Marie Laveau (song)
"Marie Laveau" is a song written by Shel Silverstein and Baxter Taylor. First recorded by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show on their 1971 album Doctor Hook, a 1974 live recording by Bobby Bare went to number one for a single week and spent a total of 18 weeks on the country charts. It was his 34th single on the charts, his only number one and final top ten country hit.[1]
| "Marie Laveau" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bobby Bare | ||||
| from the album Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies | ||||
| B-side | "The Mermaid" | |||
| Released | April 1974 | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 3:09 | |||
| Label | RCA Nashville | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Shel Silverstein, Baxter Taylor | |||
| Producer(s) | Bobby Bare | |||
| Bobby Bare singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The song is about a fictitious and ugly witch who lived in the Louisiana bayous in a hollow log with a one-eyed snake and a three-legged dog, having the same name as the famous New Orleans voodoo priestess, and who, armed with a magic black cat tooth and mojo bone, 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 up $1,000,000 for him, he will marry her. After he receives the money, he backs out of the deal claiming that she is too ugly for a rich man like him; in retaliation, she screeches and Jack disappears.
Other recorded versions are by Girl Trouble on their album Thrillsphere (1990) and The Blue Dogs on Music for Dog People (1991).
Chart performance
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
References
- Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 40.