Released 1968 (1968) Genre Rock, pop rock Label RCA | Recorded May 6, 1968 Length 02:55 | |
Writer(s) James Rado, Gerome Ragni | ||
"Hair" is the title song to the 1968 musical Hair and the 1979 film adaptation of the musical.
Contents
Context in the musical
The musical’s title song begins as character Claude slowly croons his reason for his long hair, as tribe-mate Berger joins in singing they deem they “don’t know.” They lead the tribe, singing “Give me a head with hair,” “as long as God can grow it,” listing what they want in a head of hair and their uses for it. Later the song takes the tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner” with the tribe punning “Oh say can you see/ My eyes if you can/Then my hair’s too short!” Claude and Berger’s religious references continue with many a “Hallelujah” as they consciously compare their hair to Jesus’s, and if Mary loved her son, “why don’t my mother love me?” The song shows the Tribe's enthusiasm and pride for their hair as well as comparing Claude to a Jesus figure.
Cover versions
The song was a major hit single for The Cowsills in 1969 and their most successful single. Their version spent two weeks at #1 on the Cash Box Top 100 and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached #1 on the RPM Canadian Singles Chart.
The song was also covered in Australia in 1969 and released as a single by Doug Parkinson in Focus (B-side with "Without You") and was a top ten hit for him there that year.
A version by Dutch rock band Zen reached the top of the Dutch Top 40 in January 1969.