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.
There's Something Wrong with You
Screamin' Jay Hawkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something's missing some place somewhere
There's something wrong with you
I mean sometimes you just say it all there
Now now now now take a look at yourself
I'm telling you I ain't lying girl
You look like something else
But if you keep lookin' like that
Don't you know that I'll be gone
There's something wrong with you
I mean you just say like you was
Lets face it
There's something I gotta do
I mean to find out the cause
You swore up and down
That you would love me so
You said pumpkins would look like pickles
Before you let me go
Well I'm just tired at it all
You can stop your show
Don't you know you can be replaced, you know
Monkey toes and strain beans
Roast bamboo sallad
Smuttered with bubble gums
Big barbecue gorilla riffs
A dish of cow fingers and mousquito pies
There's something wrong with you
The song "There's Something Wrong With You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins is a classic blues rock song that tells the story of a man who is frustrated with his partner's behavior. The lyrics are straightforward, as the artist tells his partner that there is something wrong with her and something is missing in their relationship. He expresses his concern with her appearance and notes that he will leave if she keeps looking like that.
The song's verses also indicate that the artist is tired of his partner's lies and false promises. He challenges her to keep her word, and suggests that she will be replaced if she continues to behave in such a way. The lyrics also contain some nonsensical phrases and imagery, such as "Monkey toes and strain beans" and "cow fingers and mosquito pies," which may add to the absurdity of the situation.
Overall, the song is a critique of a problematic relationship and the frustration that comes with it. The artist uses his lyrics to express his disappointment and his willingness to move on if things do not change. The bluesy melody and the artist's energetic vocals make the song an instant classic, and its lyrics continue to resonate with listeners to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
There's something wrong with you
The singer believes that there is an issue or problem with the person being addressed.
Something's missing some place somewhere
The singer feels that the person being addressed is lacking or missing something important, but they cannot pinpoint exactly what.
There's something wrong with you
The singer reiterates their belief that there is a problem with the person being addressed.
I mean sometimes you just say it all there
The artist suggests that the person being addressed may reveal their issues or flaws in their behavior or communication.
Now now now now take a look at yourself
The artist calls on the person being addressed to examine their own behavior or character.
I'm telling you I ain't lying girl
The singer asserts that they are being truthful with the person being addressed, likely in regards to their criticisms or concerns.
You look like something else
The singer implies that the person being addressed looks and behaves in a strange or unusual way.
I don't know what is wrong
The artist admits that they don't have a full understanding of what is problematic about the person being addressed.
But if you keep lookin' like that
The artist warns that if the person being addressed continues to act or look the same way, there will be consequences, such as the artist leaving.
Don't you know that I'll be gone
The artist threatens to leave the person being addressed if they don't change their behavior or appearance.
Lets face it
The singer signals an upcoming statement of reality or truth that should be acknowledged.
There's something I gotta do
The artist implies that they must take action or address the issue they have with the person being addressed.
I mean to find out the cause
The singer intends to investigate or discover the root of the problem they have with the person being addressed.
You swore up and down
The singer suggests that the person being addressed promised or guaranteed their love or loyalty.
That you would love me so
The singer repeats that the person being addressed pledged their love to them.
You said pumpkins would look like pickles
The artist uses a silly analogy to emphasize how committed the person being addressed claimed to be.
Before you let me go
The artist implies that the person being addressed would never willingly part ways with them.
Well I'm just tired at it all
The singer confesses that they are fed up with the situation or with the person being addressed.
You can stop your show
The singer essentially tells the person being addressed to stop their behavior or antics.
Don't you know you can be replaced, you know
The artist warns that the person being addressed is not irreplaceable and that they may seek out someone else.
Monkey toes and strain beans
These nonsensical phrases are likely used for their comedic value and may not hold a specific meaning.
Roast bamboo sallad
The artist continues the nonsensical and humorous imagery to characterize the person being addressed as strange or unusual.
Smuttered with bubble gums
This phrase continues the nonsensical imagery to portray the person being addressed as unconventional or bizarre.
Big barbecue gorilla riffs
This phrase continues the nonsensical imagery to further emphasize the person being addressed's odd behavior.
A dish of cow fingers and mousquito pies
The final phrase continues the nonsensical imagery to further characterize the person being addressed as quirky, unconventional, or even monstrous.
Contributed by Madison Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.