Spirit In The Sky -

The helpful "story" behind Norman Greenbaum's 1969 hit is a classic tale of unexpected inspiration. Despite its heavy Christian themes, the song was written by a Jewish artist who simply thought he could write a better gospel song than the ones he saw on TV. The Inspiration

: Because he wasn't Christian, he included the line "Never been a sinner / I've never sinned," which contradicts the Christian belief that all are born with sin. He later joked that if he had known better, he would have written it differently, but it didn't stop the song from becoming a hit. Spirit In The Sky

: The title "Spirit in the Sky" came from a card he saw depicting Native Americans looking toward a "spirit in the sky". The helpful "story" behind Norman Greenbaum's 1969 hit

: To give it an authentic feel, he brought in the Stovall Sisters , a professional gospel trio, to provide the soulful backup harmonies. The Legacy He later joked that if he had known

: The song is famous for its fuzzy, growling guitar riff. Greenbaum used a Fender Telecaster with a custom "fuzz box" built directly into the guitar body to achieve the unique tone.