The Hurdy Gurdy Man (song)
Encyclopedia
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" is a song
by the Scottish
musician
Donovan
. It was written and recorded
in early 1968 and released in May as a single
and gave name to the album
The Hurdy Gurdy Man
, which was released in October of that year. It reached #5 in the U.S.
and #4 in the UK
pop charts. The song was written
for Donovan's old friend and guitar mentor Mac MacLeod
. MacLeod was in a Danish
band
at the time called Hurdy Gurdy
. The song features a harder rock
sound than Donovan's usual material, supplying a range of distorted guitars. It also features an India
n influence with the use of a tambura
. The song was an anthem
for free-spirited hippie
s at the time due to its psychedelic
sound.
In the booklet that came with Donovan's 1992 double CD, Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976
, Allan Holdsworth
and Jimmy Page
are listed as the electric guitar
players and John Bonham
and Clem Cattini
as drummer
s on the recording. However, according to John Paul Jones
, who arranged
and played bass
on the track (and also booked the session musician
s), Clem Cattini played the drums and Alan Parker
played the electric guitar. This line-up was confirmed by Cattini On Jimmy Page
's website, he lists this song as one on which he plays. Jimmy himself has actually never claimed that he played on the track and has also mentioned that Alan Parker was the guitarist on the session.
Chart positions were #4 UK Singles Chart
; #5 Billboard Pop Singles
(US); #3 Cash Box (US)
The session was produced by Mickie Most
and engineered by Eddie Kramer
.
In interviews with Keith Altham for the NME
and Hit Parader
, and Tony Wilson for Melody Maker
, Donovan explained he wrote "Hurdy Gurdy Man" as a gift for his friend and early guitar mentor Mac MacLeod. Donovan wanted MacLeod's band Hurdy Gurdy to record it. However, Donovan changed his mind about giving the song as gift and recorded his own version. Donovan claimed in an interview with Little Steven Van Zandt that he had originally hoped Jimi Hendrix
would play on the song, but he was unavailable. Jimmy Page
has often been credited as playing electric guitar, which Donovan maintains in Hannes Rossacher's 2008 documentary Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan, where he asserts that the song ushered in the Celtic rock
sound which would lead to Page, Jones, and Bonham forming Led Zeppelin soon afterwards.
that was not part of the radio single:
When performing the song in concert, Donovan often relates to his audience the story of how this final verse came about. He played the song for Harrison when they met in Rishikesh, and Harrison offered to write a verse for the song. Harrison's verse was recorded: however, in order to keep the running time below the three-minute maximum allowed for singles at the time, the producer had to choose between this extra verse and a guitar solo, and chose the solo. Donovan claims the additional verse is a summary of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's
explanation of the way in which the teaching of transcendental consciousness is eventually re-awakened after being been forgotten for a long period of time, and is based on part of the Maharishi's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita
. Donovan said the Hurdy Gurdy Man is the one who re-awakens this knowledge; in this case, the Maharishi.
The tambura which Donovan himself plays on the track was a gift to him from Harrison, given while they were both together in India.
by many musicians over the years, including:
in David Fincher
's 2007 film
Zodiac
; in the 2006 film Man of the Year
, starring Robin Williams
; in the 2006 film Bobby
; in the 2005 film Edison
; in the 2002 independent film Spun
; in Michael Cuesta
's 2001 film L.I.E.
; and in Barry Levinson
's 1996 film Sleepers
. The 1994 film Dumb and Dumber featured a cover version by Butthole Surfers
.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by the Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
Donovan
Donovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
. It was written and recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
in early 1968 and released in May as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and gave name to the album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
The Hurdy Gurdy Man
The Hurdy Gurdy Man
The Hurdy Gurdy Man is the sixth studio album and seventh album overall from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released in the United States in October 1968 , but was not released in the UK because of a continuing contractual dispute that also prevented Sunshine Superman and Mellow Yellow...
