On December 10, 1967, Redding, his manager, and band members Jimmy King (b.1949; guitar), Ronnie Caldwell (b. 1948; organ), Phalon Jones (b. 1949; saxophone), and Carl Cunningham (b. 1949; drums) died in a plane crash in Lake Monona while on their way to a performance in Madison, Wisconsin.
Trumpeter Ben Cauley survived the crash and bassist James Alexander (who missed the flight due to returning a rental car) rebuilt the group.
The reformed band consisted of Cauley; Alexander; Harvey Henderson, saxophone; Michael Toles, guitar; Ronnie Gorden, organ; Willie Hall, drums and later Larry Dodson, lead vocals.
The group backed dozens of major Stax artists on recordings afterwards, including on Isaac Hayes' Hot Buttered Soul album, and changed direction in the 1970s to have a successful funk music career. Lloyd Smith joined the Bar-Kays in 1973. They continued to score hits on R&B charts well into the 1980s and lately have incorporated contemporary rap & remix elements into their continuing career and have performed all over the world.
Spellbound
The Bar-Kays Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Consult the ancient texts too
Call on my coven
Straight to the hills
You’ll be runnin
5 points on my pentacle
Eye of newt and octopus tentacle
A revelation is coming soon
The fae
The fae
The fae will come out to play
On sunday
On sunday
Hear them stirring
See them whirling, twirling
See them swirling
I’ve got a spell for you
Don’t make me spell it out for you
After all you put me through
My world has no place for trolls like you
Bow to the mystical wonder i am
Cover you in the blood of a lamb
With all the hate that you spew
It seems that you don’t have a fucking clue do you?
The fae
The fae
The fae will come out to play
On sunday
On sunday
Hear them stirring
See them whirling, twirling
See them swirling
The lyrics to The Bar-Kays' song Spellbound are a powerful invocation of magic, summoning mystical forces to cast a spell on an unrepentant troll. The opening lines, "Don't make me hex you, consult the ancient texts too," suggest that the singer is a skilled practitioner of the dark arts, capable of unleashing a powerful curse on those who cross them. The reference to the coven and the hills suggests that the singer is drawing on a long tradition of witchcraft, calling on the spirits of the land to aid them in their spellcasting. The use of the pentacle and the eye of newt and octopus tentacle are further indications of the singer's occult knowledge and power.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "The fae will come out to play on Sunday," suggesting that the singer is summoning the fairy folk to help them in their magical workings. The fae are known in folklore as mischievous and capricious beings, often associated with the natural world and the cycles of the seasons. By invoking their aid, the singer is aligning themselves with the forces of nature and the power of the earth itself.
Throughout the song, the imagery of whirling and swirling emphasizes the sense of motion and transformation that magic can bring. The singer is not content to simply hex their target - they want to change them, transform them, bring them under the sway of their power. This sense of motion and change is also reflected in the melody of the song, which builds and swells in intensity as the magic takes hold.
Line by Line Meaning
Don’t make me hex you
I will use magic to harm you if you continue to provoke me
Consult the ancient texts too
I am using knowledge and wisdom passed down from generations
Call on my coven
I am tapping into the power of my witch community
Straight to the hills
I am channeling the energy of nature and the earth's elements
You’ll be runnin
You will be frightened by my magic and its effects
5 points on my pentacle
I am using the symbol of the pentacle to harness the power of the five elements
Eye of newt and octopus tentacle
I am using strange ingredients in my spell that are associated with the occult
Under the full moon
I am timing my spell to coincide with the power of the moon's influence
A revelation is coming soon
My magic will reveal something important or unexpected
The fae
I am invoking the fairy realm and its magic
The fae
I am invoking the fairy realm and its magic
The fae will come out to play
I am expecting the fairies to appear and interact with me
On sunday
I am expecting the fairies to appear on a specific day of the week
On sunday
I am expecting the fairies to appear on a specific day of the week
Hear them stirring
I can sense the presence of the fairies in the environment
See them whirling, twirling
I can see the fairies' playful movements around me
See them swirling
I can see the fairies' magical energy swirling around me
I’ve got a spell for you
I have created a magical ritual specifically to affect you
Don’t make me spell it out for you
I shouldn't have to explain the details of my powerful magic to you
After all you put me through
I am seeking revenge or justice for the suffering you have caused me
My world has no place for trolls like you
I am trying to rid my life of negativity and toxic people
Bow to the mystical wonder i am
I am confident in my magical abilities and demand respect for them
Cover you in the blood of a lamb
I am using a symbolic and powerful ingredient in my spell
With all the hate that you spew
I am responding to your negativity and trying to neutralize it
It seems that you don’t have a fucking clue do you?
I am calling out your ignorance and arrogance in confronting me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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