Poison Ivy
(version 1)

Composers: Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller        Original performers: The Coasters (1959)
First release:
UK LP Saturday Club (various artists), January 1964        First US release: More Hot Rocks, 1972
Recording date: July 1963        Recording location: Decca Studios, London, England

Producer: Michael Barclay        Engineer: Gus Dudgeon
Performed onstage: 1963

Probable line-up:

Drums: Charlie Watts
Bass: Bill Wyman
Electric guitars: Keith Richards & Brian Jones
Lead vocals: Mick Jagger
Background vocals: Brian Jones & Bill Wyman
Guiro: Mick Jagger
 

She comes on like a rose
And everybody knows
She'll get you in dutch
You can look but you better not touch

Poison ivy, poison ivy
Well late at night when you're sleeping
Poison ivy comes creeping all around

She's pretty as a daisy
But look out man she's crazy
She'll really do you in
If you let her get under your skin

Poison ivy, poison ivy
Well late at night when you're sleeping
Poison ivy comes creeping all around

Measles make you bumpy and mumps will make you lumpy
And chicken pox will make you jump and twitch
A common cold will cool you but whooping cough will fool you
But poison ivy's going to make you itch

You're going to need an ocean
Of calamine lotion
You'll be scratching like a hound
The minute you start to mess around

Poison ivy, poison ivy
Well late at night when you're sleeping
Poison ivy comes creeping all around

Measles make you bumpy and mumps will make you lumpy
And chicken pox will make you jump and twitch
A common cold will cool you but whooping cough will fool you
But poison ivy's going to make you itch

You're going to need an ocean
Of calamine lotion
You'll be scratching like a hound
The minute you start to mess around

Poison ivy, poison ivy
Well late at night when you're sleeping
Poison ivy comes creeping all around

La, la, la-da, la, la, la-da

La, la, la-da, la, la, la-da


 
 

TrackTalk

Poison Ivy, did we ever record that? Oh yeah. We did two versions of that... (We chose that material because) we were kids, you know, just kids. We did everything and that was a groove. You see Poison Ivy was unknown in (England). It wasn't a hit here by the Coasters...

  - Mick Jagger, 1968



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