Cream - Strange Brew

This is based on a blues song Cream used to play called "Lawdy Mama." Felix Pappalardi, who produced the album, wrote new lyrics to the song with his wife, Gail Collins, and Eric Clapton worked out the arrangement and also sang lead. Pappalardi, Collins and Clapton are the credited writers on the song.

When Cream performed the early version of this song as "Lawdy Mama," Clapton and bass player Jack Bruce would share lead vocals. The band recorded both "Lawdy Mama" and "Strange Brew" at Atlantic Studios in New York on April 3, 1967. The band had spent the previous week in the city, performing daily at the "Music In The Fifth Dimension" show at the RKO Theater. These shows were organized by the influential disc jockey Murray the K, and provided great exposure for Cream in America. Other acts on the bill for some of these shows: The Who, Wilson Pickett and the Lovin' Spoonful. Cream would complete the Disraeli Gears album when they returned to the United States the next month.

Lyrics

Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.

She's a witch of trouble in electric blue,

In her own mad mind she's in love with you.

With you.

Now what you gonna do?

Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.

She's some kind of demon messing in the glue.

If you don't watch out it'll stick to you.

To you.

What kind of fool are you?

Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.

On a boat in the middle of a raging sea,

She would make a scene for it all to be

Ignored.

And wouldn't you be bored?

Strange brew, kill what's inside of you.

Strange brew, strange brew, strange brew, strange brew.

Strange brew, kill what's inside of you

Songwriters: Eric Patrick Clapton / Felix Pappalardi / Gail Collins

Strange Brew lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Universal Music Publishing Group