Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Hawkins studied classical piano as a child and learned guitar in his twenties. His initial goal was to become an opera singer (Hawkins has cited Paul Robeson as his musical idol in interviews), but when his initial ambitions failed he began his career as a conventional blues singer and pianist.
Hawkins was an avid and formidable boxer. In 1949, he was the middleweight boxing champion of Alaska.
In 1951, Hawkins joined guitarist Tiny Grimes's band, and was subsequently featured on some of Grimes's recordings. When Hawkins became a solo performer, he often performed in a stylish wardrobe of leopard skins, red leather and wild hats.
His most successful recording, "I Put a Spell on You" (1956), was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. According to the AllMusic Guide to the Blues, "Hawkins originally envisioned the tune as a refined ballad." The entire band was intoxicated during a recording session where "Hawkins screamed, grunted, and gurgled his way through the tune with utter drunken abandon." The resulting performance was no ballad but instead a "raw, guttural track" that became his greatest commercial success and reportedly surpassed a million copies in sales, although it failed to make the Billboard pop or R&B charts.
The performance was mesmerizing, although Hawkins himself blacked out and was unable to remember the session. Afterward he had to relearn the song from the recorded version. Meanwhile the record label released a second version of the single, removing most of the grunts that had embellished the original performance; this was in response to complaints about the recording's overt sexuality. Nonetheless it was banned from radio in some areas.
Soon after the release of "I Put a Spell on You", radio disc jockey Alan Freed offered Hawkins $300 to emerge from a coffin onstage. Hawkins accepted and soon created an outlandish stage persona in which performances began with the coffin and included "gold and leopard skin costumes and notable voodoo stage props, such as his smoking skull on a stick – named Henry – and rubber snakes." These props were suggestive of voodoo, but also presented with comic overtones that invited comparison to "a black Vincent Price."
He continued to tour and record through the 1960s and 1970s, particularly in Europe, where he was very popular. He appeared in performance (as himself) in the Alan Freed bio-pic American Hot Wax in 1978. Subsequently, filmmaker Jim Jarmusch featured "I Put a Spell on You" on the soundtrack – and deep in the plot – of his film Stranger Than Paradise (1983) and then Hawkins himself as a hotel night clerk in his Mystery Train and in roles in Álex de la Iglesia's Perdita Durango and Bill Duke's adaptation of Chester Himes' A Rage in Harlem.
His 1957 single "Frenzy" (found on the early 1980s compilation of the same name) was included in the compilation CD, Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files, in 1996. This song was featured in the show's Season 2 episode "Humbug". It was also covered by the band Batmobile. "I Put a Spell on You" was featured during the show and over the credits of Episode 303 of The Simpsons.
In 1983, Hawkins relocated to the New York area. In 1984 and 1985, Hawkins collaborated with garage rockers The Fuzztones, resulting in "Screamin' Jay Hawkins and The Fuzztones Live" album recorded at Irving Plaza in December 1984. They perform in the 1986 movie Joey.
In July 1991, Hawkins released his album Black Music for White People. The record features covers of two Tom Waits compositions: "Heart Attack and Vine" (which, later that year, was used in a European Levi's advertisement without Waits' permission, resulting in a lawsuit), and "Ice Cream Man" (which, contrary to popular belief, is a Waits original, and not a cover of the John Brim classic). Hawkins also covered the Waits song, "Whistlin' Past the Graveyard", for his album Somethin' Funny Goin' On. In 1993, his version of "Heart Attack and Vine" became his only UK hit, reaching #42 on the UK singles chart.
When Dread Zeppelin recorded their "disco" album, It's Not Unusual in 1992, producer Jah Paul Jo asked Hawkins to guest. He performed the songs "Jungle Boogie" and "Disco Inferno".
Hawkins also toured with The Clash and Nick Cave during this period, and not only became a fixture of blues festivals, but appeared at many film festivals as well, including the Telluride Film Festival premier of Mystery Train.
Hawkins died on February 12, 2000 after surgery to treat an aneurysm. He left behind many children by many women; an estimated 55 at the time of his death, and upon investigation, that number "soon became perhaps 75 offspring".
