Marie Laveau (song)
| "Marie Laveau" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Bobby Bare | ||||
| from the album Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies | ||||
| B-side | "The Mermaid" | |||
| Released | April 1974 | |||
| Format | 7" single | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:09 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Shel Silverstein, Baxter Taylor | |||
| Producer(s) |
Bobby Bare Bill Rice | |||
| Bobby Bare singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Marie Laveau" is a 1974 live recording by Bobby Bare.[1] His thirty-fourth single to hit the country charts, it was his only number one and final top ten country hit. It was written by Shel Silverstein and Baxter Taylor. "Marie Laveau" went to number one for a single week and spent a total of eighteen weeks on the country charts.[2]
The song is about a fictitious and ugly witch who lived in a Louisiana bayou swamp, having the same name as the famous New Orleans voodoo priestess, and who could make men disappear with a horrific screech. On the night of a new moon, Handsome Jack arrives and offers her a deal: if she conjures $1,000,000 for him, he will marry her. After he receives the money, he backs out of the deal claiming she's too ugly for a rich man; in retaliation, she screeches and Jack disappears.
The first released recording is by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, on their 1971 album Doctor Hook. Another version is by Girl Trouble, released on Thrillsphere (1990) and Blue Dogs (Music for Dog People, 1991) . Earlier recordings of the song exist. In 1954, Oscar "Papa" Celestin sang a different composition titled "Marie Laveau" in one of his last recordings.
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
References
- ↑ Bobby Bare – Marie Laveau Discogs.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 40.