Single by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
from the… Read Full Bio ↴“I Put a Spell on You”
Single by Screamin' Jay Hawkins
from the album At Home with Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Released 1957
Format 7" 45 RPM
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:25
Label Grand (1949)[dubious – discuss]
OKeh (1957)
Writer(s) Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Producer Arnold Maxon
"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1957 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also ranked #313 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song was later covered by numerous other artists, including Creedence Clearwater Revival, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Nina Simone, The Animals, Them, The Alan Price Set and Marilyn Manson.
The original version
Hawkins had originally intended to record "I Put a Spell on You" as a refined love song, a blues ballad. He reported, however, that the producer "brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version. I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death."
Some sources claim that "I Put a Spell on You" had been released earlier than 1956 in a more sedate form, but this has not been verified. The date of 1949 for an original release on the Grand label would appear unlikely, since it predates both the formation of the record label and the beginning of Hawkins's performing career.
"I Put a Spell on You" became a quick success, despite being banned by some stores and radio stations. A softer version minus certain sounds deemed "cannibalistic" reached the Top 40 and brought Hawkins together with Alan Freed and his "Rock and Roll Review".
Up to this time, Hawkins had been a blues performer, emotional, but not wild. Freed suggested a gimmick to capitalize on the "demented" sound of "I Put a Spell on You": Hawkins wore a long cape, and appeared onstage by rising out of a coffin in the midst of smoke and fog.
The act was a sensation, later bolstered by tusks worn in Hawkins' nose, on-stage snakes and fireworks, and a cigarette-smoking skull named "Henry". The theatrical act was one of the first shock rock performances, and was the progenitor of much that came later in rock and roll, including Dr. John, Alice Cooper, Eric Burdon, Screaming Lord Sutch, Warren Zevon, Arthur Brown, Black Sabbath, Ted Nugent, George Clinton, The Butthole Surfers, The Cramps, and Marilyn Manson, among the many who vied for Hawkins' title as a rock and roll madman.
“I Put a Spell on You”
Single by Sonique
Released 25 April 2001 (US)
Format CD Single
Genre Pop
Sonique singles chronology
"Sky"
(2000) "I Put a Spell on You"
(2001) "Can't Make Up My Mind"
(2003)
Alternate cover
[[Image:|Alternate cover|200px]]
[edit] Covers and samples
"I Put a Spell on You" has been covered dozens of times, perhaps most famously by Nina Simone on the 1965 album I Put A Spell On You, but also by performers such as
Alan Price
The Animals
Natacha Atlas
Audience
Jimmy Barnes
Batmobile
Tab Benoit
Eric Burdon performed it live at his show in Lugano in 2006.
Nick Cave's band The Birthday Party
Champion with guest vocalist Betty Bonifassi
Ray Charles
Joe Cocker
Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Creedence Clearwater Revival (who performed it at Woodstock)
Tim Curry
Julien Doré
Eels
Estelle
Bryan Ferry. This cover peaked at #18 in the UK charts in 1993.
Diamanda Galas
Buddy Guy (featuring Carlos Santana)
Veronika Harcsa Hungarian jazz singer
Jarboe
Queen Latifah
Phil Lesh & Friends (Famously covered the song at the Nokia Theater in New York City on Halloween Night 2007)
Marilyn Manson
Katie Melua
Kim Nalley
Alan Price and The Electric Blues Company
Gabriel Rios
Roxy Music
She and Him
Sonique's version of the song peaked at #8 in the UK in 2001.
Them (featuring Van Morrison)
Pete Townshend on his Deep End Live! album (with David Gilmour).
Bonnie Tyler
Leslie West
Demon Fuzz
Most of the covers treat the song seriously; few attempt to duplicate Hawkins's bravura performance. Arthur Brown comes close.
In 1966, James Brown used an arrangement near identical to "I Put a Spell on You"'s for his hit, "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". In 1967, the arrangement was used once more for Frank Sinatra's "The World We Knew (Over and Over)".
Also, it has been sampled on tracks by The Notorious B.I.G. (“Kick In The Door”), The Beatnuts ("Se Acabo") and LL Cool J (“LL Cool J”).
It is also sung by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker in the 1993 Disney Film Hocus Pocus.
[edit] In the media
In films, it has been performed (with different lyrics) by Bette Midler in Disney's Halloween movie, Hocus Pocus, of which this version has been used as exit music for the HalloWishes Halloween-themed fireworks show at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom theme park; while the original version has also been covered by Diamanda Galás, which was featured in Oliver Stone's Natural Born Killers. Marilyn Manson's version was featured in David Lynch's Lost Highway as well as television ads for M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense. The Creedence Clearwater Revival version and the Nina Simone version were used in Rebecca Miller's The Ballad of Jack and Rose. It has been also played in an episode of The Simpsons (I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can) and an episode of The PJ's. It was featured in the movie Stranger Than Paradise. Hawkins performed the song on film in A Rage in Harlem and the song was also used in the Supernatural episode, "Malleus Maleficarum".
