Needle in the Hay
| "Needle in the Hay" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elliott Smith | ||||
| from the album Elliott Smith | ||||
| B-side | "Alphabet Town"
| |||
| Released | January 1, 1995 | |||
| Recorded | September 1994 | |||
| Studio | House of Tony Lash, bandmate of Elliott's | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:16 | |||
| Label | Kill Rock Stars | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Elliott Smith | |||
| Producer(s) | Elliott Smith | |||
| Elliott Smith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Needle in the Hay" is a song released in 1995 by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was the sole single from his second studio album, Elliott Smith.
Recording[edit]
Trumpet and harmonica were recorded for the song but were omitted from the final mix. A mix featuring the extra instrumentation was released in March 2012.[1]
Release[edit]
"Needle in the Hay" was released as a 7" vinyl single on January 1, 1995, by record label Kill Rock Stars.[2] It is the lead track on the album Elliott Smith, released that May.
Live performances[edit]
During later shows with a full band, the song was given more of a "rock" arrangement and featured drums and bass,[3] with Smith singing the vocals an octave higher.
Legacy[edit]
Pitchfork Media ranked the song 27th in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1990s.[4]
"Needle in the Hay" appeared in Wes Anderson's 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums in a scene featuring a suicide attempt. Smith was reportedly unhappy about the song being used this way.[5] The song appeared on the film's soundtrack.[6]
In 2017, Australian music and culture publication Happy Mag launched an annual vinyl competition named after "Needle in the Hay."
Cover versions[edit]
The song has been covered by numerous artists, including punk band Bad Astronaut for their 2001 album Acrophobe; drone metal duo Nadja on their 2009 covers album When I See the Sun Always Shines on T.V.; Mélissa Laveaux on her 2006 album Camphor & Copper; and Juliana Hatfield in 2014's I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson, a tribute album of songs used in the director's films. It was also covered in a viral video of a parody of The Muppets character Kermit the Frog.
In July 2018, singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton digitally released her recording of "Needle in the Hay"; Carlton selected the track among a variety of songs that were unveiled as part of her "Six Covers / Six Months" showcase.
Track listing[edit]
- "Needle in the Hay" – 4:17
- "Alphabet Town" – 4:12
- "Some Song (Extended Intro)" – 2:21
References[edit]
- ^ Pelly, Jenn (March 1, 2012). "Unreleased Elliott Smith, Deerhunter on Kickstarter Comp for Open Source Project CASH Music | News | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ "Needle in the Hay 7" | Kill Rock Stars". Bandcamp. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ "Elliott Smith "Needle in the Hay" Electric 9-2-00 – YouTube". YouTube. February 11, 2007. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
- ^ Petruisch, Amanda (September 2, 2010). "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50–21 | Features | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ Schultz, William Todd (October 1, 2013). Torment Saint: The Life of Elliott Smith. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1608199730.
- ^ Browning, Mark (2011). Wes Anderson: Why His Movies Matter. Praeger. p. 152. ISBN 978-1598843521.
