Career
Greenbaum is best known for his song "Spirit in the Sky". The song, with its combination of 'heavy' guitar, hand-clapping, and spiritual lyrics, has been used in many films, advertisements, and television shows. Warner Bros. Records released "Spirit in the Sky" in 1969 and it sold two million copies in 1969 and 1970, and received a gold disc from the R.I.A.A.. .
Although "Spirit in the Sky" has a clear Christian theme, Greenbaum was, and still is, a practicing Jew. Greenbaum says he was inspired to write the song after watching country singers Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner singing a religious song on television.
In an interview on December 6, 2011 with classic-rock music journalist Ray Shasho of The Examiner, Greenbaum stated that western movies were the real inspiration for "Spirit In The Sky":
Norman Greenbaum: If you ask me what I based “Spirit In The Sky” on… What did we grow up watching? …Westerns! These mean and nasty varmints get shot and they wanted to die with their boots on. So to me that was spiritual, they wanted to die with their boots on.
Ray Shasho: So that was the trigger that got you to write the song?
Norman Greenbaum: Yes. The song itself was simple, when you’re writing a song you keep it simple of course. It wasn’t like a Christian song of praise it was just a simple song. I had to use Christianity because I had to use something. But more important it wasn’t the Jesus part, it was the spirit in the sky. Funny enough… I wanted to die with my boots on.
Though Greenbaum is generally regarded as a one-hit wonder; several of his records placed prominently in the charts. In 1968, under the name Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band, he recorded the novelty hit "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago".
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