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Needle in the Hay

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1995 single by Elliott Smith
"Needle in the Hay"
Single by Elliott Smith
from the album Elliott Smith
B-side"Alphabet Town"
  • "Some Song"
ReleasedJanuary 1, 1995
RecordedSeptember 1994
StudioHouse of Tony Lash, bandmate of Elliott's
Genre
Length4:16
LabelKill Rock Stars
Songwriter(s)Elliott Smith
Producer(s)Elliott Smith
Elliott Smith singles chronology
"Shytown" / "No Confidence Man"
(1994) 		"Needle in the Hay"
(1995) 		"Miss Misery"
(1997)

"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

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.

Release

"Needle in the Hay" was released as a 7" vinyl single on January 1, 1995, by record label Kill Rock Stars. It is the lead track on the album Elliott Smith, released that May.

Live performances

During later shows with a full band, the song was given more of a "rock" arrangement and featured drums and bass, with Elliott Smith singing the vocals an octave higher.

Legacy

Pitchfork Media ranked the song 27th in its list of the 200 best songs of the 1990s.

"Needle in the Hay" appeared in Wes Anderson's 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums in a scene featuring a suicide attempt by Richie Tenenbaum (Luke Wilson). Smith was reportedly unhappy about the song being used this way. The song appeared on the film's soundtrack.

In 2017, Australian music and culture publication Happy Mag launched an annual vinyl competition named after "Needle in the Hay."

Cover versions

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

  1. "Needle in the Hay" – 4:17
  2. "Alphabet Town" – 4:12
  3. "Some Song (Extended Intro)" – 2:21

References

  1. 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.
  2. "Needle in the Hay 7" | Kill Rock Stars". Bandcamp. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  3. "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.
  4. Petruisch, Amanda (September 2, 2010). "Staff Lists: The Top 200 Tracks of the 1990s: 50–21 | Features | Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
  5. Schultz, William Todd (October 1, 2013). Torment Saint: The Life of Elliott Smith. Bloomsbury. ISBN 978-1608199730.
  6. Browning, Mark (2011). Wes Anderson: Why His Movies Matter. Praeger. p. 152. ISBN 978-1598843521.
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