Although Hawkins was not a major success as a recording artist, his highly theatrical performances from "I Put a Spell On You" onward earned him a steady career as a live performer for decades afterward, and influenced subsequent acts. He opened for Fats Domino, Tiny Grimes and the Rolling Stones. This exposure in turn influenced rock groups such as The Cramps, Screaming Lord Sutch, Black Sabbath, Arthur Brown, Dread Zeppelin, The Horrors, Marilyn Manson, Tom Waits, Alice Cooper and Glenn Danzig.
The rose
Screamin' Jay Hawkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
my chérie coco
baby i see something beautiful for your back oh
you're my sexy rosey
my cherie coco
baby i see something beautiful for your back oh
you're my sexy rosey (ah ah ah)
my cherie coco (ah ah ah)
my cherie coco (ah ah ah)
baby i see something beautiful for your back chai!
you're too fine
baby you're too fine ohh
you're too sweet ohh
i go ask to my Lord
Anything for you baby
Your waist is 34
your hips 44
you're 24
OOH I LOVE MY BABY
jealousy, jealousy
i don tee, I don tear
baby i see something beautiful for your back!
kpo kri kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo
sexy rosey (ah ah ah)
my cherie coco (ah ah ah)
baby i see something beautiful for your back oh
you're my sexy rosey (ah ah ah)
my cherie coco (ah ah ah)
baby i see something beautiful for your back oh
you're my sexy rosey (ah ah ah)
my cherie coco (ah ah ah)
baby i see something beautiful for your back chaii
omalincha no be you fault
eleugbu no be your fault
ma cherie baby no be your fault
because your waist 34
your hips 44
and you are 24
hmmmm i love my baby
jealousy jealousy
adonki adonkia
The lyrics of Screamin' Jay Hawkins's song "The Rose" express intense admiration and desire for a woman, referred to as "sexy rosey" and "my cherie coco." The singer proclaims that he sees something beautiful for her back and describes her physical attributes in detail, noting her waist size, hip size, and age. He pledges to ask the Lord for anything she needs and declares his love for her.
The lyrics suggest a possessive and jealous attitude, as the singer warns of jealousy and claims to have already torn his shirt in a fit. The final lines of the song, "omalincha no be you fault / eleugbu no be your fault / ma cherie baby no be your fault / because your waist 34 / your hips 44 / and you are 24 / hmmmm i love my baby / jealousy jealousy / adonki adonkia" repeat the same message of love and admiration for the woman's physical attributes.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Rose" present a stereotypically male gaze perspective on a woman's body, valuing her primarily for her appearance and sizing her up with numerical measurements. The possessive and jealous undertones of the song also reinforce traditional gender roles and power dynamics.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah ah ah Sexier rosey
My lover is so sexy and beautiful that I can't help but exclaim in admiration
my chérie coco
Addressing my lover with terms of endearment that evoke sweetness and affection
baby i see something beautiful for your back oh
My lover's physique is so alluring and attractive that I can envision something truly stunning for their back
you're my sexy rosey
Reasserting my lover's beauty and sexiness using a poetic metaphor of a rose
baby you're too fine ohh
Expressing how physically appealing and attractive my lover is to me
you're too sweet ohh
Emphasizing my lover's charm and captivating personality
i go ask to my Lord
Acknowledging a higher power, I'm willing to ask for a blessing or a favor for my beloved
Anything for you baby
Willing to do anything to make my lover happy and content
Your waist is 34
Recalling my lover's precise measurements with admiration and appreciation
your hips 44
Marveling at the curves of my lover's body and feeling attracted to them
you're 24
Noting my lover's age and youthful vitality with affection
OOH I LOVE MY BABY
Expressing my deep love and care for my beloved with enthusiasm and passion
jealousy, jealousy
Admitting the feeling of jealousy that arises when thinking of my lover being admired or desired by others
i don tee, I don tear
Implying that I'm ready to fight and protect my lover from any perceived threats or rivals
kpo kri kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo kpo
Using onomatopoeia to evoke the sound of drumming and create a lively, celebratory atmosphere
omalincha no be you fault
Assuring my lover that any perceived flaws or shortcomings are not their fault, but rather a matter of circumstance
eleugbu no be your fault
Further emphasizing that external factors are to blame for any imperfections or difficulties
ma cherie baby no be your fault
Reiterating my love and care for my partner, regardless of any faults or issues that may arise
adonki adonkia
Using nonsensical, playful language to express delight and happiness
Writer(s): AMANDA MCBROOM
Contributed by Evan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.