Song Lyric Sunday – “Marie Laveau” & More

This week Jim Adams has prompted us with choosing songs involving Cruel | Evil | Horrible | Monster | Wicked for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday.

This week I chose three different songs plus a bonus track to cover Wicked, Cruel & Monster. I couldn’t decide and thought they were all worthy of the challenge. “Marie Laveau” by Bobby Bare is the first song up. “Don’t Be Cruel” by Elvis Presley is my second choice. Third choice is “Monster Mash” by Bobby Pickett. It’s close enough to Halloween to share this classic for this week’s challenge.

BONUS AT THE END: “Monster Hash”

Snippet of the real Marie Laveau

Marie Catherine Laveau was a free woman of color of African, Native American and French descent. She was born on September 10, 1801 in colonial New Orleans, Louisiana (French Quarter). Well known in New Orleans, she practiced Voodoo, was an herbalist & midwife. She died at the age of 79 on June 15, 1881 in New Orleans. Her daughter, Marie Laveau II, practiced rootwork, conjure, Native American & African spiritualism, as well as Louisiana Voodoo. Laveau I has been an inspiration of many fictional characters in novels. Angela Bassett appears as a fictionalized Laveau in “American Horror Story: Coven” and “American Horror Story: Apocalypse”.

SONG FACTS – “Marie Laveau”

• Written by Shel Silverstein and Baxter Taylor
• Originally recorded by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show on their 1971 album “Doctor Hook”.
• Bobby Bare recorded it live in 1974.
• Reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Canadian RPM Country Tracks for Bare.

“Marie Laveau”

The most famous of the voodoo queens that ever existed
Is Marie Laveau, down in Louisiana
There's a lot of weird ungodly tales about Marie,
She's supposed to have a lot of magic potions, spells and curses....
Down in Louisiana, where the black trees grow
Lives a voodoo lady named Marie Laveau
Got a black cat's tooth and a Mojo bone
And anyone who wouldn't leave her alone
She'd go another man done gone
She lives in a swamp in a hollow log
With a one-eyed snake and a three-legged dog
She's got a bent, bony body and stringy hair
If she ever seen why'all messing round there
She'd go another man done gone
And then one night when the moon was black
Into the swamp come handsome Jack
A no good man like you all know
He was looking around for Marie Laveau
He said Marie Laveau, you handsome witch
Give me a little a little charm that'll make me rich
Give me a million dollars and I tell you what I'll do
This very night, I'm gonna marry you
Then It'll be another man done gone
So Marie done some magic, and she shook a little sand
Made a million dollars and she put it in his hand
Then she giggled and she wiggled, and she said Hey, Hey
I'm getting ready for my wedding day
But old handsome Jack he said goodbye Marie
You're too damned ugly for a rich man like me
Then Marie started mumbling her fangs started gnashing
Her body started trembling and her eyes started flashing
And she went another man done gone.
So if you ever get down where the black trees grow
And meet a voodoo lady named Marie Laveau
If she ever asks you to make her your wife
Man, you better stay with her for the rest of your life
Or it'll be another man done gone
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Baxter Taylor / Shel Silverstein
Marie Laveau lyrics © T.R.O. Inc.

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Song Facts – “Don’t Be Cruel”

• Written by Otis Blackwell in 1956. Presley was given credit for co-writing this song as he changed many of the lyrics.
• Recorded by Elvis Presley and released on July 13, 1956.
• It was the first song that Hill and Range (Presley’s song publishers) brought to him to record.
• “Hound Dog” was on the “A” side of the 45 rpm record with “Don’t Be Cruel” on the “B” side. “Hound Dog” had risen to #2 on the Pop charts with sales of over 1 million. “Don’t Be Cruel” overshadowed “Hound Dog” by reaching #1 on the Pop, Country & R&B charts.
• It was Presley’s biggest selling single recorded in 1956 with over 6 million dollars in sales by 1961.
• “Don’t Be Cruel” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002.

“Don’t Be Cruel”

You know I can be found sittin' home all alone
If you can't come around a least please telephone
Don't be cruel to a heart that's true
Baby if I made you mad for somethin' I might have said
Please let's forget the past the future looks bright ahead
Don't be cruel I got a heart so true
I don't want no other love honey it's just you I'm thinkin' of
Let's walk up to the preacher and let us say I do
Then you gonna have me baby I got a little bitty your love too
And don't don't don't don't be cruel
I don't want no other love honey it's just you I'm thinkin' of
Hey don't stop thinkin' about me and don't make me feel this way
Come on over here and love me you know what I want you to say
Don't be cruel to a heart that's true
Well I don't want no other love honey it's just you I'm thinkin' of
Don't be cruel to a heart that's true don't be cruel to a heart that's true
Why should we be apart I really love you baby cross my heart
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Elvis A. Presley / Otis Blackwell
Don't Be Cruel lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Raleigh Music Publishing

