What film is the song "Please Mr. Kennedy" from?

The song “Please Mr. Kennedy” is from the film Inside Llewyn Davis. The 2013 Coen brothers film follows Llewyn Davis, a talented but struggling folk singer navigating New York’s Greenwich Village scene in 1961.

In the film, Llewyn records the song with Jim Berkey and Al Cody, played by Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver. It is a deliberately comic novelty song about a reluctant astronaut pleading not to be sent into space, contrasting with Llewyn’s more serious folk repertoire.

The song has an unusual musical history. Its melody and premise draw on earlier novelty songs, including “Mr. Custer” and a 1961 song called “Please Mr. Kennedy (I Don’t Want to Go).” The film’s version credits Ed Rush, George Cromarty, T Bone Burnett, Justin Timberlake, and the Coen brothers.

A common mix-up is treating the song as a standalone Justin Timberlake release. It was created for Inside Llewyn Davis and became one of the film’s best-known soundtrack moments, earning awards-season attention despite being ineligible for the Academy Award for Best Original Song because it was adapted from earlier material.