Neha Patil (Editor)

Plastic Jesus

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"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).

Contents

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 because of the folk music magazine Sing Out! (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, Texas 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 Luke (1967). In the film, Paul Newman also sings the song while playing a banjo in a distinctly melancholy scene after his character learns of his mother's death
  • 1988 Naked Prey on their album Kill the Messenger
  • 1993 The Flaming Lips on their album Transmissions from the Satellite Heart, though on the album the track is titled "★★★★★★★"
  • 1994 Mojo Nixon and Jello Biafra on the album Prairie Home Invasion
  • 2001 The Blackeyed Susans on their album Dedicated to the Ones We Love
  • 2001 Jack Johnson on the album Live at Boulder
  • 2005 Billy Idol on the album Devil's Playground
  • 2011 Snow Patrol on the album Fallen Empires. This was a B-Side to a single "This Isn't Everything You Are" released in Germany, but was not included on the final album.
  • 2014 Widespread Panic At the Ryman Auditorium on March Fourteenth and April Twelfth at North Carolina Azalea Festival
  • The Levellers on their Fifteen Years EP
  • Jack Johnson at some of his gigs and on some bootlegs
  • Rocky Votolato on his album A Brief History
  • 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.

    • 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, but several other verses refer to Mary, Joseph, the Apostles, or the Devil.

    Folk singer 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.).

    References

    Plastic Jesus Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA