Poison Ivy (song)

"Poison Ivy" is a popular song by American songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was originally recorded by The Coasters in 1959. It went to #1 on the R&B chart and #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.^[1] This was their third top-ten hit of that year following "Charlie Brown" and "Along Came Jones."

The song discusses a girl named Ivy, calling her "Poison Ivy" because of her reputation with men as a player. The song makes references to other flowers such as a rose and a daisy, and diseases like measles, mumps, chickenpox, the common cold, and whooping cough. In a recently published biography about Jerry Lieber & Mike Stoller, the song's authors, it was revealed that the song's lyrics are about sexually-transmitted disease, not the illnesses previously thought.

[edit] Cover versions

The Dave Clark Five - 1963. It was released as part of an E.P.^[2]

The Paramounts - as both a single (1963) and as part of a E.P (released 1964). The single version got to #35 on the U.K Charts.^[3]^[4]
The Rolling Stones recorded two different versions in 1963, the second version appeared on the EP The Rolling Stones, released early 1964. The first version appeared on a 1972 compilation of the Rolling Stones called More Hot Rocks (Big Hits & Fazed Cookies).^[3]
Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - 1964.^[3]
The Hollies recorded a version in the 1960s.
The Lambrettas - 1980. Their version reached #7 in the British charts.
The Romantics - on the 1985 album, Rhythm Romance.
Linda McCartney - recorded the song in 1987 and her cover was released on her posthumous album Wide Prairie in 1998.
Young & Restless - 1988
Hanson - on their 1995 album, Boomerang.
Meshell Ndegeocello - 1997, with slightly altered lyrics. Her cover was included on the Batman & Robin soundtrack, in which Poison Ivy the villainess, was a main character.
Los Straitjackets - in 2007 released a Spanish-language cover of the song titled "La Hiedra Venenosa," on their album Rock en Español, Vol. 1.
Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters - on their 2008 album Boogaloo.
Chris Burke
The Lords
Manfred Mann
The Puppets
Rita Lee has recently released a cover version of "Poison Ivy" translated to Portuguese and titled "Erva Venenosa".

[edit] Popular culture references

The song is sung by Rack 'Em Rack Willie from The DAMN! Show on numerous occasion.
The song was included in the musical revue "Smokey Joe's Cafe."

[edit] References

^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 125.
^ "The Dave Clark Five". unknown. c.late 90s-2000s. Archived from the original on 2009-10-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20091024005543/http://geocities.com/fabgear6366/clark.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
^ ^a ^b ^c Nuttall, Lyn (2000s). "Feature Item - poparchives.com.au - Poison Ivy". Lyn Nuttall. http://www.poparchives.com.au/feature.php?id=235. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
^ "The Paramounts". unknown. c.late 90s-2000s. Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. http://web.archive.org/web/20091025042206/http://geocities.com/fabgear6366/paramounts.htm. Retrieved 2009-02-24.

Preceded by "I'm Gonna Get Married" by Lloyd Price "You Better Know It" by Jackie Wilson	Billboard Hot R&B Singles number-one single October 5, 1959 October 26, 1959 - November 9, 1959	Succeeded by "Sea of Love" by Phil Phillips with The Twilights "So Many Ways" by Brook Benton

v t e The Coasters

Carl Gardner Billy Guy Bobby Nunn Leon Hughes Adolph Jacobs Young Jessie Cornell Gunter Will "Dub" Jones Vernon Harrell Earl "Speedo" Carroll Ronnie Bright Jimmy Norman Thomas "Curly" Palmer Albert "Sonny" Forriest Alvin Morse Carl Gardner Jr J.W. Lance Primotivo Candelara Eddie Whitfield Dennis Anderson

Studio albums	The Coasters The Coasters One By One Coastin' Along Coast Along with The Coasters It Ain't Sanitary

Other albums	The Coasters' Greatest Hits Greatest Hits That Is Rock & Roll All Time Greatest Hits Their Greatest Recordings: The Early Years The Coasters On Broadway This Is the Coasters The World Famous Coasters 20 Great Originals 16 Greatest Hits What's the Secret of Your Success? Young Blood The Ultimate Coasters 20 Greatest Hits The Greatest Hits 50 Coastin' Classics: Anthology The Very Best of the Coasters Golden Hits Great Yakety Yak & Other Favorites All Our Best The Best of the Coasters Yakety Yak: The Platinum Collection The Definitive Soul: The Coasters The Complete Atco Recordings There's a Riot Goin' On: The Coasters on Atco Only the Best of the Coasters

