Jimmy Fallon Just Brought a Song Back To Live TV for the First Time in 30+ Years

Denis Leary is a man who's well known for his unique sense of sarcasm; it's permeated everything from his immensely underrated FX series Rescue Me to his voice work as Diego the saber-toothed tiger in the Ice Age films. What some people might not know is that Leary had an infamous song simply titled "Asshole," where he delivers some uncouth lyrics about the things he does to ruin people's lives. In effect, he's singing about being an asshole! Last month, Leary surprised audiences when he performed an updated version of "Asshole" on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where he sang about leaving one-star reviews on Amazon and "scream-singing" the lyrics to Wicked alongside host Jimmy Fallon. What makes it a surprise? According to Leary, this was the first time he was allowed to play the song in 30 years.

Denis Leary Sang "Asshole" on 'MTV Unplugged'

After singing the updated version of "Asshole," Leary and Fallon sat down to discuss the song. "I don't know if people are aware, that was a historic moment. That's the first time we were allowed to play the "Asshole" song on network television! We've never been allowed to do that," he said. Leary isn't kidding, as the last time he played the song was on MTV Unplugged. Back in the '90s, MTV Unplugged was a showcase for musical artists of all kinds, from A Tribe Called Quest to Nirvana (the latter's appearance also marked Kurt Cobain's last live performance on television). Leary had already started to become a fixture on MTV, thanks to the game show Remote Control and his commercials where he went on high-speed rants, so it's no surprise that he had his own Unplugged special.

"Asshole" was one of the songs featured on Leary's Unplugged special, and due to the song's material, the special could only be aired after 11 pm. Combine that with MTV's shift in programming, and it would be a long time before anyone heard "Asshole" again. Leary was a bit off in his estimation though, as he actually did do another live performance of "Asshole" on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Leary, alongside host James Corden, dressed up as Bill and Hillary Clinton to deliver an updated version of the song targeted toward Donald Trump at the tail end of the 2016 presidential campaign. Naturally, the updated lyrics called the President an "asshole."

"Asshole" may have been a minor hit when it was released, but it wound up causing a feud between Leary and another comedian. Louis C.K. would claim that Leary stole the material from "Asshole" from one of his stand-up routines, and never bothered to credit him. Leary refuted these accusations on the Opie and Anthony Show — which, ironically, was the same radio show where C.K. made the accusations — saying that he only co-wrote "Asshole" with Chris Phillips. C.K. wasn't the only comedian who had a bone to pick with Leary; his former friend Bill Hicks claimed that Leary ripped off his act wholesale, especially with the No Cure for Cancer album (which in addition to "Asshole," features Leary's stand-up routines). In the autobiography American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story, author Cynthia True described Hicks' reaction to No Cure for Cancer, and it wasn't pretty:

"Bill was furious. All these years, aside from the occasional jibe, he had pretty much shrugged off Leary's lifting. Comedians borrowed, stole stuff and even bought bits from one another. Milton Berle and Robin Williams were famous for it. This was different. Leary had, practically line for line, taken huge chunks of Bill's act and recorded it."

Not everyone who heard "Asshole" came after Leary with pitchforks and torches. He told Fallon that he was contacted by none other than Mick Jagger of the Rolling Stones; Jagger liked his work and wanted him to join them on tour. The Stones liking "Asshole" showcases that even with network censorship keeping it off the air, Leary made a genuinely funny song that stuck with people.