This song still pleases me.

November 4, 2024 4:23 AM

From the movie, not the stage musical of "Hair". Flesh Failures has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Can't really put

my finger on why. I bought the album when it came out in the 70's. Have seen several stage productions of the musical, but not the movie. This clip is of course from the movie. It didn't happen this way in the stage productions. Featuring a young Treat Williams. Something about the beat of the song as the soldiers are moving into the aircraft. The lyrics are pretty good too. By Jerome Ragni and James Rado. Music by Galt MacDermot. I'm speaking of the first half of the song really. As it segues into Let The Sunshine In, that song was so popular and I've heard it so often, that it's not quite as enticing to me anymore.

posted by Czjewel (8 comments total)

It's hard to explain to people now how controversial that film/musical was at the time.
posted by aleph at 5:28 AM on November 4 [3 favorites]

Thank you for posting this - it brought tears to my eyes.

I was 15 when the album was released. It was such a.heady, hopeful time. We took "revolution in our lifetime" as a.given, truly believed we would be raising our kids in a better world.

I turned 70 in August and I am worried that I will live to see the end of democracy in this country.
posted by she's not there at 5:30 AM on November 4 [8 favorites]

This is great. I need a rewatch soon.
posted by whatevernot at 5:37 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]

The video I like which incorporates scenes from the "Hair" movie (among other sources) is this montage somebody assembled for Good Morning Starshine.
posted by Rash at 7:11 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]

My high school drama club did Hair my senior year (albeit a very heavily edited version). I was part of the stage crew - my first 100% backstage stint in anything - and during "Flesh Failures/Let The Sunshine In" the whole crew would gather in the wings and have a big crew dance party each night. On closing night, we got brave enough to sneak out from the wings to juuuuuust the edge of the curtains and dance there, as the rest of the cast was heading out into the audience and we figured no one would notice us and it was closing night so fuck it.

In other words, I'm not sick of "Let The Sunshine In".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 7:41 AM on November 4 [3 favorites]

This song moves me like no other. Thank you.
posted by kitcat at 7:47 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]

The shot of the soldiers marching into the blackness of the cargo plane is a very moving shot. I had tears the first time I watched this scene.
posted by Jaymzifer at 4:38 PM on November 4 [4 favorites]

Wow. Don't recall that scene, but the singing is awesome. Reminding me what I love most about musical theater. ::sigh::
posted by Goofyy at 10:28 AM on November 5