Marie Laveau

Album: Lullabys, Legends And Lies (1973)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This song was written by Shel Silverstein and first recorded by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. Silverstein's nephew Mitch Myers is an expert on Shel's work and wrote the book Silverstein Around the World. Myers explains: "Marie Laveau has been described and conjured in history books and legends of voodoo women in New Orleans for decades and decades. And all the research points to the fact that there was a Marie Laveau, and she lived at a certain time, and she was supposed to be a witch of certain powers. But beyond that, she was repeated in fable-type proportions in song and in oral storytelling for as long as I can remember. And I don't know how far back it goes, to the early 1900s or whenever, but the legend of Marie Laveau has been repeated in books, in song, in poems, every way you can. So Shel's was just one more version of this same character, putting her in a particular situation, and that was probably made most famous by the version that was recorded by Bobby Bare." (Learn more about Shel Silverstein in our interview with Mitch Myers.)

Comments: 3

  • George from Vancouver, Canada@Tonya from Sharon Grove, Ky :: Mrs? So she finally found a man to give up his outside(of the swamp) life & marry her? Or you're just using "Mrs." as an honorific?
  • George from Vancouver, CanadaShel Silverstein was a true poety -- he had meter & rhyming all working to gether to make anything a catchy song for whomever put it to music. Was listening to 1970s county & this song came on -- catchy & interesting lyrics, so I came here, as usuasl, too look st the background -- was not disapointed. Richard Pryor was speaking of the same Voodoo woman, in one of his routines, I suspect. . .
  • Tonya from Sharon Grove, KyI love this song so much. It makes me kind of sad because this woman was actually real. But my momma says that i could have been a decendant of Mrs. Marie Lavaeu.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

Maria Muldaur

Maria MuldaurSongwriter Interviews

The "Midnight At The Oasis" singer is an Old Time gal. She talks about her jug band beginnings and shares a Dylan story.

Todd Rundgren

Todd RundgrenSongwriter Interviews

Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real Group

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real GroupSong Writing

The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.