Rather than revisit compositions left over from the "All Things Must Pass" sessions, Harrison's material for "Living in the Material World" was drawn from the 1971–72 period, with the exception of "Try Some, Buy Some", which he wrote in 1970 and recorded with former Ronette Ronnie Spector in February 1971. The songs reflected his spiritual devotion – in the case of "The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)", "Living in the Material World", "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" and "Try Some, Buy Some" – as well as his feelings before and after the Bangladesh benefit concerts, with "Miss O'Dell" and "The Day the World Gets 'Round".