“If you're going through difficult times, it's hilarious how you turn on the radio and even the most cliché things perfectly capture how you're feeling. And then you realize why people wrote those songs.” »read more
Search for
“If you're going through difficult times, it's hilarious how you turn on the radio and even the most cliché things perfectly capture how you're feeling. And then you realize why people wrote those songs.” »read more
Songfacts: You can leave comments about the song at the bottom of the page.
This was written by The Ventures keyboard player Johnny Durrill. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)
This is about a woman who visits a famous fortune teller. The fortune teller (the "dark lady") tells her to break up with her boyfriend. Later on, the shocked protagonist remembers where she smelt the fortune teller's perfume before: on her bed after a night with her lover. She returns to the dark lady with a gun and finds her beau making love to the fortune teller. In a split decision, she pulls the trigger and kills the dark lady.
Johnny Durrill: "I spent a week in his (Snuff Garrett, Cher's producer's) office playing him songs, one of which Cher recorded. Later, when I was on tour in Japan with the Ventures, I was writing an interesting song. I telegraphed the unfinished lyrics to Garrett. He said to 'make sure the bitch kills him.' Hence, in the song both the lover and fortune teller were killed. That song became 'Dark Lady' which Cher cut; it went to number one in 1974. Garrett provided me access to artists such as Cher and Sinatra and other opportunities such as soundtracks." (thanks, Brett - Edmonton, Canada, for above 2)
Comments:
Get the Ringtone
Get Song @ Amazon
Get the Sheet Music
View Lyrics
Hmmm .... Gypsies, Tramps and Theives, Half Breed and then Dark Lady. She loved singing about odd women in the 70's. All reached #1.
- PAUL, Detroit, MI
This is a great song, I love that she kills them in the end, great ending isn't it.
- Breanna, Henderson, NV
I find it very suprising that she would record this song, but Sonny Bono (at the time), was very reluctant for her to record "The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia"
- Kristin, Bessemer, AL
I have been looking every for a Chord Progression Chart for Dark Lady. Does anyone know where I can get one?
Thanks
- Greg, New York, NY
She does kill her boyfriend and "the dark lady"
in the song.
- Cara, Santa Barbara, CA
I rhought the protagonist killed both her boyfriend and the fortune teller in the song.
- Stefanie, Rock Hill, SC
Hi John, Long time. I just heard Dark Lady and remembered when we were living on Cherokee in Hollywood next to Mary when you wrote it.
What are you up to?
Love,
Jeffri
- JEFFRI, SAN DIEGO, CA