Originally, Harrison wrote this for Billy Preston with sort of a gospel feel. After it ended up being a fast rocker, he decided it wouldn't be right for Preston and released it himself. Preston was one the early artists on the Beatles' Apple label (he released two albums), and he was present at the sessions that yielded "Get Back."
Harrison was writing many religious songs at the time, but this wasn't one of them. The lyrics are directed to a person, not God. As he did on the Beatles track "Something," he makes a profound statement of devotion: Tell me, what is my life without your love? Tell me, who am I without you, by my side? At the time, Harrison was still married to his first wife, Pattie.
The original song had piccolo, trumpet, and oboe parts that weren't used because Harrison didn't like the feel. They can be heard on the 2000 reissue of the album, where the original backing track is included as an extra song.
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