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SONG FACTS – “Monster Mash”

• Written by Leonard Capizzi and Bob Pickett.
• Released as a single on Gary S. Paxton’s Garpax Records label on August 25, 1962 and on a full-length album called “The Original Monster Mash” which contained several monster-themed songs.
• Reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for October 20-27 of 1962, just in time for Halloween.
• One night, Pickett was doing a monologue while performing the Diamond’s “Little Darlin'” in a monologue imitating horror movie star Boris Karloff. The audience loved it and fellow band member, Leonard Capizzi encouraged Picket to do more of Karloff. Pickett’s humor paved the way for him and Capizzi to compose “Monster Mash”

“Monster Mash”

I was working in the lab, late one night
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight
For my monster from his slab, began to rise
And suddenly to my surprise
He did the mash, he did the monster mash
The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash
He did the mash, it caught on in a flash
He did the mash, he did the monster mash
From my laboratory in the castle east
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes
To get a jolt from my electrodes
They did the mash, they did the monster mash
The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash
They did the mash, it caught on in a flash
They did the mash, they did the monster mash
The zombies were having fun, the party had just begun
The guests included Wolfman, Dracula, and his son
The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive
With their vocal group, 'The Crypt-Kicker Five'
They played the mash, they played the monster mash
The monster mash, it was a graveyard smash
They played the mash, it caught on in a flash
They played the mash, they played the monster mash
Out from his coffin', Drac's voice did ring
Seems he was troubled by just one thing
He opened the lid and shook his fist and said
"Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?
It's now the mash, it's now the monster mash
The monster mash, it was graveyard smash
It's now the mash, it caught on in a flash
It's now the mash, it's now the monster mash
Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band
And my Monster Mash is the hit of the land
For you, the living this mash was meant too
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you
Then you can mash, then you can monster mash
The monster mash and do my graveyard smash
Then you can mash, you'll catch on in a flash
Then you can mash, then you can monster mash
Mash good!
Easy, Igor, you impetuous young boy
Mash good! Grrr!
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Leonard Capizzi / Bob Pickett
Monster Mash lyrics © Reservoir Media Management Inc

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SONG FACTS – “Monster Hash”

• Written & performed by The Toyes, an American reggae band from Grants Pass, Oregon.
• The song was written as a parody of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s “Monster Mash”.

“Monster Hash”

I was working in the lab late one night
When I heard the gurgle of a waterpipe
So I turned to see my monster in a cloud of smoke
Who said “This shit ain’t bad, here, have a toke”

(We smoked some hash) – We smoked some monster hash
(Some monster hash) – It was his personal stash
(We smoked some hash) – We got completely trashed
(On monster hash) – We smoked some monster hash

As we partied in the castle with the living dead
Mouths were dry and eyes were red
The ghouls and goblins shrieked and screamed
“Won’t somebody please pass the Visine”

(They smoked some hash) – They smoked some monster hash
(Some monster hash) – From Frankie’s personal stash
(We smoked some hash) – And they all were smashed
(On monster hash) – They smoked some monster hash

The mummy was toking on a bong
Wolfman said “Don’t bogart that, pass it along”
The swamp thing was toasted, rolling on the floor
Laughing hysterically and pleading for more

The scene was rocking as the werewolves moved
To the undead reggae band’s dance hall grooves
Meanwhile in the kitchen Frankenstein baked
Some Alice B. Toklas brownies and cakes

(We ate some hash) – We ate some monster hash
(Some monster hash) – It had the graveyard smashed
(We ate some hash) – And we all got trashed
(On monster hash) – We ate some monster hash

The party would have gone on ’til we all passed out
But just then we heard a bloodcurdling shout
“Watch out, beware, cover your necks
Dracula’s got the munchies, and he’s totally wrecked”

(He smoked some hash) – He smoked some monster hash
(Some monster hash) – He was completely smashed
(He smoked some hash) – That transylvanian’s trashed
(On monster hash) – He smoked some monster hash

Now every night the dead rise up from the grave
To partake in our happening THC rave
For you, the living, this hash was meant, too
When you get to my door just say the Toyes sent you

(We’ll smoke some hash) – We’ll smoke some monster hash
(Some monster hash) – And we’ll all get trashed
(We’ll smoke some hash) – From my personal stash
(Of monster hash) – We’ll smoke some monster hash

Mmmm – that shit gooood
Easy, boy, save some for daddy
Mmm – hash gooood