The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Voodoo Lady
Shakin' that stick and drivin' me crazy
Your eyes look red and hazy
Doin' that stuff that you do
Messin' me up with your voodoo
You drive me crazy with that
Boogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie
You drive me crazy with that
Boogie boogie boogie
Your lips are hot and spicy
Servin' up red beans and rice
At midnite she's a-howlin' and stompin'
Makin' love to the gators in the swampin'
[Chorus]
I feel you now inside me
Never once did you deny me
Doin' that stuff that you do
Knockin' me out with your voodoo
[Chorus]
Voodoo lady, shakin' that stick, drivin' me crazy
Voodoo lady, oh yeah
Boogie boogie boogie boogie
[Repeat first verse]
[Chorus]
Shakin' that stick and drivin' me crazy
Your eyes look red and hazy
Doin' that stuff that you do
Messin' me up with your voodoo
You drive me crazy with that
Boogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie
You drive me crazy with that
Boogie boogie boogie
Your lips are hot and spicy
Servin' up red beans and rice
At midnite she's a-howlin' and stompin'
Makin' love to the gators in the swampin'
[Chorus]
I feel you now inside me
Never once did you deny me
Doin' that stuff that you do
Knockin' me out with your voodoo
[Chorus]
Voodoo lady, shakin' that stick, drivin' me crazy
Voodoo lady, oh yeah
Boogie boogie boogie boogie
[Repeat first verse]
[Chorus]
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
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This may be very wrong... Could this "voodoo lady" be a cook, rather than a lover? From this song I receive an image of the boys sitting down to a meal in a diner, with a rather large, absent-minded woman ("your eyes look red and hazy") serving up a plate of "red beans and rice". The "howlin' and stompin'" at midnight could be her kicking customers out as opposed to sex, and the "makin' love to the gators in the swampin'" a reference to her swamp-trash social status...??? Seeing as these guys are guys, I don't think that it is about sex, unless it's homosexual sex - "I feel you now inside me" (although, their song about "many colours in the homo rainbow" from South Park springs to mind)... This could just be the meal going down. "Never once did you deny me" - always cooking for them... "Doin' that stuff that you do, knockin' me out with your voodoo" - Making a damn fine meal, and 'knocking them out' with its goodness...
Just a thought...
obviously a song about smoking pot
I believe the correct lyrics are "boogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie oogie"
Besides the fact that this is such a damn cool song, Ween gets special props for being able to say oogie so many times in a row withouth screwing up. I mean, have you tried it? Do it now. I'll wait.
See? It's fucking hard, man.
Also, my dog likes this song ...especially when I sing it to her when we play fetch.
Zepplin inspired.
how so?
I actually think this song is about a girl one of them were with that got them into some hardcore drugs. If you read each line it makes perfect sense. The voodoo lady put them under spells (drugs). Doing the stuff that you do, messin me up with your voodoo. makes pefrect sense
Why does literally every entry on this website for a Ween song have someone insisting the song is about drugs? Gene and Dean, as drug addled as they are, actually do encounter a wider range of emotions and experiences than just, "Durfledurfle let's write another song about heroin and shit." Give them more credit as songwriters.
How the heck is this Zeppelin-inspired? It sounds nothing like Zeppelin!
Oh, how unjustly underrated. So many people bash Chocolate & Cheese, but I love that album deeply. And this one is my favorite. How on earth Gene could sing "boogie-oogie-oogie-oogie-oogie-oogie-oogie-oogie" that fast every time is beyond me. I have trouble singing it, yet it's just so catchy! Guess I'll just have to keep trying...
I've always thought that this song was being presented from the point-of-view of a baby, voodoo stick being a rattle, and other various abstractions of the lyrics
I always took this one literally... She's a voodoo lady.
This reminds me of something, but I have no idea what. And it's not Zeppelin. Like a strange combination of John Fogerty and whoever sang "I'm Your Vehicle"