Their first single "Hong Kong Garden" reached the top ten in the UK in the summer of 1978. Their debut full-length The Scream (1978) is today considered as a classic. NME wrote in its review, "The band sounds like, some unique hybrid of the Velvet Underground mated with much of the ingenuity of Tago Mago-era Can, if any parallel can be drawn... certainly, the traditional three-piece sound has never been used in a more unorthodox fashion with such stunning results." Indeed, "Switch" placed Siouxsie and the Banshees as pioneers of the post-punk movement.
Their sophomore Join Hands (1979), perhaps their darkest record, followed up. Guitarist McKay and drummer Morris had left the band shortly after its release. This change allowed Siouxsie the Banshees to play different music. They recruited drummer Budgie and the gifted John McGeoch, formerly of Magazine, who would play guitars on the three following records. McGeoch's work with Siouxsie the Banshees would later be praised by the likes of Radiohead and the Smiths.
Their third record Kaleidoscope (1980) released. Including tracks "Happy House" and "Christine", showed a brand new musical departure with liquid guitars and atmospheric synthesizers. This eclectic record was a success and it reached the top five in the national UK charts. One year later, fourth full-length Juju (1981), with the vibrant "Spellbound", was yet another success for the band.
The last session McGeoch recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees was for the "Slowdive" single off the classic A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982). The British press greeted this fifth release enthusiastically. NME wrote on its review, "I promise. This music will take your breath away." McGeoch, worn out by the recording process of these songs, was hospitalized on his return from a promotional trip to Madrid, Spain. At the same era, Siouxsie and drummer Budgie formed the Creatures to record music more based on percussion.
In late 1982, McGeoch was replaced by famed Robert Smith, from the Cure. Smith became a full-time member between the years 1982 and 1984. He contributed to the classic live album, and later would be DVD, Nocturne (1983) and to the sixth studio album Hyaena (1984) as co-composer.
Guitarist John Valentine Carruthers, from band Clock DVA, replaced Smith in May, 1984. He played on the successful seventh full-length Tinderbox (1986), which included the first hit single of the band in the US, "Cities in Dust". The following covers album Through the Looking Glass (1987) with "This Wheel's on Fire", allowed the band to broaden up their sound.
Following a lengthy break, the rest of the band recruited another, new guitarist Jon Klein, from Specimen and the multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick to record ninth studio Peepshow (1988). The hit single "Peek-a-Boo" was considered as avant-garde for its abrasive sounds.
After the most impressive tour of their career, Siouxsie and the Banshees stopped for a while and then the Creatures reappeared with critically acclaimed sophomore Boomerang (1989). One of the most languorous songs from this record, "Killing Time", was covered live by Jeff Buckley a few years later.
In May 13th, 1991 Siouxsie the Banshees returned with the single "Kiss Them for Me", mixing the Beatles strings over a dance rhythm. This track peaked in the US singles charts at number 23, allowing them to reach a new audience. Melody Maker praised the last two studio albums by the band, Superstition (1991) and The Rapture (1995). The latter, partially produced by John Cale, included the swansong "Forever".
Morrissey later recorded a duet with Siouxsie titled "Interlude". This one, off-single was published under the banner of the two artists' names. After 20 years together, Siouxsie and the Banshees split in April, 1996. Siouxsie and Budgie thet announced that they would carry on recording as the Creatures. They released their third studio Anima Animus (1999) to critical acclaim.
The box set Downside Up (2004) was released, compiling 51 unreleased B-sides and the highly praised out-of-print The Thorn EP. Most of these numbers like, "Something Wicked (This Way Comes)" and "Red over White", are considered by fans as 'classics.' After carrying on recording as the Creatures, Siouxsie released her debut solo Mantaray (2007). The record was hailed by both Pitchfork and Mojo.
Influence on Other Artists
Siouxsie and the Banshees have influenced musicians worldwide across many genres.
