About The Song
“I Put a Spell on You” is a 1956 song written and recorded by “Screamin’ Jay” Hawkins. The selection became a classic cult song, covered by a variety of artists. It was Hawkins’ greatest commercial success, reportedly surpassing a million copies in sales, even though it failed to make the Billboard pop or R&B charts.
Hawkins’ recording of it was selected as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. It was also included in Robert Christgau’s “Basic Record Library” of 1950s and 1960s recordings—published in Christgau’s Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981)—and ranked No. 313 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In October 1968, Creedence Clearwater Revival released a cover of this song, which was also on their eponymous debut album released in July 1968. The cover fit Fogerty’s voice, whose own manic vocal delivery had much in common with Hawkins’ powerful singing style. It was released in October 1968 with “Walk on the Water” as the B-side. This version peaked on the U.S. charts at #58. The band performed it at the Woodstock Festival in 1969.
Video
Lyrics
I put a spell on you, because you’re mine
You better stop the thing that you’re doin’
I said, “Watch out, I ain’t lyin'”, yeah
I ain’t gonna take none of your, foolin’ around
I ain’t gonna take none of your, puttin’ me down
I put a spell on you because you’re mine, all right
I put a spell on you, because you’re mine
You better stop, the thing that you’re doin’
I said, “Watch out, I ain’t lyin'”, yeah
I ain’t gonna take none of your, foolin’ around
I ain’t gonna take none of your, puttin’ me down
I put a spell on you because you’re mine, all right and I took it down