Needle in the Hay
The single that led his self-titled album, later heard in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Elliott Smith, from Elliott Smith (1995)
- Written by
- Elliott Smith
- Released
- January 1995
- Length
- 4:17
- Album
- Elliott Smith
Kill Rock Stars released it as a 7-inch single in January 1995, with Alphabet Town and an extended intro of Some Song on the other tracks. It leads the album Elliott Smith, which followed in July, and was the album's only single. Trumpet and harmonica were recorded for it but left out of the final mix, and a mix that includes them was released in March 2012. When Smith played it with a full band, it was given a rock arrangement with drums and bass, and he sang it an octave higher. Pitchfork ranked it 27th on its list of the 200 best songs of the 1990s.
Wes Anderson used it in The Royal Tenenbaums in 2001, and it is on the film's soundtrack. Smith was reportedly unhappy about its use there.
Covers and versions
- Bad Astronaut (2001) On the album Acrophobe.
- Melissa Laveaux (2006) On Camphor and Copper.
- Nadja (2009) On When I See the Sun Always Shines on T.V.
- Juliana Hatfield (2014) On I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson.
- Vanessa Carlton (2018) Released digitally as part of her Six Covers / Six Months showcase.
More songs by Elliott Smith
Between the Bars, Say Yes, Waltz #2 (XO), Miss Misery, Happiness
Sources
- Needle in the Hay, Wikipedia
- Elliott Smith (album), Wikipedia