Singles	"Down in Mexico" "One Kiss Led To Another" "Young Blood" "Idol With The Golden Head" "Sweet Georgia Brown" "Gee, Golly" "Yakety Yak" "The Shadow Knows" "Charlie Brown" "Along Came Jones" "Poison Ivy" "What About Us" "Besame Mucho (Part I)" "Wake Me, Shake Me" "Shoppin´ For Clothes" "Wait A Minute" "Little Egypt (Ying-Yang)" "Girls Girls Girls (Part I)" "(Ain't That) Just Like Me" "Ridin´ Hood" "The Climb (vocal)" "The P.T.A." "T´Ain´t Nothin´ To Me" "Bad Detective" "Wild One" "Lady Like" "Let's Go Get Stoned" "Crazy Baby" "She's A Yum Yum" "Soul Pad" "She Can" "D. W. Washburn" "Act Right" "Love Potion Number Nine" "Cool Jerk" "Hush Don't Talk About It"

B-Sides	"Turtle Dovin" "Brazil" "Searchin'" "(When She Wants Good Lovin´) My Baby Comes To Me" "What Is The Secret Of Your Success?" "Dance!" "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart" "Sorry But I'm Gonna Have To Pass" "Three Cool Cats" "That Is Rock & Roll" "I'm A Hog For You" "Run Red Run" "Besame Mucho (Part II)" "Stewball" "The Snake And The Book Worm" "Thumbin´ A Ride" "Keep On Rolling" "Girls Girls Girls (Part II)" "Bad Blood" "Teach Me How To Shimmy" "The Climb (instrumental)" "Bull Tick Waltz" "Speedo's Back In Town" "Lovey Dovey" "I Must Be Dreaming" "Hongry" "Money Honey" "Bell Bottom Slacks And A Chinese Kimono (She's My Little Spodee-O)" "Saturday Night Fish Fry" "Down Home Girl" "Everybody's Woman" "The World Is Changing" "Talkin´ ´Bout A Woman"

Cover Songs	"Auld Lang Syne" "Autumn Leaves" "But Beautiful" "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" "Easy Living" "Frosty the Snowman" "Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good to You" "I Love Paris" "If I Had a Hammer" "The 'In' Crowd" "Johnny B. Goode" "Moonglow" "Moonlight in Vermont" "Mustang Sally" "My Babe" "On Broadway" "On the Sunny Side of the Street" "Riot in Cell Block #9" "Satin Doll" "The Way You Look Tonight" "Willow Weep for Me" "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To"

v t e The Rolling Stones singles discography

Decca/London singles	1963 "Come On" / "I Want to Be Loved" "I Wanna Be Your Man" / "Stoned" 1964 "Not Fade Away" / "Little by Little" (UK) "Not Fade Away" / "I Wanna Be Your Man" (US) "It's All Over Now" / "Good Times, Bad Times" "Tell Me" / "I Just Want to Make Love to You" "Time Is on My Side" / "Congratulations" "Little Red Rooster" / "Off the Hook" "Heart of Stone" / "What a Shame" 1965 "What a Shame" / "Heart of Stone" "The Last Time" / "Play with Fire" "Play with Fire" / "The Last Time" "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" / "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" (US) "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" / "The Spider and the Fly" (UK) "Get Off of My Cloud" / "I'm Free" (US) "Get Off of My Cloud" / "The Singer Not the Song" (UK) "As Tears Go By" / "Gotta Get Away" 1966 "19th Nervous Breakdown" / "As Tears Go By" (UK) "19th Nervous Breakdown" / "Sad Day" (US) "Paint It, Black" / "Stupid Girl" (US) "Paint It, Black" / "Long Long While" (UK) "Mother's Little Helper" / "Lady Jane" "Lady Jane" / "Mother's Little Helper" "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?" / "Who's Driving Your Plane" 1967 "Let's Spend the Night Together" / "Ruby Tuesday" "Ruby Tuesday" / "Let's Spend the Night Together" "We Love You" / "Dandelion" "Dandelion" / "We Love You" "In Another Land" / "The Lantern" "She's a Rainbow" / "2000 Light Years from Home" 1968 "Jumpin' Jack Flash" / "Child of the Moon" "Street Fighting Man" / "No Expectations" 1969 "Honky Tonk Women" / "You Can't Always Get What You Want" Post-contract (1971) "Street Fighting Man" / "Surprise, Surprise" (1973) "You Can't Always Get What You Want" / "Sad Day" (1975) "Out of Time" / "Try a Little Harder" "Jiving Sister Fanny" / "I Don't Know Why" (1976) "Honky Tonk Women" / "Sympathy for the Devil" (2003) "Sympathy for the Devil" (remix) / (remixes)

