Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie (Holy Modal Rounders)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 09 Dec 10 - 02:04 PM

It sounds like the song is about Marie Laveau, who was a real person. See Wikipedia.

See this thread for more songs about her: Lyr Req: Marie Laveau (Cathy Winter)

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: GUEST,beavermatic 1
Date: 07 Dec 10 - 11:38 PM

part of another verse that I know of:

They say she's married as well
They say she wed the Devil in Hell
Turned him into a big black snake
And keeps him under her bed

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: reggie miles
Date: 08 Aug 00 - 12:21 PM

Stewie, I've never heard the HMR version, this is just how we used to do it. I'm certain the folk process was engaged to it's fullest degree with this particular version as it was with just about everything we did back then, it's been about fifteen years. We were all taking a great deal of artistic license and pushing the envelope with much of what we performed. Part of the reason for this could have been because we played on the street much of the time. The looser contraints of that atmosphere allowed for greater freedom in our approaches to interpretation.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: Jacob B
Date: 08 Aug 00 - 09:48 AM

I think we've got it all now. Thanks, reggie and Stewie!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: Stewie
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 09:31 PM

The Holy Modal Rounders' version, at least as they recorded it on 'Alleged in Their Own Time', differs in minor details from that posted above - for example, it has no chorus, last line of the 'watch that woman shake' verse is sung as 'with a big red fish held over her head', etc. The missing verse comes before the 'watch that woman shake' verse:

Folks tell fabulous lies
They say the green light shines from her eyes
Say she's the cat in disguise
Say there's horns on her head
Say she's married as well
It's said she married the devil in hell
Turned him into a big black snake
And keeps him under her bed

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: Jacob B
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 09:52 AM

Thanks, reggie. I recall something about her taking the Devil and turning him into a big black snake. It's a fun song, set to a fun tune.

Jacob

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: reggie miles
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 04:58 AM

Oops fergot ta reset me cookie. Hope these four verses help you Jacob. When I come up with that missing fourth one I'll add it here.

Subject: Lyr Add: VOODOO QUEEN MARIE (Holy Modal Rounders)
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 00 - 04:52 AM

Mother always said,
to stay away from her.
When she walks by the dogs all cry,
the cats they just purr.
She's the Voodoo Queen Marie,
way up from New Orleans.
Here she comes lookin' like the universe was hers.

chorus:
Voodoo Queen Marie,
she ran the town of New Orleans,
ran it since her middle teens,
like her favorite toy.
Well that's just fine because,
that's just what it was.
There ain't nobody and there ain't no laws,
made for Queen Marie.

Does she have the power?
Don't the men all stare?
Rainbow skirt, rainbow clothes,
long black shining hair.
Hangin' to her hips,
she's got cherry colored lips,
other women walk on earth
but this one sails through the air.

chorus-

Watch that woman shake.
She's dancin' with a snake.
Dancin', dancin' all night long,
to the moon-lit, candle-lit voodoo lake.
Dressed in flamin' red,
she's dancin' with the Grateful Dead.
Dancin', dancin' all night long,
with a red rose over head.

chorus-

The voodoos know her name.
They pass it down fromm hand to hand.
You can search all over this land
and never hear a word that's said.
But if you know where to look
and it won't be found in anyones' book.
The voodoos and the the lords all say,
Queen Marie's not dead.

chorus-


There's a fourth verse that comes before this last one, five in all, but I haven't found it yet. This may be enough for you to get started.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: reggie miles
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 10:52 AM

When I played with The Buzzards the fiddle player sang that one. I'll see if I can get him online and have him send me the words. He's been living in his bus and doing a lot of traveling as a result so this may take a while.

Subject: Voodoo Queen Marie
From: Jacob B
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 09:50 AM

Does anyone have the lyrics to the song that the Holy Modal Rounders recorded to the tune of Colored Aristocracy? The name was Voodoo Queen Ann Marie (or Voodoo Queen Marie, or something very similar.) The character it described was supposedly a composite of two actual voodoo queens who once lived in New Orleans. The song started with:

Mother always said
Stay away from her
When she goes by the dogs all cry
But the cats all purr
...
Other women walk on the ground, this one sails through the air