Marie Laveau (song)

"Marie Laveau"
Single by Bobby Bare
from the album Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies
B-side	"The Mermaid"
Released	April 1974
Format	7" single
Genre	Country
Length	3:09
Label	RCA
Writer(s)	Shel Silverstein, Baxter Taylor
Producer(s)	Bobby Bare Bill Rice
Bobby Bare singles chronology
"Daddy, What If" (1974) "Marie Laveau" (1974) "Where'd I Come From" (1974)

"Marie Laveau" is a 1974 live recording by Bobby Bare. His thirty-fourth single to hit the country charts, it was his only number one and final top ten country hit. It was written by Shel Silverstein and Baxter Taylor. "Marie Laveau" went to number one for a single week and spent a total of eighteen weeks on the country charts.

The song is about a fictitious witch who lived in a Louisiana bayou swamp, having the same name as the famous New Orleans voodoo priestess who is approached by a scoundrel, "Handsome Jack". Jack asks Marie to conjure up $1,000,000; in exchange, Jack will then marry Marie. Marie conjures up the money, but Jack backs out on his end of the deal, resulting in Marie casting a spell on Jack in revenge.

The first released recording is by Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show, on their 1971 album Doctor Hook. Another version is by Girl Trouble, released on Thrillsphere (1990) and Blue Dogs (Music for Dog People, 1991) . Earlier recordings of the song exist. In 1954, Oscar "Papa Celestin sang "Marie Laveau" in one of his last recordings.

Chart performance

Chart (1974)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	1

References

Preceded by "He Thinks I Still Care" by Anne Murray	Billboard Hot Country Singles number-one single July 20, 1974 (Bobby Bare version)	Succeeded by "You Can't Be a Beacon If Your Light Don't Shine" by Donna Fargo
Preceded by "They Don't Make 'em Like My Daddy" by Loretta Lynn	RPM Country Tracks number-one single August 3, 1974 (Bobby Bare version)	Succeeded by "As Soon as I Hang Up the Phone" by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn