Spirit in the Sky is the song composed by Norman Greenbaum in the late 60s that made history all around the world by lyrics, tune and cultural impact as well. The writer of Spirit in the Sky was inspired by a TV show where he listened to some gospel singing, and he put the lyrics down in fifteen minutes. It refers to the afterlife and the Christian experience in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Though, Greenbaum is Jewish and identifies himself as such, the Christian dimension of the song did not go unnoticed even if the author claimed that he had no religious intention to pour in the song.
Greenbaum had the intention of reaching broader audiences when he referred to sin in Spirit in the Sky, particularly since the concept of evil doing is found in all cultures and religions, and Christianity doesn't have exclusive rights on it. When it comes to musicality, the guitar is the dominant note in the rhythm of the song. It seems that a Fender Telecaster with a fuzz box inside was used so as to to make the sound guitar preponderant.
The characteristics of Spirit in the Sky are amazing by the new sound imprint: psychedelic rock music meets gospel in a combination of tambourines, hand clapping, great drum playing and distorted electric guitar. Though Spirit in the Sky proved a hit, its beginnings were pretty difficult as the record company showed increased reluctance towards producing it because of the unusual lyrics and the originality of the style. Spirit in the Sky actually came to the rescue of the album it was part of, since it followed two other single releases which were rated as failures. Somehow, the producers needed to save the project, but even so they were far from anticipating the success of the song.
John Lennon rated Spirit in the Sky as a great song, while the Rolling Stones gave it only a 333rd place in the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Even so, the song was listened to everywhere in UK, Canada, US or Australia, and it made a statement that was to become the foundation stone of glam rock development and the more extensive usage of electronic technologies in music making. Due to its message and sound specificity, Spirit in the Sky met the necessities of film making too, being included in over twenty movies.
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