The band had a strong impact on Trip Hop acts such as:
* Tricky covered "Tattoo" to open his second solo album Nearly God. Here's his version: Tattoo. The original version of "Tattoo" was recorded in 1983 and is available on the Banshees Downside Up box set.
* Massive Attack covered and sampled the music of Metal Postcard on their song "Superpredators (Metal Postcard)" for the movie soundtrack The Jackal.
Siouxsie and the Banshees also inspired the following artists :
* LCD Soundsystem covered "Slowdive" for the cd-single "Disco Infiltrator". Here's the original Slowdive and the LCD Soundsystem version Slowdive (XFM session)
* Jeff Buckley covered live a Siouxsie / The Creatures song called 'Killing Time' originally composed in 1989 on the album Boomerang. Here's the original Killing Time.
* Morrissey stated this in 'GQ' in 1994 : "None of them are as good as Siouxsie and the Banshees at full pelt. That's not dusty nostalgia, that's fact."
* The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr from The Smiths stated on the BBC radio 2 in february'2008 that he rated very high McGeoch for his work on Spellbound.
* Garbage singer Shirley Manson wrote in the foreword of the official Siouxsie and the Banshees biography in 2003 by Mojo magazine journalist Mark Paytress : "I learned how to sing listening to The Scream and Kaleidoscope."
* Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood claims that while recording their song "There There", producer Nigel Godrich tried to get guitarist Jonny Greenwood to sound like the Banshees' John McGeoch.
* PJ Harvey selected in her top ten favourite albums of year 1999 : Anima Animus by The Creatures. aka Siouxsie.
*Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro also makes a parallel between his band and the Banshees in Siouxsie's official biography: "There are so many similar threads : melody, use of sound, attitude, sex-appeal. I always saw Jane's Addiction as the masculine Siouxsie and the Banshees."
*The Beta Band sampled the bridge of Painted Bird on their track Liquid Bird from the Heroes to Zeros album.
*Red Hot Chili Peppers covered Christine live at the V2001 festival. In 2002, their guitarist John Frusciante stated in an article featured on Total Guitar Magazine about Banshees guitarist John McGeoch : "He’s just a great guitar player, full stop. I wanted to listen to these people who weren’t just about technique but more about textures. People like John McGeoch. People who used good chords." also declaring that John McGeoch was an influence for the sound on the Red Hot Chili Peppers album By The Way.
*The Mars Volta covered Pulled to Bits (Live At The Royal Albert Hall) for the 'Wax Simulacra' single.
*Arcade Fire singer Win Butler suggested to the band Devotchka to cover the 1988 Siouxsie song : The Last Beat Of My Heart. One can listen to the Devothcka version on their Curse Your Little Heart ep.
* The Cure leader Robert Smith declared in 2003 in Mark Paytress's Siouxsie biography : "Siouxsie and The Banshees and Wire were the two bands I really admired. They meant something." He also pinpointed what the Join Hands tour brought him musically. "On stage that first night with the Banshees, I was Blown away by how powerful I felt playing that kind of music. It was so different to what we were doing with The Cure. Before that, I'd wanted us to be like The Buzzcocks or Elvis Costello, the punk Beatles. Being a Banshee really changed my attitude to what I was doing." He also talked about the band to Steve Sutherland in 1985 to describe "The Head On the Door" : "It reminds me of the Kaleidoscope album, the idea of having lots of different sounding things, different colors."
*U2 selected Christine for a compilation made for Mojo and The Edge presented an award to Siouxsie at a Mojo ceremony in 2005.
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Split in 2002
Circle
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ruined girl of 16 -- now a mother grows lazy
Next a 16-year old baby -- like mother grows lazy
And her stomach is churning -- whilst her eyes keep on turning
Round and around
Getting no higher from the ground
Round and around, round and around
The circle has an empty sound...
Father inflicts discipline -- boy rebels against him
He leaves for the big town -- for love and adventure
But the words he first heard -- unlike his instincts run deeper
Now boy beats his children -- if they disobey him
And the cat riddled with worms -- chases his tail round
And around, round and around...