, which was released in October of that year. It reached #5 in the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #4 in the UK
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
pop charts. The song was written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
for Donovan's old friend and guitar mentor Mac MacLeod
Mac MacLeod
Mac MacLeod is an English musician who was a part of the Hertfordshire folk and blues scene from 1959 onwards. He played in St Albans alongside Mick Softley, Maddy Prior and toured with John Renbourn...
. MacLeod was in a Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
band
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
at the time called Hurdy Gurdy
Hurdy Gurdy (band)
Hurdy Gurdy formed from the Danish group Peter Belli and the Boom Boom Brothers in June 1967. Three of the B.B. Brothers, guitarist Claus Bohling, drummer Jens Otzen and British vocalist and bassist Mac MacLeod formed the power trio...
. The song features a harder rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
sound than Donovan's usual material, supplying a range of distorted guitars. It also features an India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n influence with the use of a tambura
Tambura
The tambura, tanpura, or tambora is a long-necked plucked lute . The body shape of the tambura somewhat resembles that of the sitar, but it has no frets – only the open strings are played to accompany other musicians...
. The song was an anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
for free-spirited hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s at the time due to its psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
sound.
In the booklet that came with Donovan's 1992 double CD, Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976
Troubadour: The Definitive Collection 1964-1976
-External links:*...
, Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth is an English guitarist and composer. He has released twelve studio albums as a solo artist and played many different styles of music over a period of four decades, but first drew attention for his work in jazz fusion...
and Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
are listed as the electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
players and John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
and Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini
Clem Cattini , is an English rock and roll drummer who was a member of The Tornados before becoming well known for his work as a session musician...
as drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
s on the recording. However, according to John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (musician)
John Paul Jones is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. Best known as the bassist, mandolinist, and keyboardist for English rock band Led Zeppelin, Jones has since developed a solo career and has gained even more respect as both a musician and a...
, who arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
and played bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on the track (and also booked the session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s), Clem Cattini played the drums and Alan Parker
Alan Parker (musician)
Alan Parker is a British guitarist and composer. Parker was trained by Julian Bream at London’s Royal Academy of Music....
played the electric guitar. This line-up was confirmed by Cattini On Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
's website, he lists this song as one on which he plays. Jimmy himself has actually never claimed that he played on the track and has also mentioned that Alan Parker was the guitarist on the session.
Chart positions were #4 UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
; #5 Billboard Pop Singles
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(US); #3 Cash Box (US)
The session was produced by Mickie Most
Mickie Most
Mickie Most was an English record producer, with a string of hit singles with acts such as The Animals, Arrows, Herman's Hermits, Donovan, Suzi Quatro and the Jeff Beck Group often issued on his own RAK Records label....
and engineered by Eddie Kramer
Eddie Kramer
Edwin H. Kramer is an audio engineer and producer who has worked with, among others, Led Zeppelin, Triumph, Kiss , Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Spooky Tooth, Peter Frampton, Curtis Mayfield, Santana, Anthrax, Carly Simon, Loudness, and Robin Trower.-1960s:Eddie...
.
In interviews with Keith Altham for the NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
and Hit Parader
Hit Parader
Hit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
, and Tony Wilson for Melody Maker
Melody Maker
Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was, according to its publisher IPC Media, the world's oldest weekly music newspaper. It was founded in 1926 as a magazine targeted at musicians; in 2000 it was merged into "long-standing rival" New Musical Express.-1950s–1960s:Originally the Melody...
, Donovan explained he wrote "Hurdy Gurdy Man" as a gift for his friend and early guitar mentor Mac MacLeod. Donovan wanted MacLeod's band Hurdy Gurdy to record it. However, Donovan changed his mind about giving the song as gift and recorded his own version. Donovan claimed in an interview with Little Steven Van Zandt that he had originally hoped Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
would play on the song, but he was unavailable. Jimmy Page
Jimmy Page
James Patrick "Jimmy" Page, OBE is an English multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and record producer. He began his career as a studio session guitarist in London and was subsequently a member of The Yardbirds from 1966 to 1968, after which he founded the English rock band Led Zeppelin.Jimmy Page...
has often been credited as playing electric guitar, which Donovan maintains in Hannes Rossacher's 2008 documentary Sunshine Superman: The Journey of Donovan, where he asserts that the song ushered in the Celtic rock
Celtic rock
Celtic rock is a genre of folk rock and a form of Celtic fusion which incorporates Celtic music, instrumentation and themes into a rock music context...
sound which would lead to Page, Jones, and Bonham forming Led Zeppelin soon afterwards.
