"Dark Lady" is a
folk song recorded by American singer-actress
Cher
Cher (; born Cherilyn Sarkisian; May 20, 1946) is an American singer, actress and television personality. Often referred to by the media as the Honorific nicknames in popular music, "Goddess of Pop", she has been described as embodying female ...
, and the title selection from her eleventh studio album, ''
Dark Lady''. Written and composed by John Robert "Johnny" Durrill and produced by
Snuff Garrett, it was released as the album's first single in early 1974. The song became Cher's third solo
U.S. #1 hit on March 22, 1974.
Song information and story
The song was written and composed by
The Ventures' keyboard player, Johnny Durrill. He recalled: "I spent a week in his (Snuff Garrett's) office playing him songs, one of which Cher recorded. Later, when I was on tour in Japan with the Ventures, I was writing an interesting song. I telegraphed the unfinished lyrics to Garrett. He said to 'make sure the bitch kills him.' Hence, in the song both the lover and fortune teller were killed."
Thus, "Dark Lady" may with some accuracy be described as a
murder ballad, even though the narrator of its lyrics essentially commits a
crime of passion
A crime of passion (French: ''crime passionnel''), in popular usage, refers to a violent crime, especially homicide, in which the perpetrator commits the act against someone because of sudden strong impulse such as anger rather than as a premed ...
.
The critic Peter Fawthrop, writing for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
, called this song a "grimly comedic folk song."
The "Dark Lady" of the song's title is a
gypsy fortune teller in
with an implied history of sleeping with clients (the narrator of the song describes seeing scratches on the inside of the fortune teller's
limousine
A limousine ( or ), or limo () for short, is a large, chauffeur-driven luxury vehicle with a partition between the driver compartment and the passenger compartment.
A very long wheelbase luxury sedan (with more than four doors) driven by a pr ...
from her previous conquests). The narrator follows the fortune teller's limousine to her lair and pays money for a fortune; as a result of the fortune, she learns that her lover has been unfaithful to her with, as the (audibly uncomfortable) fortune teller says, "someone else who is very close to you." Advised to leave the fortune teller's shop, never to return, and to forget she has ever seen the fortune teller's face, the narrator returns home in a state of shock, unable to sleep. But then she realizes to her horror that she had once smelled, in her own room, the very
perfume
Perfume (, ; french: parfum) is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agreeable scent ...
that the fortune teller had been wearing. Sneaking back to the fortune teller's shop with a
gun, she there catches her lover and the fortune teller "laughing and kissing," and shoots them both to death, presumably in a fit of rage; the song implies she
blacked out
''Blacked Out'' is a studio album by American country rap duo Moonshine Bandits from California. It was released on July 17, 2015 via Average Joes Entertainment. It features guest appearances from Bubba Sparxxx, Colt Ford, Crucifix, Demun Jone ...
upon shooting. ("Next thing I knew, they were dead on the floor.")
In 1974, "Dark Lady" topped the U.S.
''Billboard'' Hot 100 for one week, becoming Cher's third solo #1 hit. The song became a top 10 hit in Norway and a top 20 hit in the Netherlands. Like "
Half-Breed," the song struggled in West Germany and the UK, though it managed to reach top 40 status in the UK.
Music video
There are two versions of the video.
The first version of the video is a live performance that was aired in the third season of ''
The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour'' in 1973. In this performance Cher was dressed all in black and was wearing a black veil on her head. The second version of the video is an animated
cartoon
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of imag ...
done by
John David Wilson's animation studio; this second video follows the whole story of the song.
In 2002, a special remix medley was created by Dan-O-Rama for a video montage that was used in Cher's
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour. The medley contains videos of "
All I Really Want to Do", "
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves
"Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves" is a song by American singer and actress Cher from her 1971 seventh studio album '' Chér'' (eventually reissued under the title ''Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves''). Kapp Records, a division of MCA Records, released it as ...
", "
Half-Breed", and "Dark Lady". Unlike the other videos, "Dark Lady" was unique because both the live-action and the animated videos had been mixed.
In 1999, Cher performed this song throughout her
Do You Believe? Tour, for the first time in twenty-five years. In 2002, she performed the song 325 times in her
Living Proof: The Farewell Tour.
Cher performed the song on the following concert tours/Las Vegas residencies:
*
Do You Believe? Tour
*
The Farewell Tour
*
Cher at the Colosseum
Cher was the second concert residency by American singer-actress Cher at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. For the three-year engagement, Cher received $60 million. Performing at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the first show occurred on May 6 ...
*
Dressed to Kill Tour
*
Classic Cher
Classic Cher was the third concert residency by American singer-actress Cher. The show is performed in Las Vegas, Oxon Hill, and Atlantic City.
Set list
This set list is representative for the opening concert on February 8, 2017.
#"Woman's Wo ...
*
Here We Go Again Tour (Oceanian leg only)
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Formats and track listing
;UK and US 7"
#"Dark Lady" – 3:26
#"Two People Clinging to a Thread" – 2:40
;Argentina 7"
#"Dark Lady" – 3:26
#"Carousel Man" – 3:02
;Not Released
#"Dark Lady" (Mixmaster F Farewell Club Mix) (a.k.a. White Label Remix) – 7:25
Credits and personnel
*Cher –
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
*John "Johnny" Durrell – lyrics
*Snuff Garrett – producer
*
Ronnie Aldrich
*D. Redston
*R. Williams
*Longines Symphone
*Magnetronics
Cover versions
In 1974
Lea Laven recorded the Finnish rendering of "Dark Lady" entitled "Tumma nainen". "Tumma nainen" was also recorded by
Ami Aspelund for her 1974 album ''Ami'' and also by Jean S. for their 2003 album ''Sammakkoprinssi''.
In the same year, Argentinian singer Johnny Tedesco recorded a Spanish version called "Te quiero tanto (Dulce gitana)".
References
External links
Cher - Official Site*
{{authority control
1974 singles
Cher songs
Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Number-one singles in Sweden
Songs about New Orleans
Song recordings produced by Snuff Garrett
1974 songs
MCA Records singles
Animated music videos
American folk songs