Getting no higher from the ground
Round and around, round and around
The circle has an empty sound...
The endless full circle for the next in line
The endless full circle...
Take the red line, the green line, the silver or blue
Any line you can think of -- except for the yellow
Take a trip with your family -- and see where they go
Give them a free ticket -- it's the best thing to do
And if you wind up on the circle line
Hell, it's not from lack of options
Then if you run into the yellow
Well that's up to you
Round and around
Getting no higher from the ground
Round and around
The circle has an empty sound
The endless full circle -- for the next in line
The endless full circle -- are you the next in line
Round and around...
The song "Circle" by Siouxsie and the Banshees paints a bleak picture of the cyclical nature of life, focusing on the idea of the endless full circle, which does not allow people to escape their destiny. The first verse talks about a pretty girl of 16 who has fun and runs crazy, but soon becomes a ruined girl of 16 who grows lazy as a mother. Her 16-year old baby follows the same path, and the circle repeats itself. Their lives become meaningless, just going round and around in this endless cycle, getting no higher from the ground. The circle has an empty sound, which suggests that there is a sense of futility in living this kind of life, with no way out.
The second verse shows another dark aspect of life. The boy rebels against his father's discipline and leaves for the big town for love and adventure. But he ends up being just like his father and beats his children if they disobey him. The cat in this verse represents the futility of this cycle, just chasing its tail round and round with no purpose. The song suggests that life can be full of repetition and frustrating, especially if we don't learn from the mistakes of the past and break free from this endless full circle.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty girl of 16
At 16 years old, this girl is young, beautiful, full of life and enjoys herself.
Ruined girl of 16 — now a mother grows lazy
The same girl has now been impregnated at a young age and consequently, with the duties of motherhood, has lost her energy and motivation.
Next a 16-year old baby — like mother grows lazy
Her child is now also 16 years old, and has developed laziness as a trait concluded from the struggling mother's characteristics.
And her stomach is churning — whilst her eyes keep on turning
The girl feels nervous while her eyes cannot stop looking around in a quick and darting motion.
Round and around
Getting no higher from the ground
Round and around, round and around
The circle has an empty sound...
This is the chorus of the song where the circle or the cycle of events is being emphasized but they have no purpose or fulfillment - just like an empty sound.
Father inflicts discipline — boy rebels against him
He leaves for the big town — for love and adventure
But the words he first heard — unlike his instincts run deeper
Now boy beats his children — if they disobey him
The boy had a strict father, but rebelled and moved to the big city for his own independence but ironically ended up being more strict with his own children and disciplining them. He inherited his father's traits and it runs deep.
And the cat riddled with worms — chases his tail round
And around, round and around...
Getting no higher from the ground
Round and around, round and around
The circle has an empty sound...
The cat infected with worms circles around itself, repeatedly chasing its tail, also signifying the vicious cycle of events that don't elevate a person or situation towards change.
The endless full circle for the next in line
The endless full circle...
Take the red line, the green line, the silver or blue
Any line you can think of — except for the yellow
Take a trip with your family — and see where they go
Give them a free ticket — it's the best thing to do
The song then gives advice to the listener to go on trips anywhere and break the cycle of the 'yellow' line, or repetitious monotony, in which one is stuck in. To go on a new journey and discover other paths.
And if you wind up on the circle line
Hell, it's not from lack of options
Then if you run into the yellow
Well that's up to you
However, even after advice, if someone still ends up on the repetitive cycle or 'yellow' line, it's not due to lack of choices or options but a decision they made. If someone runs into what they consider the 'yellow' line, it is ultimately their choice and not their only option.
The endless full circle — for the next in line
The endless full circle — are you the next in line
Round and around...
The chorus repeats to emphasize that the cycle occurs again and again, with the next person in line following the same path, asking if the listener will be the next to fall to the empty cycle.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOHANNA D HALL, JOHN HALL, JON HALL, JONELL MOSSER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind