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Hair (Hair song)
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Wikipedia article
"'Hair'" is the title song to the 1967 musical 'Hair' and the 1979 film adaptation of the musical.
Context in the musical
The musicals title song begins as character Claude slowly croons his reason for his long hair, as tribe-mate Berger joins in singing they "don't know." They lead the tribe, singing "Give me a head with hair," "as long as God can grow it," listing what they want in a head of hair and their uses for it. Later the song takes the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner" with the tribe punning "Oh say can you see/ My eyes if you can/Then my hairs too short!" Claude and Bergers religious references continue with many a "Hallelujah" as they consciously compare their hair to Jesuss, and if Mary loved her son, "why dont my mother love me?"
The song shows the Tribe's enthusiasm and pride for their hair as well as comparing Claude to a Jesus figure.
The Cowsills version
The song was a major hit for the Cowsills in 1969 and their most successful single. The Cowsills version cuts out most of the religion-themed lyrics, changing "long as God can grow it" to "long as I can grow it" and removing some verses. Their version spent two weeks at number one on the 'Cash Box' Top 100 and reached number two on the 'Billboard' Hot 100. "Hair" was kept out of the number-one spot by another song from the 'Hair' cast album: "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by The 5th Dimension. It also reached number one on the 'RPM' Canadian Singles Chart.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Other versions
"Hair" was also covered in Australia in 1969 and released as a single by Doug Parkinson in Focus (B-side with "Without You") and was a top ten hit for him there that year.[Australian Chart Book 1970-1992]
A version by Dutch rock band Zen reached the top of the Dutch Top 40 in January 1969. A cover was released as a B-side by girl group Gilded Cage in 1969.
Appearances in media
* The title song as well as another song from the musical, "Good Morning Starshine," were featured in 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' in the Season 5, 8th episode "Hercules Unchained".
* On 'The Simpsons' episode, "Simpsoncalifragilisticexpiala(Annoyed Grunt)cious", the song is played in the background as Marge's hair starts to fall out from stress.
* On 'The Simpsons' episode, "D'oh-in' in the Wind", the song is played in the hippies' car as Homer wears a jester hat.
* In 'My Wife and Kids' episode, "The Sweet Hairafter", Michael Kyle (Damon Wayans), sings the song playing his keyboard, while his hair supplement grows in.
* In 2009, the song was used in a mash-up with Beyonc's "Crazy in Love" in the 'Glee' episode 11, "Hairography".
* In the 2015 animated film 'Minions', Stuart used a "hypno hat" to hypnotize three of the palace guards while breaking into the Tower of London, and made them sing the song (in the Minion Language), dance, strip to their underwear and let their hair down.
References
'Citations'
'Sources'
*Joel Whitburn, 'The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits' (6th ed. 1996), p. 148.
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