New Age Girl

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"New Age Girl"
Single by Deadeye Dick
from the album A Different Story and Dumb and Dumber: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
B-side
  • "Si certo qui si non sapere niente"
  • "Sentimental Crap"
  • "Perfect Family"
ReleasedJune 1, 1994 (1994-06-01)
Length3:03
LabelIchiban
Songwriter(s)Caleb Guillotte
Producer(s)Fred LeBlanc
Deadeye Dick singles chronology
"New Age Girl"
(1994) 		"Paralyze Me"
(1995)

"New Age Girl" is a song by American alternative rock trio Deadeye Dick, released as a single in June 1994 from their debut album, A Different Story, and the soundtrack to the 1994 film Dumb and Dumber. Its use in Dumb and Dumber widened the song's popularity, and it peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in January 1995. It became their only top-40 hit, ensuring their one-hit wonder status.[1]

Background[edit]

"New Age Girl" originated from a riff that Caleb Guillotte thought of in the shower.[2] After being recorded on a cassette alongside four other songs, the track became a local radio hit, prompting Ichiban Records to sign the band. Clive Davis of Arista Records attempted to sign the band afterwards and rerecord "New Age Girl," but the band decided against it.

The song features lyrics about a socially conscious vegetarian girl named Mary Moon, with the infamous lyric "She don't eat meat, but she sure likes the bone."[3][4] (Some radio stations aired an edited version of the song that obscured the word "bone".) Guillotte has said of the song:

I wouldn’t blame anybody for taking me lightly as a lyricist if they listen to that song, because it's just a silly, facile song that didn't require a great deal of thought or emotional investment, obviously. It did almost write it itself. One thing it did do is it absolutely worked for what it needed to be. The music sounded rock-ish, but that riff could almost sound a little comedic. They supported each other. I think that had a lot to do with the song's success.[2]

Release[edit]

"New Age Girl" was released on the band's 1994 debut album, A Different Story. The song then appeared in the comedy film Dumb and Dumber and was released by RCA as the first single from the soundtrack.[2][4] RCA also created a video for the song, which featured pumpkin-headed people running on a farm. The song peaked at number 27 on the US Billboard Hot 100.[5]

"New Age Girl" was ultimately the band's only hit, with many labeling the band a one-hit wonder. Caleb Guillotte later reflected that, had the song not been a hit, "Maybe people would have been more prepared to think of us as the 'cool' band. There's all sorts of woulda, coulda, shoulda's. But we were very fortunate. Even if we didn't get to live out some sort of permanent rock 'n' roll dream, we got a nice ride."[2] Guillotte ultimately concluded, "There's so much in my life after Deadeye Dick that was benefitted positively by the fact that Deadeye Dick had a hit song."

In 2021, Deadeye Dick released a 2003 re-recording of "New Age Girl" after the original version of the song was made unavailable on streaming services, including Spotify and Apple Music, because of rights issues resulting from the 1999 bankruptcy of Ichiban Records.[6]

Track listings[edit]

Charts[edit]

Chart (1994–1995) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 27
US Top 40/Mainstream (Billboard)[13] 15

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States June 1, 1994 Modern rock radio Ichiban [14]
June 8, 1994 Top 40 radio
June 23, 1994 Album rock radio
July 5, 1994 CD
United Kingdom February 6, 1995
  • CD
  • cassette
[15]
February 27, 1995 7-inch vinyl [16]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Deadeye Dick Biography". allmusic.com. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d Spera, Keith. "With 'New Age Girl,' local alt-rock trio Deadeye Dick learned pros and cons of a one-hit wonder". nola.com. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  3. ^ Lafont, Aaron. "Deadeye Dick To Revive "New Age Girl" At Howlin' Wolf On December 6". Offbeat. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Matthews, Cameron. "That John Denver Was Full of Shit: A Definitive Guide to the 'Dumb and Dumber' Soundtrack". Vice. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
  5. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. January 7, 1995. Retrieved March 29, 2023.
  6. ^ Rawls, Alex. "Deadeye Dick Rescues "New Age Girl" from Bankruptcy Limbo". MySpiltMilk.com. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  7. ^ New Age Girl (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Deadeye Dick. Ichiban Records. 1994. CD 232-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ New Age Girl (European maxi-CD single liner notes). Deadeye Dick. Ichiban Records, Intercord. 1994. INT 825.420, 7243 8 78255 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ New Age Girl (US cassette single sleeve). Deadeye Dick. Ichiban Records. 1994. MCS 94 232-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ New Age Girl (US 7-inch single vinyl disc). Deadeye Dick. Ichiban Records. 1994. 94-232.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ New Age Girl (UK CD single liner notes). Deadeye Dick. Ichiban Records, Intercord, Chrysalis Records. 1994. DCHS 5020, 7243 8 81997 2 8.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  12. ^ New Age Girl (UK cassette single sleeve). Deadeye Dick. Ichiban Records, Intercord, Chrysalis Records. 1994. TC-CHS 5020.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "Pop Airplay". Billboard. November 12, 1994. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  14. ^ Borzillo, Carrie (July 16, 1994). "'Deadeye' Improves Ichiban's Alternative Aim". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 29. p. 93.
  15. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. February 4, 1995. p. 35.
  16. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. February 25, 1995. p. 43.
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