Secret Agent Man - Johnny Rivers (cover-live by Bill Sharkey)

Secret Agent Man (Johnny Rivers, 1966). Live cover performance by Bill Sharkey, Home Studio, Hawaii Kai, HI. 2023-12-09 "Keeping the Oldies & Classics Alive"

"Secret Agent Man," written by Steve Barri and P. F. Sloan, was Johnny Rivers' fourth top 10 song rising to no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966 (Whitburn, 2013). The song was the theme song for the TV series "Secret Agent," which ran from 1964–1967 staring Patrick McGoohan as a special operative for M9 (imdb, 2023). CBS was looking for a new 15 second theme song for the show to replace the original theme song "High Wire" (imdb, 2023; songfeacts, 2023). Sloan stated that "Somebody thought I should do a full length instrumental of the song. So I did. Meanwhile the song was picked by CBS and Johnny Rivers recorded the quick 15-second song for the TV show. The Ventures . . . heard the demo and recorded and released the song way before Rivers even had [the] finished song [the Ventures' version stalled at no. 54 on the Billboard chart in '66] (Whitburn, 2013)]. The publishers asked me to finish the song, Rivers recorded it, not one of his favorite songs back then, but he's happier with it now" (songfacts, 2023).

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Lyrics:

There's a man who leads a life of danger
To everyone he meets he stays a stranger
With every move he makes another chance he takes
Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, I know they've take away your name

Beware of pretty faces that you find
A pretty face can hide an evil mind
Ah, be careful what you say
Or you'll give yourself away
Odds are you won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, I know they've take away your name

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, oh they've taken away your name

Swingin' on the Riviera one day
And then layin' in the Bombay alley next day
Oh, don't you let you let the wrong word slip
While kissing persuasive lips
Odds are you won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number, oh they've take away your name

Secret agent man