C/D : "He hit me (and it felt like a kiss)"

the first time I heard it, I didn't really care for this song, but as time progresses, I realize that this song is fucking amazing-- the flanged(?) guitar, the ominous bass riff, the chorus of angelic singers, the shocking and disturbing lyrics. In a lesser producer's hands, this song would have been a piece of shit, probably, but Phil Spector turns it into an ecstatic symphony to domestic violence, one that doesn't criticize it so much as glorify it in a most matter-of-fact manner. My girlfriend was highly offended by this song, and hated it initially, but she too has been won over by this song, and charmed by the ugly but compelling lyrical content. Brilliant, brilliant song-- and apparently highly covered too, by the likes of Grizzly Bear and Courtney Love, among others.

Your takes?

He Kissed Me (and it felt like a Hit!)

Wigglypedia sez:

Goffin and King wrote the song after discovering that singer Little Eva was being regularly beaten by her boyfriend.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed] The song was written and intended as a sort of protest song from the point of view of an abused woman.[citation needed] Phil Spector's arrangement was ominous and ambiguous.[citation needed]

I would disagree; the song does not come off as a protest song from the narrator's point of view at all. Quite the opposite; it seems horrific only from the point of view of the listener... which is why it is such a jarring and amazing song

I thought I read that it was based on a story Kings babysitter had told her.

King's

Little Eva was King and Goffin's babysitter!

How would you describe that vibrating guitar sound? What kind of pedal would that be?

this song is pre-pedal technology. Most likely its an amp with a tremolo channel plus some reverb. These were fairly common features for various amps at the time.

I don't think this song is that great actually, the hook is severely lacking. And for a song about being beaten it lacks a certain propulsion.

tremolo, right. I should have known that!

Anyway, I disagree with the sentiment that it lacks a hook, though I did think that for the first 5-6 listens. It really burrows its way into your head after a while. It's quite explosive once the angelic singing comes in.

this song is a solid-gold classic!

It was a single yada etc...

It was also a track off (on?) their first album. The Crystals, that is.

And for a song about being beaten it lacks a certain propulsion.
hahaha

The Grizzly Bear version of this song (which I only just heard tonight) is really just taking everything that is obvious about this song and putting it front and center. The original is so powerful because of how insane it is -- the totally smooth, gorgeous song with these lyrics sang so earnestly about such a horrific thing. Grizzly Bear's cover is like realizing that the song isn't supposed to move you w/r/t love but is actually intending to unsettle you, and then just reperforming it all melancholic and horrific. It does what it does really well, but I feel like it totally misses of the point of what makes this song super intense.

He Missed Me (And It Felt Like a Whiff)