Released: June 5, 1967

Songwriter: Gail Collins Felix Pappalardi Eric Clapton

Producer: Felix Pappalardi

[Instrumental Intro]

[Chorus]
Strange brew
Kill what's inside of you

[Verse 1]
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?

[Chorus]
Strange brew
Kill what's inside of you

[Verse 2]
She's some kind of demon messin' in the glue
If you don't watch out it'll stick to you
To you
What kind of fool are you?

[Chorus]
Strange brew
Kill what's inside of you

[Guitar Solo]

[Verse 3]
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?

[Chorus]
Strange brew
Kill what's inside of you

[Bridge]
Strange brew
Strange brew
Strange brew
Strange brew

[Chorus]
Strange brew
Kill what's inside of you

Cream

The members of this power trio, formed in the autumn of 1966, were all veterans of the blues revival. Guitarist Eric Clapton was the same prodigy who revealed himself with the Yardbirds, and who had contributed to the legendary recording of Bluesbreakers with John Mayall. Drummer Peter “Ginger” Baker, skilled at many forms of percussion, had already played, in 1960, with the Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, and in 1962 with Alexis Korner and the Graham Bond Organisation. Scottish bassist Jack Bruce had traveled some of the same roads as Baker, before joining Manfred Mann. Bruce and Clapton had met each other in the Powerhouse, a short-lived lineup put together by John Mayall, that also included Steve Winwood at the keyboard. With Cream these three virtuosos simply brought to fruition the experience that they developed in the London clubs, bringing to the rock concert stage long, electric, high volume improvisations.