- He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)
"He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss)" is a
pop song written byGerry Goffin andCarole King and recorded byThe Crystals under the guidance ofPhil Spector in1962 .Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that singer
Little Eva was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend.Fact|date=May 2007 When they inquired why she tolerated such treatment, Eva replied, with complete sincerity, that her boyfriend's actions were motivated by his love for her.Fact|date=May 2007The song was written and intended as a sort of
protest song from the point of view of an abused woman.Fact|date=May 2007Phil Spector 's arrangement was ominous and ambiguous.Fact|date=May 2007Dave Thompson writes, "It was a brutal song, as any attempt to justify such violence must be, and Spector’s arrangement only amplified its savagery, framing Barbara Alston’s lone vocal amid a sea of caustic strings and funereal drums, while the backing vocals almost trilled their own belief that the boy had done nothing wrong. In more ironic hands (and a more understanding age), 'He Hit Me' might have passed at least assatire . But Spector showed no sign of appreciating that, nor did he feel any need to. No less than the song’s writers, he was not preaching, he was merely documenting." [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=33:33jte2e04x87]Upon its initial release, "He Hit Me" received some airplay, but then there was a widespread protest of the song, with many concluding that the song was an endorsement of spousal abuse.Fact|date=May 2007 The song soon became played only rarely on the radio, as now.
Covers and references
*
The Motels covered the song on their 1982 album, "All 4 One". [http://www.amazon.com/All-Four-One-Motels/dp/B00000JCFV/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1216588047&sr=1-9]*
Courtney Love 's band, Hole, played a cover of the song as part of theirMTV Unplugged performance. Love introduced the song by saying "This is a really sick song. It's one of those Spector songs and it was written byCarole King , which...you have to think." At the end of the song, Love commented "Nice feminist anthem." [http://www.lyricsondemand.com/h/holelyrics/mtvunpluggedlyrics.html]*
Australia n band,The Blackeyed Susans , recorded a cover of the song, changing the title to "She Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss)" on their album "Dedicated to the Ones We Love ". [http://www.blackeyedsusans.com.au/public_html/album5.html]*In
2005 , the British band,Spiritualized , recorded a song called "She Kissed Me (It Felt Like a Hit)".*The
Brooklyn band Grizzly Bear sang the song during the 2007 headlining tour for their album, "Yellow House". [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxHrag3K4NI] They also recorded the song during aDaytrotter session in February 2007, to be made available online for download. [http://www.daytrotter.com/article/711/free-songs-grizzly-bear] . The song was released on the band's 'Friend' EP.*The Saint Etienne song "She's the One" quotes the song's title.
*The
My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult song "Glamour is a Rocky Road" quotes the song's title.*In 2007, Los Angeles electronic power ballad collective Shank God recorded a song, "She Pissed On Me (And It Felt Like a Shit)" which references the title of the song, even though the song itself has no lyrics.
*The song was played in its entirety on the
September 26 ,2007 episode ofThe Tom Leykis Show titled 'The One They Won't Play'. The subject of the show's hour was in relation toPhil Spector 's writing and production of the song, and the fact that he has married a wife in the period between being accused of the murders and the end of his trial.*The Batman graphic novel, and animated series episode, Mad Love, about the origins of Harley Quinn, reference this song.When Harley Quinn is asked how it felt to give every to a man who abused her, she said it felt like a kiss
*
Amy Winehouse as frequently mentioned the song as one of her all time favourite tracks and biggest influences*Grizzly Bear recorded a cover of the song for their live Daytrotter Session in April, 2007.
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