Dark Lady laughed and danced and lit the candles one by one
Danced to her gypsy music till her brew was done
Dark Lady played back magic till the clock struck on the twelve
She told me more about me than I knew myself
In Februrary of 1974, Cher released what would become her third solo, U.S. #1 single. Dark Lady thematically concerns infidelity and the pursuant vengeance. We must take a moment to appreciate the startling dichotomy between the eerily upbeat backing track and the dramatic lyrical content. Cher's contralto cuts through the words, spitting them out with malicious glee that deliciously supplements one of the campiest songs in her entire discography.
Ignoring the fact that the song is illogical because absolutely no one in the proper frame of mind could cheat on Cher, this track connects to me for one simple reason: It's fun. As much as I love bopping to the innovative Believe, nodding to the touching cover of Heart of Stone, or singing along with If I Could Turn Back Time, there are few experiences for me that better define Cher than Dark Lady. It's campy, it's fun, and it's gay as hell. What more could you want?
Write-up and graphics courtesy of
