American musician Shawn Colvin guest starred in the episode as Rachel Jordan, a character that she would later return to voice in the episode "I'm Goin' to Praiseland" (2001) from season twelve. In that episode, she stays at the Flanders' house with Ned, and leaves briefly after he attempted to mold her in the image of his deceased wife. At the end of the episode, however, she returns and has a date with him. Colvin told the "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" that being raised in Carbondale, Illinois meant she did not have to do much research for the guest appearance: "It's just very isolated Carbondale. There was church music and that was about it. [...] I didn't have to dig too deep for the role. I suppose the whole 'Simpsons' thing is kind of like a hick town." Colvin has shown a segment of her guest role on "The Simpsons" during some of her concerts, including one at Cape Cod Melody Tent in 2007. She has also performed the song that she sings in "Alone Again, Natura-Diddily" in concert. The "Wisconsin State Journal" reported that during her 2001 concert at Barrymore Theatre, the "loudest audience response came after she sang a ditty that she performed as a character on "The Simpsons"." The song, called "He's the Man", later appeared on the 2007 soundtrack album "".