"Needle in the Hay" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was released on January 1, 1995 by record label Kill Rock Stars as the sole single from his second studio album, Elliott Smith.

Trumpet and harmonica were recorded for the song but were omitted from the final mix. A mix featuring the extra instrumentation was released in March 2012.

"Needle in the Hay" was released as a 7" vinyl single on January 1, 1995 by record label Kill Rock Stars. It is the lead track on the album Elliott Smith, released in May that year.

During later shows with a full band, the song was given more of a "rock" arrangement and would feature drums and bass, with Smith also singing the vocals an octave higher.

Pitchfork Media placed the song at number 27 in their list of the two-hundred best songs of the 1990s.

"Needle in the Hay" appeared in Wes Anderson's 2001 film The Royal Tenenbaums, in a scene featuring a suicide attempt. Smith was reportedly unhappy about the song being used this way. The song appeared on the film's soundtrack.

The song was covered by numerous artists, including punk band Bad Astronaut for their 2001 album Acrophobe; Nadja on their covers album When I See the Sun Always Shines on T.V.; Muppet parody Sad Kermit; Mélissa Laveaux; and, most recently, Juliana Hatfield in 2014's I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson.

...
Wikipedia