Born January 10, 1935 in Macon, MS, Eddy Clearwater (birth name: Eddie Harrington) grew up listening to Delta blues and country & western records. His family moved to Birmingham, AL when he was 13. There Eddy began playing guitar backing various gospel groups - including the now-legendary Five Blind Boys of Alabama. He was still playing gospel music when he arrived on Chicago's West Side in September 1950, at age 15. "The West Side had a lot of blues at that time," he recalls. "There were all these blues clubs...And the West Side was just starting to develop a sound, with people like Magic Sam, Otis Rush, and Luther Allison." Magic Sam became not only a major influence on Clearwater, but a friend and soul mate as well. By 1953, Clearwater made his move into blues. Performing as Guitar Eddy, he and his band began working the South and West Side taverns. In 1957, Eddy happened upon another of his major stylistic influences after hearing Chuck Berry's "Oh Baby Doll" blasting from his car radio.
Read more on Eddy's Homepage:
http://www.eddyclearwater.com/bio.html
Hypnotized
Eddy Clearwater Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm all hung up on you
I'm hypnotized, mesmerized
And I'm all hung up on you
My mind goes around in circles
I don't know what I'm going to do
By the smell of your perfume
My head goes around in circles
When you walk into the room
I'm hypnotized, mesmerized
And I'm all hung up on you
My mind goes around in circles
I don't know what I'm going to do
Well you must be a gypsy women
By the look that's in your eyes
Every time you look at me I get hypnotized
I'm hypnotized, mesmerized
And I'm all hung up on you
My mind goes around in circles
I don't know what I'm going to do
Well I stopped in a supermarket
To pick up a gallon of milk
Well I came home empty handed
My mind must have really slipped
I'm hypnotized, mesmerized
And I'm all hung up on you
My mind goes around in circles
Oh man
What I'm going to do
Cause I'm hypnotized, I'm mesmerized
You've got me hooked, by the way you look
I'm hypnotized, I'm mesmerized
You've got me hooked, by the way you look
Hung up, hung up on you
I'm hypnotized, I'm mesmerized
You've got me hooked, by the way you look
I'm hypnotized, I'm mesmerized
You've got me hooked, by the way you look
I'm hypnotized, by your beautiful eyes
I'm hypnotized, by your beautiful eyes
I'm hypnotized, by your beautiful eyes
I'm hypnotized
The lyrics of Eddy Clearwater's "Hypnotized" are about the powerful hold that love can have on a person. Clearwater sings about being "hypnotized" and "mesmerized" by a woman he is infatuated with. He describes his mind going "around in circles" and feeling "hooked" by the way she looks.
The first verse sets the stage for the rest of the song, with Clearwater confessing to being "all hung up" on the woman. He then goes on to detail how her presence affects him, using sensory language to describe how he is aroused by the smell of her perfume and how his head spins when she walks into the room. The chorus repeats the central message of the song, with Clearwater admitting that he doesn't know what he's going to do because he is so entranced by her.
The second verse includes a humorous anecdote about Clearwater forgetting to buy milk while he was in the supermarket because he was distracted by his thoughts of the woman. The bridge of the song is where Clearwater suggests that the woman might be a "gypsy" because of the mysterious power she seems to wield over him. The song then closes with several repetitions of the line "I'm hypnotized" before fading out. Overall, the lyrics of "Hypnotized" paint a clear picture of someone who is hopelessly in love and cannot shake their infatuation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm hypnotized, mesmerized
I am under your spell, completely and totally captivated.
And I'm all hung up on you
You are all I can think about and focus on; I am infatuated with you.
My mind goes around in circles
I am mentally consumed with thoughts of you and can't seem to think straight or make decisions.
I don't know what I'm going to do
I am lost and unsure of what to do or how to handle these powerful feelings.
Well I get so aroused
The mere scent of you arouses me and sets my senses on fire.
By the smell of your perfume
Your perfume is a powerful trigger for my feelings of desire and attraction for you.
My head goes around in circles
My thoughts and emotions are in a constant state of flux and confusion around you.
When you walk into the room
The very sight of you sends me into a spin of anticipation and excitement.
Well you must be a gypsy woman
The way you move and look completely mesmerizes me, as if you possess some kind of mystical power.
By the look that's in your eyes
Your eyes hold a captivating gaze that I am completely entranced by.
Every time you look at me I get hypnotized
Your gaze has the power to put me under your spell every single time.
Well I stopped in a supermarket
I attempted to go about my day as usual, but was not successful due to your continual presence in my mind.
To pick up a gallon of milk
I had a simple task to complete, but my mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of you to accomplish it.
Well I came home empty handed
My infatuation with you left me empty handed, even in situations where I should have been able to focus and complete a task.
Oh man what I'm going to do
I am completely unsure of where to go from here or how to handle these intense feelings I have for you.
Cause I'm hypnotized, I'm mesmerized
I am fully under your power and captivated by you.
You've got me hooked, by the way you look
Your physical appearance alone is enough to captivate me and keep me under your spell.
Hung up, hung up on you
My complete infatuation with you has left me feeling hung up and unable to think or focus on anything else.
I'm hypnotized, by your beautiful eyes
I am completely captivated and under your spell due to the entrancing effect of your beautiful eyes.
I'm hypnotized
I am completely and totally under your spell, unable to think or focus on anything else due to my infatuation with you.
Writer(s): Eddy Clearwater
Contributed by Gabriel M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.