Rolling Stones/Atlantic singles	1971 "Brown Sugar" / "Bitch" / "Let It Rock" (live) (UK) "Brown Sugar" / "Bitch" (US) "Wild Horses" / "Sway" 1972 "Tumbling Dice" / "Sweet Black Angel" "Happy" / "All Down the Line" 1973 "Angie" / "Silver Train" "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" / "Dancing with Mr. D" 1974 "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" / "Through the Lonely Nights" "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" / "Dance Little Sister" 1976 "Fool to Cry" / "Crazy Mama" "Hot Stuff" / "Fool to Cry"

Rolling Stones/Virgin singles	1978 "Miss You" / "Far Away Eyes" "Beast of Burden" / "When the Whip Comes Down" "Respectable" / "When the Whip Comes Down" "Shattered" / "Everything Is Turning to Gold" 1980 "Emotional Rescue" / "Down in the Hole" "She's So Cold" / "Send It to Me" 1981 "If I Was a Dancer (Dance Pt. 2)" / "Dance (Intrumental)" "Start Me Up" / "No Use In Crying" "Waiting on a Friend" / "Little T&A" "Little T&A" / "Waiting on a Friend" 1982 "Hang Fire" / "Neighbours" "Going to a Go-Go" (live) / "Beast of Burden" (live) "Time Is on My Side" (live) / "Twenty Flight Rock" (live) 1983 "Undercover of the Night" / "All the Way Down" 1984 "She Was Hot" / "Think I'm Going Mad" "Think I'm Going Mad" / "She Was Hot" "Too Tough" / "Miss You" "Brown Sugar" / "Bitch" "Too Much Blood" / "Too Much Blood" 1986 "Harlem Shuffle" / "Had It With You" "Winning Ugly" / "Winning Ugly" "One Hit (To the Body)" / "Fight" 1989 "Mixed Emotions" / "Fancy Man Blues" "Sad Sad Sad" / "Sad Sad Sad" "Rock and a Hard Place" / "Cook Cook Blues" 1990 "Almost Hear You Sigh" / "Break the Spell" (US) "Almost Hear You Sigh" / "Wish I'd Never Met You" (UK) "Paint It, Black" / "Long Long While" "Terrifying" / "Wish I'd Never Met You" 1991 "Highwire" / "2000 Light Years from Home" (live) "Ruby Tuesday" (live) / "Play with Fire" (live) "Sex Drive" / "Sex Drive"

Virgin singles	1994 "Love Is Strong" / "The Storm" "Love Is Strong" / "So Young" "You Got Me Rocking" / "Jump On Top of Me" "Out of Tears" / "I'm Gonna Drive" / "So Young" "Out of Tears" / "I'm Gonna Drive" / "Sparks Will Fly" 1995 "Sparks Will Fly" / "Sparks Will Fly" "I Go Wild" / (remixes) "Like a Rolling Stone" (live) / "Black Limousine" / "All Down the Line" 1996 "Wild Horses" (live) / "Live with Me" (live) / "Tumbling Dice" (live) 1997 "Anybody Seen My Baby?" / (remixes) "Flip the Switch" / "Flip the Switch" 1998 "Saint of Me" / "Gimme Shelter" / "Anyway You Look At It" "Out of Control" / (remixes) "Gimme Shelter" (live) / "Gimme Shelter" (live) 2002 "Don't Stop" / "Miss You" (remix) 2005 "Streets of Love" / "Rough Justice" "Oh No, Not You Again" / "Oh No, Not You Again" "Rain Fall Down" / (remixes) 2006 "Biggest Mistake" / "Dance Pt. 1" (live) / "Before They Make Me Run" 2007 "Paint It, Black" 2008 "Gimme Shelter" "Sympathy for the Devil" "She's a Rainbow" 2009 "Wild Horses" 2010 "Plundered My Soul" / "All Down the Line" 2011 "Brown Sugar" / "Bitch" / "Let It Rock" (live) / "No Spare Parts / "Before They Make Me Run"

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