<… Read Full Bio ↴Spooky Tooth was an English progressive rock band from the late 1960s.
They formed in October 1967, out of a combination of The Ramrods (1960 - late 1963), The V.I.P.'s (late 1963 - April 1967) and Art (April - October 1967). The line-up changed several times, but typically included the following members:
Mike Harrison (keyboards/vocals)Greg Ridley (bass guitar/vocals)Luther (Luke) Grosvenor (guitar/vocals)Mike Kellie (drums)Gary Wright (organ/vocals)
It was the addition of Gary Wright that signalled the name change from Art to Spooky Tooth.
The song "Better By You, Better Than Me" recorded by Judas Priest is a Spooky Tooth cover. It was taken from 1969's Spooky Two LP which is generally considered to be the best effort by the group. It was the last album release from the original line-up. Ridley joined Humble Pie in 1969 and was replaced by Andy Leigh who went on to Matthews Southern Comfort with ex-Fairport Convention vocalist Ian Matthews. The experimental nature of Ceremony received mixed reviews and following its release Wright also bowed out. The core of Harrison, Grosvenor and Kellie struggled on for one more album, aptly titled The Last Puff, (featuring a cover of "I am the Walrus") completed with friends from Joe Cocker's Grease Band.
They broke up in the autumn of 1970. After solo efforts, Harrison and Wright reformed Spooky Tooth in September 1972 with a different (and frequently changing) line-up. The best known member of these line-ups (March 1973 - September 1974) was Mick Jones (guitar/vocals), later of Foreigner. From February to May 1974, Mike Patto (vocals) replaced Harrison for the 1974 release The Mirror. The group then split again in September 1974.
DISCOGRAPHY
Art
Mike Harrison (vocals), Greg Ridley (bass guitar), Luther Grosvenor (guitar), Mike Kellie (drums)
* 1967 - Supernatural Fairy Tales
Spooky Tooth
* 1968 - It's All About
* 1969 - Spooky Two
* 1970 - Ceremony (with Pierre Henry)
* 1970 - The Last Puff
* 1971 - Tobacco Road (=It's All About)
* 1973 - You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw
* 1973 - Witness
* 1974 - The Mirror
* 1999 - Cross Purpose
* 1999 - The Best of Spooky Tooth: That Was Only Yesterday
* 2000 - Comic Violence
* 2001 - BBC Sessions
* 2007 - Nomad Poets (DVD)
Evil Woman
Spooky Tooth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Should've started runnin'
Evil woman
Woman, I offered to you my soul
You ran it over hot coals
You evil woman
Woman, thought you were a blessin'
Evil woman
Woman, you ain't got no feelin'
You're just a dirty dealin'
Yeah
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin' you
Woman, when you whisper to me
All the hurt you do me
Evil woman
Woman, the way you went your way
Gettin' under my skin
You evil woman
Woman, when you laugh at my pain
When you step on my brain
Evil woman
Woman, if there were other choices
How I didn't hear the voices
Cryin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin' you
Woman, when you whisper to me
All the hurt you do me
Evil woman
Woman, the way you want your way
Gettin' under my skin
You evil woman
Woman, when you laugh at my pain
When you step on my brain
Evil woman
Woman, if there were other choices
How I didn't hear the voices
Cryin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin' you
Evil woman
Evil woman
Evil woman
The lyrics of Spooky Tooth's "Evil Woman" depict a man's despair and anger towards a woman who he thought was a blessing but turned out to be more of a curse. He should have known better, as he should have seen the warning signs of her evil nature. The woman in question seems to have no sympathy towards the man's pain and appears to enjoy causing him misery. The man feels powerless in the face of her callousness and wonders how he failed to hear the warning voices that were crying out to him.
The song is a classic example of the blues-rock genre that was prevalent in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The song's tempo is slow and brooding, with a heavy bassline and bluesy guitar riffs. The singer's voice is soulful, with a hint of desperation, which adds to the dark and moody tone of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Woman, when I saw you comin', Should've started runnin', Evil woman
I knew you were trouble and should have stayed away from you. You are evil.
