Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam

Song infobox
Name = "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam"
Artist = The Vaselines
Album = "Dying for It (EP)"
Released = 1987
track_no = 4
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 3:31
Writer = Eugene Kelly; Frances McKee
Label = 53rd & 3rdExtra tracklisting
Album = MTV Unplugged in New York
Type = live
prev_track = "Come As You Are"
prev_no = 2
this_track = "Jesus Wants Me for a Subeam"
track_no = 3
next_track = "The Man Who Sold The World"
next_no = 4"Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" is a song originally recorded by Scottish alternative band The Vaselines for their EP "Dying for it". It is a parody on the children's hymn, "I'll Be a Sunbeam", which has the opening line "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam".

The song was a hit only in indie-pop and twee circles until in 1992, The Vaselines re-released the song with a slight title change ("Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam") which altered the entire meaning of the compilation album "".

Nirvana released a cover of "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" on their live acoustic album "MTV Unplugged in New York". Nirvana also released two more versions of this song on their 2004 box set "With the Lights Out". This included an acoustic version recorded in Europe in 1994, along with a live electric performance on the DVD section of the box-set.

Despite popular misconception, The Vaselines' altered version of "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" came out before American rock band Nirvana's and their cover was directly of The Vaselines version.