Cold Dead Hand

"Cold Dead Hand"
Single by Jim Carrey with The Eels as
"Lonesome Earl and the Clutterbusters"
ReleasedMarch 14, 2013 (2013-03-14)
GenreWestern, satire, comedy
Length4:15
Songwriter(s)Jim Carrey [1]

"Cold Dead Hand" is a single and accompanying music video created for Funny or Die by comedian Jim Carrey with The Eels, playing as "Lonesome Earl and the Clutterbusters". The title is a reference to a statement Charlton Heston made while acting as spokesperson for the National Rifle Association, "I'll give you my gun when you pry (or take) it from my cold, dead hands." The song ridicules American gun culture,[2] and specifically the deceased Heston, including a derisive caricature of him and declaring that he could not enter Heaven, as even the angels could not pry the gun from his hands. Staged as an episode of the variety program Hee Haw in which Heston is a guest star,[3][4] the video also features The Eels dressed as Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and John Lennon.[5][6] The single marks the Eels' first release since their album Wonderful, Glorious earlier in 2013.[7]

The novelty song evoked strong responses in conservative media for several reasons, including the repeated implication by Carrey that gun obsession is related to American male phallus-size anxiety.[8]

  1. ^ "ASCAP Repertory entry for this song". ASCAP. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
  2. ^ "Video: Jim Carrey, Eels Team for Gun Culture Parody". Rolling Stone. 2013-03-25. Archived from the original on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  3. ^ "Jim Carrey's 'Cold Dead Hand' Music Video Spoofs Gun Enthusiasts Like Charlton Heston (VIDEO)". Huffingtonpost.com. 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  4. ^ "Jim Carrey skewers gun lobby with Cold Dead Hand - The Buzz". Cbc.ca. 2013-03-25. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  5. ^ "Jim Carrey releases 'Cold Dead Hand' music video mocking gun rights advocates like Charlton Heston". NY Daily News. New York. 2013-03-25. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  6. ^ Jolly, Nathan. "Watch: Jim Carrey releases anti-gun comedy single". The Music Network. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  7. ^ "The Eels Team Up With Jim Carrey In Gun Culture Parody Song on Tone Deaf - The Home Of Australian Music". Tonedeaf.com.au. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 2013-03-30.
  8. ^ "Jim Carrey's 'Cold Dead Hand' Song Pisses Off Fox News Gun Nuts". YouTube. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 2015-08-10.