Poison Ivy

Album: Lines, Vines and Trying Times (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This tune about a beautiful but dangerous girl is one of a number of tracks on Lines, Vines and Trying Times that features a horn section. Singer Joe Jonas explained to Rolling Stone that this new sound was inspired by a British band that the brothers came across in 2008. Said Joe: "We were really inspired by the Zutons. We heard their new record, You Can Do Anything, when we were in Europe last year and got everyone around us hooked on it." Joe added that the brothers kept adding horns to more and more tracks: "The horns just keep sounding good! The players are these amazing Minneapolis cats who have been doing it for years and are just unreal." (Check out The Zutons track "What's Your Problem")
  • Back in 1959 the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote a song with the same title for The Coasters. Both songs employ the same pretty girl-as-irritant metaphor.
  • The brothers penned this with their bass player Greg Garbowsky, who also co-wrote their hit single "Tonight."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Supertramp founder Roger Hodgson

Supertramp founder Roger HodgsonSongwriter Interviews

Roger tells the stories behind some of his biggest hits, including "Give a Little Bit," "Take the Long Way Home" and "The Logical Song."

Hardy

HardySongwriter Interviews

The country hitmaker talks about his debut album, A Rock, and how a nursery rhyme inspired his hit single "One Beer."

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" Album

Arrested For Your Art - The Story Of 2 Live Crew's "Obscene" AlbumSong Writing

In the summer of 1990, you could get arrested for selling a 2 Live Crew album or performing their songs in Southern Florida. And that's exactly what happened.

Weird Al Yankovic

Weird Al YankovicFact or Fiction

Did Al play on a Beach Boys record? Did he have beef with George Lucas and Coolio? See if you can spot weird but true stories.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Michelle Branch

Michelle BranchSongwriter Interviews

Michelle Branch talks about "Everywhere," "The Game Of Love," and her run-in with a Christian broadcasting network.