Woman, I offered to you my soul, You ran it over hot coals, You evil woman
I trusted you with my deepest emotions, but you destroyed them. You are evil.
Woman, thought you were a blessin', Then I caught you messin', Evil woman
At first, I believed that you were a gift to me--until I discovered your deceitful ways. You are evil.
Woman, you ain't got no feelin', You're just a dirty dealin', Yeah
You are devoid of empathy for others and engage in deceitful actions. You are evil.
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up, Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you, Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?, Evil woman, the Devil is a callin'
Your evil ways will have consequences in the afterlife. The Devil is waiting for you.
Woman, when you whisper to me, All the hurt you do me, Evil woman
Even when you pretend to be caring, you still hurt me. You are evil.
Woman, the way you went your way, Gettin' under my skin, You evil woman
Your actions cause me distress and get on my nerves. You are evil.
Woman, when you laugh at my pain, When you step on my brain, Evil woman
You find pleasure in my suffering and even cause me mental harm. You are evil.
Woman, if there were other choices, How I didn't hear the voices, Cryin'
Despite other options being available, I did not listen to the warning signs that you were evil.
Evil woman
You are evil and will be judged accordingly.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Laurence Weiss
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
rasp berry
Woman, when I saw you comin'
Should've started runnin'
Evil woman
Woman, I offered to you my soul
You ran it over hot coals
You evil woman
Woman, thought you were a blessin'
Then I caught you messin'
Evil woman
Woman, you ain't got no feelin'
You're just a dirty dealin'
Yeah
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin' you
Woman, when you whisper to me
All the hurt you do me
Evil woman
Woman, the way you went your way
Gettin' under my skin
You evil woman
Woman, when you laugh at my pain
When you step on my brain
Evil woman
Woman, if there were other choices
How I didn't hear the voices
Cryin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin' you
Woman, when you whisper to me
All the hurt you do me
Evil woman
Woman, the way you want your way
Gettin' under my skin
You evil woman
Woman, when you laugh at my pain
When you step on my brain
Evil woman
Woman, if there were other choices
How I didn't hear the voices
Cryin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin'
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna rack up
Evil woman, the Lord's gonna beckon you
Evil woman, can't you see where you're fallin'?
Evil woman, the Devil is a callin' you
Evil woman
Evil woman
Evil woman
Jasong9573
As a guitar player, I am astounded that Luther has never been brought up in any guitar articles or even by players. This solo is down right amazing for 1969!!
Glenn Wood
That’s as good or better then Jeff beck or robin trower.
Michael Marino
I'm listening now.guitar sears.
Dislike Square
Absolutely.... still one of rock's alltime greatest guitar solos... goosebumps!
robert morin
These guys were so far ahead of they're time!Everything about this song speaks volumes! What a guitar solo!
icecreamforcrowhurst
Ya, nice solo for sure. Sounds like he might be using a volume pedal too, which would be ahead of its time.
Horia Scarlat
Early 1970s Black Sabbath took the heaviest form of psychedelic rock and hard blues rock from bands like Blue Cheer, Cream and even Spooky Tooth (I mean I doubt they didn't know about this great band from 1969) and turned everything into something great. I would categorise their debut album as I would categorise Spooky Tooth's "Evil Woman", heavy psychedelic rock/hard blues rock, nothing more. "Paranoid", "Master of Reality, "Vol. 4" and "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" embodied the birth of Psyche Doom
Wolfgang Van Halen
fuck black sabbath
V. Lain
Saw them back in '69 with Teri Reid and Ghost live at Whisky A Go Go. It was amazing!
Ken Velickoff
Terry Reid, Jimmy Page wanted him for Led Zeppelin, Terry couldn't cause he was opening for the Stones, recommended Robert Plant