, Pete Townsend contrasts his teacher, Baba, with the Beatles' spiritual guide. Awareness of the spiritual aspect of these performers' lives enriches our experience of the music they gave us. We begin to hear, for instance, how much The Who's eponymous and most famous lyrics, "Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?" resemble the mind-blowing interrogations of a particularly relentless guru. Indeed according to the song's writer, Pete Townsend, "Who Are You" was composed in the context of Eastern mysticism and poses a central question addressed to the divine, with "Who" suggesting "Hu," an ancient name for God.
