Poison Ivy (song)
A metaphor for a sexually transmitted disease set to music.
"Poison Ivy" is a song by American songwriting duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, originally recorded by the Coasters in 1959. It reached number one on the R&B chart, number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, and number fifteen in the UK. The track was the Coasters' third top-ten hit of that year.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- the Coasters
- Album
- The Coasters' Greatest Hits
- B-side
- I'm a Hog for You
- Released
- August 1959
- Recorded
- July 16, 1959
- Genre
- Rock and roll
- Label
- Atco
- Writer
- Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Lyricist Jerry Leiber stated that "Poison Ivy" is a metaphor for a sexually transmitted disease.
- The song compares the girl to measles, mumps, chickenpox, the common cold, and whooping cough, but deems her worse because she will make you itch.
- The lyrics also reference other flowers such as a rose and a daisy.
Notable cover versions
Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs took their version to number one in Australia in 1964, famously keeping the Beatles from the top spot on the Sydney charts during the group's only Australian tour; Thorpe was invited to meet the Fab Four at their hotel. The Rolling Stones released "Poison Ivy" as the B-side of their January 1964 single "You Better Move On". The Lambrettas reached number seven in the British charts with their 1980 cover.
More in Songs About Diseases and Disorders
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced