For My Sunday Song #304, we are talking about “Hoodoo/Voodoo Medicine Man” by Aerosmith off their highly successful 1989 album ‘Pump’. The song was written by Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford who does not generally get a lot of writing credits which is a shame. The song was not a single, but it is a personal favorite on the album and I am sure helped it sell over 7 million copies.

The song seems to be about the abuse modern civilization is doing to each other and to Mother Earth. It is like we are all under the spell of a voodoo medicine man as we masturbate with a noose, believe all the corruption and the lies of our politicians. There is an anger in the lyrics and an anger in Steven’s vocals as he sings.

“Hoodoo” is a musical interlude (with Tyler rambling on softly about something) and opens with a khean performed by Randy Raine-Reusch who has handled all the weird instruments used on this album. It is very tribal sounding. A Khean is a mouth organ whose pipes, which are usually made of bamboo, are connected with a small, hollowed-out hardwood reservoir into which air is blown. You learned something new today if you didn’t already know.

After this little interlude, “Voodoo Medicine Man” kicks in and seems to be going for dramatic and epic like “Janie’s Got a Gun” and I think they succeed. Kramers drum barrage is awesome, Hamilton’s bass groove is killer and Tyler’s vocal deliver of the chorus all just gels and totally kicks some ass. Brad gets lead guitar duty and doesn’t let you forget how talented he really is. A full out rocker.

Give the song and let me know what you think. Is it one of the best songs off ‘Pump’…Maybe! We all have our own opinions and no one is wrong. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a wonderful and Happy Sunday.

“Voodoo Medicine Man”

I was left as a child
dragged from the cradle, I was weaned in the wild
ran with the wolfpack, flesh torn to shreds
in the compensations, I was left there for dead

read it in the paper it ain’t fair
you know who today don’t seem to care
livin’, lovin’, gettin’ loose
masturbatin’ with a noose
now someone’s kickin’ out the chair

some kind of voodoo
come across this land
some kind of voodoo
voodoo medicine man

everybody’s lookin’ at the sky
don’t believe the coverups and lies
they been tellin’ us since birth
pissin’ off old Mother Earth
my gones are bygones prophesied

get ready

wonder should I go or should I stay
’cause what we got ain’t workin’ anyway
I did my best, God knows I tried
I feel like I been crucified
why did you take it all away

voodoo, voodoo, medicine man [repeat]

Written by Steven Tyler and Brad Whitford