"The Witch" is a song by the American garage rock band the Sonics, written by vocalist Gerry Roslie, and first released as the group's debut single in November 1964 (see 1964 in music). It also appears on the Sonics' debut album Here Are the Sonics!!!. Arguably among the most frantic and heaviest recordings of the era, "The Witch" is regarded as being a quintessential stepping stone in the development of punk rock despite the fact the tune never reached national success. Since the song's original release, "The Witch" has appeared on numerous compilation albums, most notably the 1998 reissue of Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968.