In the scene from Cool Hand Luke, [Below] Luke just found out that his mother died, so the tone of his performance is tender, soulful, sad—completely unlike the obnoxious and irreverent premiere performance in 1962, which was intended as a parody. Singer-songwriters Ed Rush and George Cromarty wrote the song in reaction to a Christian radio station in Del Rio, Texas. They recorded “Plastic Jesus” as part of a fake Christian radio broadcast, under the fake band name “The Goldcoast Singers” [also Below.] Ernie Marrs adapted the lyrics and tune in 1965. The song was adapted even further for Cool Hand Luke, and has since been covered by a few dozen artists, the most famous of which is probably Billy Idol. –