Screaming Lord Sutch was born in North London. His father, a war reserve policeman, was killed in an accident when his son was 10 months old. His mother - to whom he was devoted - was a fan of Dickens; she christened him David after David Copperfield. For most of the next fifteen years they shared a flat and poverty in what he called a dead-end street in Kilburn, while she worked as a cleaner and shop assistant. Entertainment was Saturday morning pictures and the Metropolitan Music Hall, Edgeware Road. In 1956, after David had left school, they moved to South Harrow, where he became a window cleaner.
It was the birth of British rock music; a time when the young and desperate could pursue a new escape route. What he called his 'wild man of Borneo look' got Screaming Lord Sutch a spot singing at the Two I's coffee bar in Soho. His style evolved, or lurched, out of that slurry of music hall (he was a Max Miller fan), horror movies, Grand Guignol, pulp comics, slapstick and transatlantic pop. Thus did the black American rhythm & blues singer Screaming Jay Hawkins provide a name, and the basis of an act.
In 1961 he was spotted by the curious and doomed independent record producer Joe Meek. "I was doing the horror", said Sutch, "screaming and yelling. I had 18 inches of hair and I was running around in buffalo horns and my auntie's leopardskin coat. The scout said 'You've got a different approach. You want to make a record?'". Screaming Lord Sutch made records, and recorded with a clutch of (later) distinguished British rock musicians. The early subject matter focused on disembowelment and graveyards - on one occasion Meek posed Screaming Lord Sutch as Jack the Ripper in Whitechapel at night. Both men, observed Sutch, were intrigued by horror films. But he had no real hits. Indeed, by 1963 his career had been swamped by the Mersey boom.
It was then that he went to Stratford, campaigning for commercial radio, votes at 18, abolition of dog licences and his share of the spotlight, with the mix of native wit and puerility that marked his aimless - or dadaist - media courtship. The live act around Europe, and playing small halls and pubs, provided an income.
His last political hurrah was in the 1995 Littleborough and Saddleworth byelection (the OMRLP didn't have the money to run in the last European elections). But more than finances, it was perhaps the times that had finally run out.
Dracula's Daughter
Screaming Lord Sutch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I was passing the cemetery
When a bite on the cheek left me feeling weak
That′s where I met Vampire Mary
When I looked around I was flat on the ground
With a big black thing above me
"Are we gonna get wed or you'll end up dead?"
Lips are blue, eyes are red
A laugh like gurgling water
But I can′t resist that passionate kiss
I'm in love with Dracula's daughter
Well, she gave me a peck that left me a wreck
And said, it′ll settle, Laddie
And after that we go meet the old bat
You must come and see my daddy
Well, we climbed a tree and I says, "Can we?
Please, pardon my intrusion"
Well, he gave me a grin and said, "My, you′re thin
You could do with a blood transfusion"
Lips are blue, eyes are red
A laugh like gurgling water
But I can't resist that passionate kiss
I′m in love with Dracula's daughter
We were wed in June beneath the yellow moon
And we danced around the campfire
Says Mary to me, "When the clock strikes three
You′re a genuine Grade A vampire"
Now hear me right, if you're out at night
Run as fast as your legs will let you
′Cause if you don't run, I'm telling you, son
Mary and I′ll get you
Lips are blue, eyes are red
A laugh like gurgling water
But I can′t resist that passionate kiss
I'm in love with Dracula′s daughter
With Dracula's daughter
With Dracula′s daughter
The lyrics of Screaming Lord Sutch's "Dracula's Daughter" are about a man who meets a woman named Vampire Mary while passing a cemetery one late night. She bites him on the cheek, leaving him weak and helpless on the ground. Vampire Mary then asks the man if they will get married or if he will end up dead. After expressing his love for her, they go to see her father, Dracula. They climb a tree to visit him, and he comments on the man's thin appearance, suggesting that he needs a blood transfusion.
The song portrays the seductive and dangerous nature of the vampire folklore. The lyrics suggest that love can lead to destruction and danger, as the man is willing to risk his life for Vampire Mary's passionate kiss. The imagery of the blue lips and red eyes of the vampires creates a haunting atmosphere, and the reference to the clock striking three suggests the magical and mystical quality of vampires.
Overall, "Dracula's Daughter" is a playful and eerie tribute to traditional vampire myths. The lyrics explore the power of seduction and the consequences of falling in love with a creature of the night, creating a captivating and spooky narrative.
Line by Line Meaning
It was late one night when the moon shone bright
I arrived near the cemetery on a moonlit night
I was passing the cemetery
I was walking by the cemetery
When a bite on the cheek left me feeling weak
I was bitten by Mary, Dracula's daughter, which made me feel weak
That's where I met Vampire Mary
This is where I met the vampire Mary
When I looked around I was flat on the ground
I found myself on the ground when I looked up
With a big black thing above me
There was a huge black object above me
"Are we gonna get wed or you'll end up dead?"
Mary asked me whether we should get married or not, warning that I would be dead if not
She said, "Now, do you love me?"
Mary asked if I loved her
Lips are blue, eyes are red
Mary's lips were blue and her eyes were red
A laugh like gurgling water
Her laughter sounded like gurgling water
But I can't resist that passionate kiss
I couldn't resist Mary's passionate kiss
I'm in love with Dracula's daughter
I fell in love with Mary, Dracula's daughter
Well, she gave me a peck that left me a wreck
Mary kissed me and I was left speechless
And said, "It'll settle, Laddie"
She assured me that I would feel better soon
And after that we go meet the old bat
She suggested that we go see her father, Dracula
You must come and see my daddy
Mary invited me to meet her father, Dracula
Well, we climbed a tree and I says, "Can we?
We climbed a tree and I asked if we could enter
Please, pardon my intrusion"
I apologized for intruding
Well, he gave me a grin and said, "My, you're thin
Dracula noticed that I was thin and grinned
You could do with a blood transfusion"
Dracula suggested that I could use a blood transfusion
We were wed in June beneath the yellow moon
Mary and I got married in June, under the moon's yellow light
And we danced around the campfire
We danced around a campfire
Says Mary to me, "When the clock strikes three
Mary warned me that I would become a Grade A vampire at 3 am
You're a genuine Grade A vampire"
I became a Grade A vampire at 3 am
Now hear me right, if you're out at night
I gave a warning that if you're out at night, be careful
Run as fast as your legs will let you
I advised you to run as fast as possible if you spot Mary and me
'Cause if you don't run, I'm telling you, son
If you don't run, I'm warning you that something disastrous might happen
Mary and I'll get you
Mary and I will get you if you're not careful
With Dracula's daughter
Everything I mentioned above happened with Dracula's daughter, Mary
With Dracula's daughter
Everything I mentioned above happened with Dracula's daughter, Mary
Writer(s): Colin Meloy
Contributed by Carson Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.