Plastic Jesus
Encyclopedia
"Plastic Jesus" is an American
folk
song written by Ed Rush and George Cromarty in 1957. They recorded it as a humorous ad spoof in 1962 as The Goldcoast Singers on World Pacific Records' Here They Are! The Goldcoast Singers (wp-1806).
The authorship of the song has historically been incorrectly attributed to Ernie Marrs. Rush and Cromarty are listed as the authors by ASCAP and by the song's publisher, EMI
Music Publishing. Ernie Marrs is sometimes credited as the songwriter due to the folk music magazine Sing Out!
(Volume 14, issue number 2, page 40) crediting a version of the lyrics and music to him.
in the mid 1950s. The station was allegedly run by a dentist and religious fanatic who "sold the most outrageous stuff imaginable, all with magical healing properties." One summer broadcast in particular contained the line "...leaning on the arms of Jesus, wrapped in the bosom of the Lord..."
(1967). In the film, Paul Newman
also sings the song while playing a banjo.
Jason Lytle (Of Grandaddy) has covered the song as well. The Levellers
on their Fifteen Years EP
, , Jack Johnson
at some of his gigs and on some bootlegs
, Cowpunk band Jackass on their album "Plastic Jesus", , and Rocky Votolato
on his album A Brief History. The song is also a prominent fixture on the set list the Austin, TX based psychobilly band The Flametrick Subs, in which in the middle of the song they interject a cover of the Todd Snider song, Beer Run. It was featured two Flametrick Subs releases Undead at the Black Cat Lounge and Something in Japanese. Roland Van Campenhout, a flemish blues singer, covered the song "Plastic Jezus" in 1999 on his album "Waltz".
A version of the song was used as the introduction to the "Billy Sol Hargis" skits on the Imus In The Morning
radio program for many years.
Several additional, optional verses have been added to the song. Many folk lyrics refer to Jesus
, but several other verses refer to Mary, Joseph
, the Apostles
, or the Devil
.
Folksinger Joe Bethancourt
has parodies of Plastic Jesus on his website, including Plastic Vishnu, Plastic Cthulhu and an ecumenical version containing verses referencing several religions (Buddhism, Judaism, etc.).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
song written by Ed Rush and George Cromarty in 1957. They recorded it as a humorous ad spoof in 1962 as The Goldcoast Singers on World Pacific Records' Here They Are! The Goldcoast Singers (wp-1806).
The authorship of the song has historically been incorrectly attributed to Ernie Marrs. Rush and Cromarty are listed as the authors by ASCAP and by the song's publisher, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Music Publishing. Ernie Marrs is sometimes credited as the songwriter due to the folk music magazine Sing Out!
Sing Out!
Sing Out! is a quarterly journal of folk music and folk songs that has been published since May 1950.-Background:Sing Out! is the primary publication of the tax exempt, not-for-profit, educational corporation of the same name...
(Volume 14, issue number 2, page 40) crediting a version of the lyrics and music to him.
Religious basis for parody
Ed Rush has stated that the inspiration for the song came from a religious radio station from Del Rio, TexasDel Rio, Texas
Del Rio is a border city in and the county seat of Val Verde County, Texas, United States.. Del Rio is connected with Ciudad Acuña via the Lake Amistad Dam International Crossing and Del Río-Ciudad Acuña International Bridge...
in the mid 1950s. The station was allegedly run by a dentist and religious fanatic who "sold the most outrageous stuff imaginable, all with magical healing properties." One summer broadcast in particular contained the line "...leaning on the arms of Jesus, wrapped in the bosom of the Lord..."
Recordings, performances, and covers
Ernie Marrs, along with the "Marrs Family" (friends Kay Cothran and Bud Foote) recorded a version of Plastic Jesus in 1965 that was featured in the motion picture Cool Hand LukeCool Hand Luke
Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American prison drama film directed by Stuart Rosenberg and starring Paul Newman. The screenplay was adapted by Donn Pearce and Frank Pierson from Pearce's 1965 novel of the same name. The film features George Kennedy, Strother Martin, J.D...
(1967). In the film, Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
also sings the song while playing a banjo.
- 1972 King Earl Boogie Band, formed by Paul KingPaul KingPaul King is the name of:*Paul King , British singer and guitarist with pop group Mungo Jerry*Paul King , British rugby league footballer*Paul King , singer and VJ...
and Colin Earl of Mungo JerryMungo JerryMungo Jerry is an English rock group whose greatest success was in the early 1970s, though they have continued throughout the years with an ever-changing line-up, always fronted by Ray Dorset. They are remembered above all for their hit "In the Summertime". It remains their most successful and most...
