MC5 is an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1964. T… Read Full Bio ↴MC5 is an American rock band from Lincoln Park, Michigan, formed in 1964. The original band line-up comprised vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson. Early success in and around Detroit led to the band name, MC5 being short for "Motor City Five". The band's radical left-wing political ties and anti-establishment lyrics and music positioned them as emerging innovators of the punk rock movement in the United States. Though Thompson is the only surviving original member of the band, the band's first three albums are regarded by many as staples of rock music, and their 1969 song "Kick Out the Jams" is widely covered. MC5 was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, in 2002, 2016 and 2018.

MC5 had a promising beginning that earned them a January 1969 cover appearance in Rolling Stone magazine and a story written by Eric Ehrmann before their debut album was released. They developed a reputation for energetic and polemical live performances, one of which was recorded as their 1969 debut album Kick Out the Jams. Their initial run was short-lived, though. In 1972, just three years after their debut record, the band came to an end. Often cited as one of the most important American hard rock groups of that era, their three albums are regarded by many as classics.

Tyner died of a heart attack in late 1991 at the age of 46. Smith also died of a heart attack, in 1994 at the age of 45. The remaining three members of the band reformed in 2003 with The Dictators' singer Handsome Dick Manitoba as its new vocalist, and this reformed line-up occasionally performed live over the next nine years until Davis died of liver failure in February 2012 at the age of 68.

In 2022, Kramer announced that a tour would take place that spring, and that a new MC5 studio album with producer Bob Ezrin would also be released later that year with original MC5 drummer Dennis Thompson playing on two tracks. In 2023, Kramer announced that the album would be released in the spring of 2024. Kramer died in February 2024, leaving Thompson as the only surviving original member of the band.

I Put A Spell On You
MC5 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I put a spell on you because you're mine
You better stop the things that you do
I ain't lyin', no, I ain't lyin'
I just can't stand it babe
The way you're always runnin' 'round
I just can't stand it, the way you always put me down
I put a spell on you because you're mine

I put a spell on you. I put a spell on you
I put a spell on you. I put a spell on you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to MC5's "I Put A Spell On You" tell the story of a person who is so in love with someone that they feel they need to put a spell on them to make them stay faithful. The singer appears to be possessive and jealous, urging the subject of the song to stop their wandering ways and stay faithful to them. They express frustration at the way their lover puts them down and runs around, seemingly unaware of the singer's deep love for them. The repetition of the phrase "I put a spell on you" reinforces the idea of control and power over the lover, as if the singer's love is so strong that they can manipulate the other person's feelings.

In interpreting the lyrics, one possible reading is that the singer is struggling with feelings of insecurity and fear of rejection. They feel that they need to control their lover in order to keep them from leaving. The language in the song is strong and forceful, with the repeated use of "you better stop" and "I just can't stand it" emphasizing the singer's frustration and desperation. The use of the phrase "you're mine" also suggests a possessiveness that could be seen as controlling.

Overall, "I Put A Spell On You" is a powerful and intense expression of love and possessiveness. It portrays a narrator who is deeply in love but has a troubled sense of self-worth and a fear of abandonment.

Line by Line Meaning

I put a spell on you because you're mine
I have cast a spell on you because I possess you

You better stop the things that you do
Cease the actions that trouble me

I ain't lyin', no, I ain't lyin'
I am not deceiving, I speak the truth

I just can't stand it babe
I find it unbearable, my dear

The way you're always runnin' 'round
Your constant moving around bothers me

I just can't stand it, the way you always put me down
I cannot tolerate the manner in which you constantly belittle me

I put a spell on you because you're mine
I have cast a spell on you because I possess you

I put a spell on you. I put a spell on you
I have put a spell on you, I have indeed put a spell on you

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Jay Hawkins

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS