Their line-up has rotated much over the past couple of decades, with husband and wife Lux Interior and Poison Ivy--the lead singer and lead guitarist, respectively--as the only permanent members.
Lux picked up Ivy when he was driving on the highway. Ivy had raised her hand for an auto stop, Lux stopped his car and ...fate brought them together.
They were part of the early CBGB's punk rock movement that had emerged in New York, although they had formed several years earlier in California. The band is credited as a prominent factor in terms of influence on the gothabilly genre.
Their sound was heavily influenced by early rockabilly and proto-rock'n'roll like Link Wray and Hasil Adkins, 1960s surf music acts such as The Ventures, The Surfaris and Dick Dale, 1960s garage rock artists like The Standells, The Gants, The Trashmen, The Green Fuz and The Sonics, as well as the post-glam/early punk scene from which they emerged. They also were influenced to a degree by The Ramones as well as Screamin' Jay Hawkins, who is often credited for having pioneered their style of theatrical horror-blues.
On February 4, 2009, Lux Interior died of a pre-existing heart condition at the age of 62.
Discography:
Albums & EPs:
Gravest Hits
Songs The Lord Taught Us
Psychedelic Jungle
A Date with Elvis
Stay Sick!
Look Mom No Head!
Blues Fix
Flamejob
Big Beat from Badsville
Fiends of Dope Island
Live albums:
Smell of Female
Rockin n Reelin in Auckland New Zealand
Singles:
"Surfin' Bird" / "The Way I Walk" "Human Fly" / "Domino" "Fever" / "Garbageman" "Garbageman" / "TV Set" "Garbageman" / "Drug Train" "Drug Train" "Goo Goo Muck" "The Crusher" "Faster Pussycat" "I Ain't Nuthin' But a Gorehound" "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?" "What's Inside a Girl?" "Kizmiaz" "Get Off the Road" "Bikini Girls with Machine Guns" "All Women Are Bad" "Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon" "Eyeball in My Martini" "Let's Get Fucked Up" / "How Come You Do Me?" "Ultra Twist!" "Naked Girl Falling Down the Stairs" "Like a Bad Girl Should" "Big Black Witchcraft Rock"
Compilations
...Off the Bone Bad Music for Bad People How to Make a Monster The Secret Life of the Cramps
Mojo Man From Mars
The Cramps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm shook up, I can't sit down
It's too early for the bars
And I done wrecked both the cars
Itchy and psyched by the orgy witch
It's the mojo man from Mars
Doin' the hootchie cootchie coo
Oldsmo-William in a Jaguar
Smokin' exploding-type cigars
Cinnamon cinders, smouldering looks
Oh the mojo man from Mars
Yeah the dancehall fire's a shame
And the cops say I'm to blame
I got portsickles and caviar
But I don't know where you are
Still mashin' potatoes
At the peppermint lounge
It's the mojo man from Mars
Spotlight on one lone star
Weird shadows real bizarre
Big boy Pete's in Belshazzar
Mustang Sally's stuffed in jars
And there's no one who
Can hold a candle to
The mojo man from Mars
The Cramps's song "Mojo Man From Mars" is a rollicking, energetic tribute to a character who has stepped out of science fiction and onto the dance floor. The singer is clearly excited about a new dance sensation that has hit town, and he can hardly contain himself. He's danced so hard that he's "done wrecked both the cars" and it's not even time for the bars to open yet. What has got him so worked up is the "mojo man from Mars," a being with supernatural powers who has come down to Earth to teach everyone his special dance, the "hootchie cootchie coo."
The lyrics are full of intriguing images and references, like the "peek-a-boo mohair suit" the singer is wearing, the "exploding-type cigars" he's smoking, and the "cinnamon cinders" and "smouldering looks" of the mojo man. The dancehall catches fire, and the cops blame the singer, but he's too busy mashing potatoes at the Peppermint Lounge. The mojo man is the star of the show, casting weird shadows and inspiring awe wherever he goes. The singer concludes that "there's no one who can hold a candle" to the mojo man from Mars.
Overall, "Mojo Man From Mars" is a lively and tongue-in-cheek celebration of the power of music and dance to transport us to other worlds. The lyrics are full of colorful imagery and references, and the music is relentlessly energetic, urging the listener to get up and dance along with the singer and the mojo man.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a brand new dance in town
A new kind of dance has evolved in this area
I'm shook up, I can't sit down
I'm very excited about this new dance and can't resist dancing to it
It's too early for the bars
It's not the usual time for the bars to open
And I done wrecked both the cars
I have damaged both my cars in excitement for this new dance
Itchy and psyched by the orgy witch
I am ecstatic to participate in this wild dance ritual
It's the mojo man from Mars
I am the one who's leading the new dance in town
Doin' the hootchie cootchie coo
I am dancing vigorously to the new rhythm
In my peek-a-boo mohair suit
I am wearing a suit with small holes or openings in it to match the style of the dance
Oldsmo-William in a Jaguar
An Oldsmobile car named William is driving me around in a Jaguar car
Smokin' exploding-type cigars
I am smoking cigars that are creating exciting experiences
Cinnamon cinders, smouldering looks
I am burning cinnamon and creating a smoky atmosphere
Oh the mojo man from Mars
I am the one who's leading the new dance in town
Yeah the dancehall fire's a shame
The fire accident in the dancehall is terrible
And the cops say I'm to blame
The police think I am responsible for starting the fire due to the wildness of this new dance
I got portsickles and caviar
I have expensive food like Popsicles and Caviar
But I don't know where you are
I am enjoying the food and partying, but I don't know where my partner or friends are
Still mashin' potatoes
I am still dancing vigorously
At the peppermint lounge
I am at a place called the Peppermint Lounge, where people come to dance
It's the mojo man from Mars
I am the one who's leading the new dance in town
Spotlight on one lone star
The spotlight is featuring a single individual
Weird shadows real bizarre
I am creating odd and peculiar shadows while dancing
Big boy Pete's in Belshazzar
A guy named Big boy Pete is at Belshazzar, which could be a place or event
Mustang Sally's stuffed in jars
Someone named Mustang Sally is trapped in a jar; could be a metaphor for feeling trapped while dancing
And there's no one who
There's nobody around who
Can hold a candle to
Can compare to the level of excitement and energy that I am bringing to the dance floor
The mojo man from Mars
I am the one who's leading the new dance in town
Writer(s): Ivy Rorschach, Lux Interior Copyright: Hiss And Hearse Publishing, Hiss & Hearse Publishing
Contributed by Caden I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.