Liam Neeson’s ‘Naked Gun’ end credits song was last-minute ‘surprise addition’

Pamela Anderson isn’t the only one showing off their singing chops in The Naked Gun.

Liam Neeson steps behind the mic — his first time, apparently, in a professional recording studio, as he says mid-song — for the end credits track “My Sweet Beth.” The ballad is a tribute from his character, Frank Drebin Jr., to a “very special lady,” as he sings: Anderson’s Beth Davenport. Over the course of the film, the two strike up a relationship as he investigates her brother’s death.

The tune, director Akiva Schaffer reveals to Entertainment Weekly, was a “last-minute idea.” He was preparing to show a final edit of the movie to some 90 friends and family members — but one thing was missing.

“I always knew I needed to do something in the credits, and finally we were picture-locked and we were in the edit room and I just [recorded the song] into my laptop, put it in the movie, and two hours later we screened it and it did really well,” he explains. “Then I replaced [my vocals] with Liam… I’m very pleased that we got that in at the buzzer, that we snuck in there.”

Neeson says it was indeed a “surprise addition” — one final gag he was down for.

“I thought, yeah, sure,” the actor recalls. “It’s not supposed to be Frank Sinatra or Tony Bennett, so we had a bit of fun with it.”

How can one not with lyrics like: “Beth, ooooh / Top-shelf curves, and brains to boot / And boots that would top my brain’s top-10 list / Aboot boots, and the curvy brains that bought them / Also, breasts / My sweet Beth.”

If the silly lyrics weren’t enough, Frank becomes distracted during the recording session — reminiscent of Lionel Richie and Diana Ross’ “Endless Love” — playing around on the bass drum and guitar he finds in the music studio.

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“My Sweet Beth” isn’t the first time Neeson has sung for a movie — he also did in 1986’s Duet for One.

“Much to my embarrassment, I sang to Julie Andrews,” he says. “I played Julie Andrews’ lover, and I’m a third-rate British club singer. I sang Tom Jones’ classic ‘Green Green Grass of Home’ in front of Julie Andrews. Terrified, f‑‑‑ing, terrified.”

Listen to Neeson sing “My Sweet Beth” above.