About The Song
“Love Potion No. 9” is a song written in 1959 by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, originally performed by The Clovers, who reached No. 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts. The Searchers, a Liverpool-based band formed in 1959, released their cover in August 1963 on Pye Records in the UK and Kapp Records in the US.
Their version became their biggest US hit, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on Cash Box during the winter of 1965, spending 14 weeks on the Billboard chart, with six in the Top 10. It also reached No. 4 in New Zealand and No. 6 in Canada. The Searchers, part of the 1960s Merseybeat scene, were known for their jangly guitar sound, which gave their rendition a distinctive folk-rock flavor. The song was recorded during their time honing their craft at Hamburg’s Star Club, alongside other British bands like The Beatles.
The track was part of their early core albums, Meet the Searchers, and was released as a single in various countries, contributing to its international success.
The song’s premise involves a man seeking love through a mystical potion from a gypsy, Madame Rue, leading to humorous consequences. The Clovers’ original LP version included alternative ending lyrics, referencing “Love Potion Number Ten,” which appeared in the film American Graffiti but was replaced by the single version on the CD soundtrack. The Searchers’ cover inspired the 1992 romantic comedy film Love Potion No. 9, starring Sandra Bullock and Tate Donovan, loosely based on the song’s concept.
Other notable covers include Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass’s instrumental on their 1965 album Whipped Cream & Other Delights, The Coasters’ 1971 version (No. 76 Billboard, No. 96 Cash Box), and Tygers of Pan Tang’s 1982 take, which hit No. 45 in the UK. The song’s enduring popularity led to further covers by punk band MDC, The White Stripes (live in 1997), and The Queers in 2021.
Video
Lyric
I took my troubles down to Madame Rue
You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth
She’s got a pad down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
Sellin’ little bottles of Love Potion Number NineI told her that I was a flop with chicks
I’d been this way since 1956
She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign
She said “What you need is Love Potion Number Nine”She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink
She said “I’m gonna make it up right here in the sink”
It smelled like turpentine, it looked like India ink
I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drinkI didn’t know if it was day or night
I started kissin’ everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number NineI held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink
I didn’t know if it was day or night
I started kissin’ everything in sight
But when I kissed a cop down on Thirty-Fourth and Vine
He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine