"Cupid" is a song by American singer Sam Cooke, released on May 16, 1961. It charted at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 20 on the Hot R&B Sides chart; the track performed best in the United Kingdom, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart. Cooke's producers had asked him to write a song for a girl they had seen on a Perry Como TV show — but once they heard her sing, they kept "Cupid" for Cooke himself.
Personnel on the recording included Cooke's session regulars Clifton White and Rene Hall on guitar, Clifford Hills on bass, Earl Palmer on drums and Joseph Gibbons on guitar and banjo.
"Cupid" was ranked at number 452 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". AllMusic critic Bill Janovitz described the track as a "perfect pop song" which combines "Latin, R&B, jazz, and mainstream pop elements".[1]
In 1970, Johnny Nash's rocksteady and reggae version, released in late 1969, peaked at number 39 on the Hot 100 on January 24, 1970. In the United Kingdom, this version peaked at number 6 in May 1969.[19] It was the B-side to his hit song "Hold Me Tight".
In 1976, Dawn's cover peaked at number 22 on the Hot 100 on March 20–27, 1976 and number two on the Easy Listening chart.
In 1980, the song was covered, in a medley with Michael Zager's "I've Loved You For a Long Time", by The Spinners. This version went to number four on 19 July - 2 August 1980 on the Hot 100, thus becoming the highest-charting version on the Hot 100, and number five on the R&B chart.[20]
A reference to this song is found in the chorus of the song "Sleepwalker" by The Wallflowers: Cupid, don't draw back your bow / Sam Cooke didn't know what I know.
The Siege of Jadotville features "Cupid" naturally but prominently in an early scene between the lead Commandant and his wife.
This song's melody is interpolated in the Carly Rae Jepsen song "Tiny Little Bows" from the album Kiss.[21]
