Origin: Plastic Jesus

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Sir
Date: 28 May 98 - 11:59 PM

Isn't the tune for "Plastic Jesus" the same for "Oklahoma Hills"? I dunno it's been a while since I've heard it. If I remember correctly in "The Incompleat Folksinger" Pete Seeger mentions that he liked the song a lot because of it's pointing to how people accept plastic or illusion over substance but he said he decided not to sing the song anymore because he also saw that the reason he enjoyed it might have something to do with his protestant upbringing. He mentioned a Catholic friend who said the image of Jesus should be thought of in the same lines as a picture of a loved one that people keep in a wallet.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Victor
Date: 28 May 98 - 11:09 AM

Wasn't that the song that Don Imus used on his radio show for his Billy Sol Hargus theme song?

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From:
Date: 25 May 98 - 08:03 PM

Do a Dejanews Search under "Plastic Jesus" and the fairly recent discussions on this song held on the folk newsgroups should come up. One guy wrote a good ecumenical version to include all the religions he could think of.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 25 May 98 - 03:49 PM

I THINK I first heard a version of this song in the late 1940's. WWVA (the friendly voice of Wheeling West Virginia) carried commercials for plastic dashboard statuettes of Jesus (along with bullet proof bibles, and glow-in-the-dark Last Supper plastic tablecloths), and the lyrics struck a chord. As far as I know, Mr. Marrs added some verses of his own, and, as was the common practice of the day, copyrighted it.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Richard Wright
Date: 25 May 98 - 12:55 PM

The interesting thing about the Cool Hand Luke version is that Newman sings it as a hymn, as if it was the only thing he knew that had some spiritual words. It has always stayed with me.

Richard

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Roger Himler
Date: 24 May 98 - 07:02 PM

Earl,

I said it was in storage. So Sunday is a good day to search in the basement (and thankfully you haven't seen my basement). The book is "The Panic is On (and 62 other songs - outrageous, irreverent, subversive, and far-out)" compiled by Jerry Silverman. It was published by Oak Publications in 1966 (only $2.95!!!). It doesn't come up in a search of Barnes & Nobles or Amazon. I would be really surprised if it is still in print.

Good luck in your search!

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Earl
Date: 24 May 98 - 06:19 PM

Roger, I'd be ineterested in hearing more about your songbook. What was the title? Do you think its still in print?

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Rockaday Johnnie
Date: 24 May 98 - 04:26 PM

Hi Joe -- It Looks like the original version of Plastic Jesus was an ad for the a company that actually made them and offered them for sale-- I believe they were advirtised aon a number of high powered border stations, such as the one in Del Rio Texas. Pundits began making up their own versions and it was Ernie who adapted it and added some of his own verses that urned into the song we know and love so well.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 May 98 - 09:39 PM

Hey, Johnny - I really enjoyed the information you've given us so far. Anything more from that article that you can tell us, or have you already told the whole story?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Rockaday Johnny
Date: 21 May 98 - 08:15 PM

Just a little bit more info for anyone wanting to do a little research: Plastic Jesus appeared in the April-May Issue of Sing Out (was Reprinted in SO Reprints # 8 -Which wqas reprinted in Sing Out Publications The Collected Reprints Vol 7 to 12. It was also published in Broadside (the NY mag- Not Boston) with additional verses in #39 & # 41. There's an interesting article talking with Ernie Marrs called "Plastic Jesus Investigated" in Sing Out - Nov 1964 page 51 and Pete Seeger discusess it in Sing Out January 1965 Page 93.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Roger Himler
Date: 21 May 98 - 06:28 PM

From the sixties, I had a song book, currently in storage, that included Plastic Jesus in it. It was in a collection of songs guaranteed to offend someone. Boy, I've had this cynical streak for a long time. I have no recollection of any attribution for writing, but I suspect this song has been trampled through the folk process. For instance, I never saw so many verses!!!

Keep on Mudcatting!

Roger in Baltimore

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Rockaday Johnny
Date: 21 May 98 - 12:05 PM

The person who should get the credit for "writing" actually editing the song is Atlanta songwriter Ernie Marrs - Ernie has written a number of well known topical songs that Pete Seeger has recorded - "The People Are Scratching" being one I can think of off hand. Actually Pete almost recorded "Plastic Jesus" It got as far as being advirtised on a folkways lp before he decided not to record it. Ernie's group did record it for "Broadside" Magazine in the 60's, and it was printed there as well as a shorter version in Sing Out. The Marrs tape was lost sometime in the early 70'2 (acording to then editor - the late Gordon Freison)and unfortunatly never issued.--The only Recording I know of is on an lp called "Here They Are - The Goldcoast Singers" World Pacific 1806- a wonderful "Folkum" (To use the old Little Sandy Review term for Kingston Trio like folk music) Live recording wher they credit it on the record jacket as (traditional Spiritual)????? This is the version that gets play on Chicago's Midnight Special ---(WFMT) The lp also has such Art Thieme favorites as Peace Corps rejects and Please Mr Kennedy. The last I heard Ernie Marrs was still in Atlanta going to every Braves game he could get to...More info on Ernie can be found in Pete Seegers Bio - The Incomplete Folksinger

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: aldus
Date: 21 May 98 - 09:37 AM

Plastic Jesus has been around for a long time, I recall seeing it in Sing Out Mag. in the early sixties. It is not a John Prine song. I believe it is by Guy Carawan or someone of that type.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Earl
Date: 20 May 98 - 10:26 AM

I have it in a songbook that predates Cool Hand Luke by at least five years. I think it is a 20th Century folk song no matter what ASCAP says.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From:
Date: 20 May 98 - 02:10 AM

www.ascap.com LISTS the following:

PLASTIC JESUS / COOL HAND
Writer(s)
RUSH PAUL EDWARD
CROMARTY GEORGE M

Performer
GOLD COAST SINGERS

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Richard Wright
Date: 19 May 98 - 11:41 PM

paul Newman sang it in Coolhand Luke, when his mother died.

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From:
Date: 19 May 98 - 10:44 PM

RE:/PLASTIC JESUS/http://www.dejanews.com

CLICKHERE

Subject: RE: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From: Will
Date: 19 May 98 - 10:38 PM

John Prine? (Purely a guess)

Subject: Who Wrote & Who Made Popular
From:
Date: 19 May 98 - 09:08 PM

Dear All:

I am trying to find out who wrote and who made popular the song "Plastic Jesus"? Any ideas?

Please respond to me directly at my e-mail address: [e-mail]. Thanks.

JM Dorn