This is about the song by The Coasters. There was also a song of that title by Faster Pussycat.

"Poison Ivy"
Single by The Coasters
B-side	"I'm a Hog for You"
Released	August 1959
Recorded	July 16, 1959
Label	Atco 6146
The Coasters singles chronology
"Along Came Jones" (1959) "Poison Ivy" (1959) "What About Us?" (1959)

"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 recorded and released a version in 1963. It was released as part of an E.P. ^[2]

• The Paramounts recorded and released a version in 1963. It released 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 And Fazed Cookies).^[3]
• The song was also a massive nationwide hit for Australian group Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs in 1964, famously knocking The Beatles off the #1 spot on the charts there, even though they were touring the country at the time.^[3]
• The Hollies recorded a version in the 1960s
• Versions were also later recorded by, The Puppets, Manfred Mann, and The Lords in the mid-1960s.
• The Lambrettas in 1980, who performed a "ska" version of the song which reached #7 in the British charts.
• Linda McCartney recorded the song in 1987 and her cover was released on her posthumous album Wide Prairie in 1998.
• A hip-hop version was also recorded in 1988 by Young & Restless.
• It was also covered by Chris Burke.
• In 1997, a trip-hop version of the song with slightly altered lyrics was recorded by Meshell Ndegeocello. Her cover was included on the Batman & Robin soundtrack, in which Poison Ivy the villainess, was a main character.
• 60's Brazilian artist Rita Lee has recently released a cover version of "Poison Ivy" translated to Portuguese and titled "Erva Venenosa". Rita's version features a more modern approach and have played a lot on Brazilian radio.

[edit] Popular culture references

• The song is sung by Rack 'Em Willie from The Damn Show on numerous occasions

[edit] References

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

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