Lyrics
The lyrics recount the tale of a nameless narrator being visited in his dreams by the eponymous Hurdy Gurdy Man and his close associate, the Roly Poly Man. Both men come "singing songs of love".Additional verse
On several concert records, Donovan tells the audience that there is also an additional verse written by George HarrisonGeorge Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
that was not part of the radio single:
When performing the song in concert, Donovan often relates to his audience the story of how this final verse came about. He played the song for Harrison when they met in Rishikesh, and Harrison offered to write a verse for the song. Harrison's verse was recorded: however, in order to keep the running time below the three-minute maximum allowed for singles at the time, the producer had to choose between this extra verse and a guitar solo, and chose the solo. Donovan claims the additional verse is a summary of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi , born Mahesh Prasad Varma , developed the Transcendental Meditation technique and was the leader and guru of the TM movement, characterised as a new religious movement and also as non-religious...
explanation of the way in which the teaching of transcendental consciousness is eventually re-awakened after being been forgotten for a long period of time, and is based on part of the Maharishi's commentary on the Bhagavad Gita
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
. Donovan said the Hurdy Gurdy Man is the one who re-awakens this knowledge; in this case, the Maharishi.
The tambura which Donovan himself plays on the track was a gift to him from Harrison, given while they were both together in India.
Notable cover versions
The song has been coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by many musicians over the years, including:
- Progressive rock musician Steve HillageSteve HillageSteve Hillage is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s...
, on his 1976 album LL (Steve Hillage album)L is the second studio album by British progressive rock musician Steve Hillage.It was recorded primarily in New York, at the Secret Sound, Woodstock, N.Y., and was produced and engineered by Todd Rundgren, using musicians from Todd Rundgren's band Utopia and others.According to liner notes...
. - Alternative rockAlternative rockAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band the Butthole SurfersButthole SurfersButthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
, on their 1991 album piouhgd. - Eartha KittEartha KittEartha Mae Kitt was an American singer, actress, and cabaret star. She was perhaps best known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 hit recordings of "C'est Si Bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "Santa Baby." Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the...
in 1972 as a B-side to "Catch the WindCatch the Wind (song)"Catch the Wind" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on March 12, 1965 through Pye Records and a few months later in the United States through Hickory Records...
". - AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
alternative band Wild ColonialsWild ColonialsWild Colonials are an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1992 by Angela McCluskey , Shark , Paul Cantelon , Scott Roewe and Ian Bernard...
on their "Life As We Know It EP 1/4Life As We Know It EP 1/4Life As We Know It is the first of four EPs by the American Alternative band Wild Colonials, released in 2007 .- Details :...
" (2007). - Sleaze rock band L.A. GunsL.A. GunsL.A. Guns is the name of a hard rock group formed in Los Angeles, California, of which two rival incarnations currently exist due to numerous line-up changes. The first incarnation of the group was formed, by Tracii Guns, in 1983 but disbanded in 1985 following its merger with fellow Los Angeles...
on their covers album Rips the Covers OffRips the Covers OffRips the Covers Off, some copies of which are titled Rips Off the Covers, is an album by Phil Lewis's version of L.A. Guns, their first with guitarist Stacey Blades....
. - The LosersThe Losers (Howard Stern)The Losers were a band made up of staff members of The Howard Stern Show. The group was formed in 1997 when the show staff started playing with instruments that Green Day had brought to the studio prior to their own performance. The band was named after their original drummer Scott the Engineer,...
, Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
's band. - Neil Pye, the hippie character from British comedy series The Young OnesThe Young Ones (TV series)The Young Ones is a British sitcom, first broadcast in 1982, which ran for two series on BBC2. Its anarchic, offbeat humour helped bring alternative comedy to television in the 1980s and made household names of its writers and performers...
in 1984 for an album called Neil's Heavy Concept AlbumNeil's Heavy Concept AlbumThe cassette version of the album is very similar but features the track "Cassette Jam" following "Cosmic Jam" where Neil does an impression of the album being broken on tape like in "Cosmic Jam" and then "Brown Sugar" where Neil discovers some buskers performing the track by The Rolling Stones and...
. - Howard SternHoward SternHoward Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
on The Howard Stern Show (2008) - Viva VoceViva Voce (band)Viva Voce is an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed by Kevin Robinson and Anita Robinson. Their music draws on several influences including psychedelic rock, classic rock, folk and R&B.-History:...
included a cover of the song on the vinyl edition of their 2009 album, Rose CityRose City (album)Rose City is an album by Viva Voce, released May 26, 2009, on Barsuk Records.- Track listing :# "Devotion" 4:04 # "Die A Little" 2:02 # "Octavio" 4:31 # "Midnight Sun" 4:14 # "Red Letter Day" 3:50# "Good As Gold" 3:19 # "Rose City" 2:54...
.
Soundtrack appearances
"Hurdy Gurdy Man" was most recently used as a framing deviceFraming device
The term framing device refers to the usage of the same single action, scene, event, setting, or any element of significance at both the beginning and end of an artistic, musical, or literary work. The repeated element thus creates a ‘frame’ within which the main body of work can develop.The...
in David Fincher
David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher is an American film and music video director. Known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as Seven , The Game , Fight Club , Panic Room , and Zodiac , Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and...
's 2007 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Zodiac
Zodiac (film)
Zodiac is a 2007 American mystery-thriller film directed by David Fincher and based on Robert Graysmith's non-fiction book of the same name. The Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros...
; in the 2006 film Man of the Year
Man of the Year (2006 film)
Man of the Year is a 2006 Comedy film directed and written by Barry Levinson and starring Robin Williams in the lead role. In addition to Williams, the film features Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, Lewis Black and Jeff Goldblum....
, starring Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
; in the 2006 film Bobby
Bobby (2006 film)
Bobby is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Emilio Estevez. The screenplay is a fictionalized account of the hours leading up to the June 5, 1968 shooting of United States Senator from New York and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F...
; in the 2005 film Edison
Edison (film)
Edison , is a 2005 American thriller film written and directed by David J. Burke, starring Morgan Freeman, LL Cool J, Justin Timberlake, and Kevin Spacey....
; in the 2002 independent film Spun
Spun
Spun is a 2002 American crime dramedy directed by Jonas Åkerlund, and starring Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Mena Suvari, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, and Debbie Harry. It is Åkerlund's début as a feature-film director, having already become known...
; in Michael Cuesta
Michael Cuesta
Michael Cuesta is an American film and television director. Cuesta co-wrote and directed the 2001 independent film, L.I.E.. He has directed and produced television series including Six Feet Under, Dexter and Blue Bloods.-Biography:He received a BFA in photography from the School of Visual Arts in...
's 2001 film L.I.E.
L.I.E.
L.I.E. is a 2001 American independent film about a relationship between Howie, a 15-year-old boy, and a pedophile known as 'Big John'. The title is an acronym for the Long Island Expressway. The film was directed by Michael Cuesta, who has said that the film is about exploring sexuality...
; and in Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson
Barry Levinson is an American screenwriter, film director, actor, and producer of film and television. His films include Good Morning, Vietnam, Sleepers and Rain Man.-Early life:...
's 1996 film Sleepers
Sleepers (film)
Sleepers is a 1996 legal drama film written, produced, and directed by Barry Levinson, and based on Lorenzo Carcaterra's 1995 novel of the same name.-Plot:...
. The 1994 film Dumb and Dumber featured a cover version by Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers
Butthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
.