The Vaselines - Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam
The Vaselines are a group that people
may know, though specifically through covers of their songs; this was my introduction to the band as well. Nirvana recorded multiple cover versions of their tunes, in addition to performing a cover of this song in their famous Unplugged performance. After learning these were covers, I checked out the originals, and really liked what I found. The group was formed in 1986 in Glasgow, Scotland by Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee and originally performed as a duo, though later on James Sheenan and Charlie Kelly (Eugene's brother) joined the group. In their original incarnation, the band was only together for 4 years, releasing 2 EPs and one album. Their EPs have become classics, and are where the Nirvana cover songs are from. The band had a very stripped down sound, and the back and forth between male and female voices made for a really interesting vibe. Today's song is from their second EP, 1988's Dying For It, which also has their other well-known track, Molly's Lips. This song is a cover of sorts, and the title is the same as the original, though the lyrics are changed to say "Jesus don't want me for a sunbeam...", with every line changed to how the narrator is not the same as the things he is compared to, whereas the original is much more positive and uplifting.
