
Episode 53: “I Put a Spell on You” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
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Hawkins's Little Demon
Hawkins wrote the song while recording four grand records. It came about, as so much of hawkins's life did, from his mistreatment of a woman. He was playing residency in atlantic city, and he had a living girl friend from philadelphia. As was always the case with hawkins, he was cheating on her with multiple other women. Eventually she figured this out and walked into the bar in the middle of one of his sets,. She threw his keys on to the stage and walked out, blowing him a kiss. That was the only single that saw release from his time with grand records.
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