The Hawkins version has even become a standard accompaniment for ice skaters, including Michelle Kwan, Alexei Urmanov and the team of Elizabeth Punsalan and Jerod Swallow.
The song has also figured in countless radio and television advertisements, such as those for Pringles, Levi's, McDonald's and Burger King.
It has recently featured in the BBC's Holby City promotional advert, and rock musician Danko Jones plays the track after every live show he performs with his band.
Don Imus has used a sample of this song to bridge a cut to a radio commercial for many years
I Put A Spell On You
Screamin Jay Hawkins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
In "I Put a Spell on You," Screamin' Jay Hawkins uses the metaphor of "putting a spell" on his lover to express his intense possessiveness and jealousy. He believes that his lover belongs to him, and he cannot stand the thought of her being with anyone else. When he says "You better stop the things that you do," he is warning her against any behavior that could cause him to lose her affection.
The repetition of the phrase "I put a spell on you" throughout the song emphasizes the power that Hawkins believes he has over his lover. By using the language of magic and witchcraft, he suggests that his love is so strong that he can control her actions to ensure that she stays with him.
The song also reveals Hawkins' anguish at his lover's mistreatment of him, with lines such as "the way you always put me down." He is desperate to change her behavior and keep her by his side, even if it means resorting to supernatural means.
Overall, "I Put a Spell on You" is a powerful and haunting portrayal of possessive, jealous love that borders on obsession. It captures the intense emotional turmoil and desperation that can result from a consuming infatuation.
Line by Line Meaning
I put a spell on you because you're mine
I bewitched you as a way of marking my territory and letting everyone know that you belong to me.
You better stop the things that you do
You must desist from any behavior that I deem inappropriate or disloyal to our relationship.
I ain't lyin', no, I ain't lyin'
I am telling the truth and I expect you to believe me because I am not lying.
I just can't stand it babe
Your actions and attitude towards me are causing me immense discomfort and unease.
The way you're always runnin' 'round
Your constant, restless activity and lack of focus suggest that you are not fully committed to our relationship.
I just can't stand it, the way you always put me down
Your critical remarks and negative feedback are causing me to feel constantly belittled and unappreciated in this relationship.
I put a spell on you because you're mine
Once again, I have cast a spell on you to maintain your loyalty and make sure that you stay mine.
I put a spell on you. I put a spell on you
As a repetition of my earlier statement, I want to emphasize that my spell is an effective and binding way of securing your love and devotion to me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAY HAWKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kaliyuga1476
I put a spell on you
Because you're mine
Stop the things you do
Watch out
I ain't lyin'
Yeah, I can't stand
No runnin' around
I can't stand
No put me down
I put a spell on you
Because you're mine, ohh yeah
Stop the things you do
Watch out
I ain't lyin'
I love you
I love you
I love you, anyhow
I don't care if you don't want me
I'm yours right now
I put a spell on you
Because you're mine
Mine, mine, au wuh yeah, uh, oh, you're mine
@perryjimenez5629
FUN FACT: Not only is this the ORIGINAL recording of the song, but it was meant to be more sentimental and soft, but everyone at set that day including Jay and his band gotten extremely drunk, this lead to the recording becoming more loud and spooky, this gave birth to Jay's "Voodoo Personality" and allowed him to be the father of "Shock Rock"
@PoM-MoM
That's an awesome story they did an excellent job drunk and all ♥️
@dawhoda1
@@mariavictoriasalita5273 why would you say that??
@angel-loves-jazz
One of the most important songs of the 50s only came to be because a bunch of bros trashed themselves on alcohol, beautiful 😆
@mariavictoriasalita5273
@@dawhoda1 there was an anecdote behind this. While they were practising the song, their producer brought ribs and fried chicken in the studio and they had a couple of drinks with these. Long story short, they've recorded the song while they were drunk and this is the result and the rest is history.
@shieskaclow4872
@@dawhoda1 They were actually eating chicken and ribs.
@teebs4149
Idk what I expected from a man named Screamin’ Jay Hawkins but this is it
@mosescamacho5964
🤣🤣 can't expect nothing less
@cuivre2004
Check out Angelina Jordan's version- this was obviously her model and inspiration.
@Havok91
You should give his song Frenzy a listen.