, on their album Trouble At Mill.
- 1993 The Flaming LipsThe Flaming LipsThe Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
on their album Transmissions from the Satellite HeartTransmissions from the Satellite HeartTransmissions from the Satellite Heart is The Flaming Lips' sixth album, released in 1993. Its fourth track, "She Don't Use Jelly", is notable for being The Flaming Lips' first charting radio hit, after its video was featured on the MTV show Beavis and Butt-Head, nearly a year after the album's...
, though on the album the track is titled "*******".
- 1994 Mojo NixonMojo NixonMojo Nixon is an American musician, known for playing psychobilly music...
and Jello BiafraJello BiafraJello Biafra is an American musician, spoken word artist and leading figure of the Green Party of the United States. Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys...
on the Prairie Home InvasionPrairie Home InvasionPrairie Home Invasion is a first album released by Jello Biafra with Mojo Nixon in 1994. The title is a satire of the popular public radio program A Prairie Home Companion...
album
- 2001 The Blackeyed SusansThe Blackeyed SusansThe Blackeyed Susans are an Australian rock band, formed in Perth in 1989, based in Melbourne since 1992.-Perth 1989-1990:The original line-up consisted of David McComb on vocals and guitar, Alsy MacDonald on drums , Phil Kakulas on bass guitar , Rob Snarski on vocals and guitar, and...
on their album Dedicated to the Ones We LoveDedicated to the Ones We LoveDedicated to the Ones We Love is the fifth studio album by the Australian folk rock group The Blackeyed Susans and was released on 23 April 2001. It is the first issued on their own label, Teardrop, and was distributed through Shock Records. As the name suggests, it is a collection of cover...
- 2001 Jack JohnsonJack Johnson (musician)Jack Johnson was born May 18, 1975 is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a...
on the live album Live at Boulder
- 2005 Billy IdolBilly IdolWilliam Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
on the album Devil's PlaygroundDevil's Playground (album)-Chart performance:-Personnel:*Billy Idol — vocals*Steve Stevens — guitar*Stephen McGrath — bass*Derek Sherinian — keyboards*Brian Tichy — percussion, drums*Julian Beeston — drum programming...
Jason Lytle (Of Grandaddy) has covered the song as well. The Levellers
The Levellers (band)
The Levellers are an English rock band, founded in 1988 and based in Brighton, England. Their musical style is said to be influenced by punk and traditional English music.-1988-1990:...
on their Fifteen Years EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, , Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (musician)
Jack Johnson was born May 18, 1975 is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a...
at some of his gigs and on some bootlegs
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
, Cowpunk band Jackass on their album "Plastic Jesus", , and Rocky Votolato
Rocky Votolato
Rocky Votolato is an American singer-songwriter. He was born in Dallas, Texas on March 8, 1977. He was raised in a small town called Frost, roughly 50 miles south of Dallas, until the age of 13. After his parents were divorced, his mother remarried and moved the family to the Pacific Northwest...
on his album A Brief History. The song is also a prominent fixture on the set list the Austin, TX based psychobilly band The Flametrick Subs, in which in the middle of the song they interject a cover of the Todd Snider song, Beer Run. It was featured two Flametrick Subs releases Undead at the Black Cat Lounge and Something in Japanese. Roland Van Campenhout, a flemish blues singer, covered the song "Plastic Jezus" in 1999 on his album "Waltz".
A version of the song was used as the introduction to the "Billy Sol Hargis" skits on the Imus In The Morning
Imus in the Morning
Imus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
radio program for many years.
Additional verses
Over the years, the folk tradition of this song has grown.Several additional, optional verses have been added to the song. Many folk lyrics refer to Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, but several other verses refer to Mary, Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
, the Apostles
The Apostles
The Apostles are an experimental punk rock band who developed within the confines of the 1980s Anarcho Punk scene in the UK, but did not necessarily adhere to the aesthetics of that movement.-History:...
, or the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
.
Folksinger Joe Bethancourt
Joe Bethancourt
W.J. Bethancourt III is a traditional American musician , based in Phoenix, Arizona.-Biography:Bethancourt was born in El Paso, Texas. He began learning banjo at age 9, after he heard his maternal grandfather, C. H. Burnett, playing fiddle. His first banjo was given him by his grandfather, and...
has parodies of Plastic Jesus on his website, including Plastic Vishnu, Plastic Cthulhu and an ecumenical version containing verses referencing several religions (Buddhism, Judaism, etc.).