Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam
1987 song by the Vaselines
| "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" | |
|---|---|
| Song by The Vaselines | |
| from the album Dying for It | |
| Released | 1987 |
| Genre | Indie pop |
| Length | 3:31 |
| Label | 53rd & 3rd |
| Songwriter(s) | Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee |
| "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Nirvana | |
| from the album MTV Unplugged in New York | |
| Released | 1 November 1994 |
| Recorded | 18 November 1993 |
| Venue | Sony Music Studios, New York City |
| Genre | Alternative rock |
| Length | 4:37 |
| Label | DGC |
| Songwriter(s) | Eugene Kelly, Frances McKee |
| Producer(s) | Alex Coletti, Scott Litt, Nirvana |
| MTV Unplugged in New York track listing | |
13 tracks
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"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" is a song originally recorded by the Scottish alternative band the Vaselines. It was later covered by American rock band Nirvana in 1993 who renamed it "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam".
History
"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" is a song originally recorded by the Scottish alternative band the Vaselines for their EP Dying for It.[1] It is a parody on the Christian children's hymn "I'll Be a Sunbeam", which has the opening line "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam." The Vaselines re-released the song in 1992 on the compilation albums The Way of The Vaselines: A Complete History,[2] and All the Stuff and More.
The song was little-known outside the indie-pop scene until Seattle grunge band Nirvana recorded the song in November 1993 for their live acoustic album MTV Unplugged in New York, re-titling it "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam".[3]
Two more versions were released by Nirvana on their 2004 box set With the Lights Out. These were an acoustic version recorded in Portugal in 1994, and a live electric performance on the DVD section of the box set that was recorded at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle on October 31, 1991.[4] This version was re-released in 2011 as a bonus track on the 20th anniversary edition of the Nevermind album and on the Live at the Paramount DVD and Blu-ray.[5]
In the version featured on the MTV Unplugged in New York album, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain refers to the song as "a rendition of an old Christian song, I think. But we do it the Vaselines' way."[6] At a Nirvana concert that took place on December 30, 1993, at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California, Cobain dedicated the song to the recently deceased River Phoenix.[7]
References
- ^ Alexander, Phil (April 5, 2019). "Kurt Cobain's 50 favourite albums". Kerrang!. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ Scott, Jerry (30 June 2013). "The Vaselines - Complete History". obatik.com. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ Whatley, Jack. "From the Beatles to David Bowie: 10 of Nirvana's Best Covers". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ Furniss, Matthew. Nirvana Uncensored On the Record. Coda Books Ltd. ISBN 9781781580059.
- ^ Appelo, Tim (September 26, 2011). "'Nirvana Live at the Paramount' DVD Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
- ^ Kurt Cobain, Nov. 18, 1993. MTV Unplugged in New York, DGC Records, released Nov. 1, 1994.
- ^ Borzillo, Carrie (April 23, 1994). "Cobain Death Spurs Rush at Retail" (PDF). Billboard. p. 102. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
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- Eugene Kelly
- Frances McKee
- Michael McGaughrin
- Carla Easton
- Graeme Smillie
- Dum-Dum
- Sex with an X
- V for Vaselines
- Son of a Gun
- Dying for It
- The Way of The Vaselines: A Complete History
- Enter The Vaselines
- Eugenius
- "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam"
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