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.
www.siouxsie.com
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Split in 2002
Cry
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cry for the world that will not spin
Cry for the loss of innocence
Cry for a love, turned loveless
Sometimes I think of you, when I'm alone
Oh no Cry...
Nothing will ever be the same
Tears and stars are one and the same
When I look up through my focused lens
But sometimes I think of you, when I'm alone
Oh no Cry... tears and stars confide, collide then die
Deep inside tears run dry, but I cry and cry.
Tiger skins and elephant tusks
In guilted mountains seep disgust
I look at you and I want to speak
For once in a while be a man and weep
'Cause all the dolphins and whales have gone
All good tidings and hopes have blown
All our nightmares are flying home
And it's too late to do anything but...
Cry...
Tears and stars collide, confide then die
Deep inside tears run dry, but I cry and cry
Cry...
The lyrics to Siouxsie and the Banshees' song "Cry" express a deep sense of sorrow for the pain and suffering in the world. The opening lines "Cry for the bird with broken wing, Cry for the world that will not spin" set the emotional tone for the song, prompting the listener to empathize with vulnerability and helplessness in both nature and society. The lyrics lament the loss of innocence and love, indicating that the world can be cruel and unforgiving. Despite the despairing lyrics, the chorus seems to offer a sense of release, where tears and stars become one and the same.
The second verse mentions various kinds of animal cruelty, such as tiger skins and elephant tusks, which evoke a sense of disgust and horror. These images and themes appear to reflect a broader indictment of human greed and destruction of the natural world. The lyrics call for action and empathy, urging the listener to feel and express sorrow rather than turning a blind eye to the horrors around us.
Overall, the song "Cry" by Siouxsie and the Banshees strikes a poignant chord, emphasizing the need for empathy and action in response to suffering and pain in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Cry for the bird with broken wing
Feel sadness and sorrow for the bird that cannot fly due to its broken wing
Cry for the world that will not spin
Express grief for the world that lacks progress and positive change
Cry for the loss of innocence
Weep for the loss of purity and naivety caused by negative experiences
Cry for a love, turned loveless
Feel sorrow for the love that has lost its warmth and passion
Sometimes I think of you, when I'm alone
Occasionally, the singer thinks of their lover when they are by themselves
Oh no Cry...
Expresses the emotional distress and pain felt by the singer
Nothing will ever be the same
Implies that a significant event has occurred that has resulted in a permanent change
All is ruined and put to shame
Everything now feels destroyed and tarnished
Tears and stars are one and the same
The emotions felt by the singer are likened to the night sky; both beautiful and painful at the same time
When I look up through my focused lens
When the singer sees things from a different perspective
Tiger skins and elephant tusks
Referencing the illegal hunting and poaching of animals for their body parts
In guilted mountains seep disgust
The greed and corruption behind animal exploitation is sickening
I look at you and I want to speak
The singer wants to express their feelings to their lover
For once in a while be a man and weep
The song implies that it is okay for men to cry and express their emotions
'Cause all the dolphins and whales have gone
Referring to the decline of sea life due to human impact and negligence
All good tidings and hopes have blown
Hope has been lost for a positive change or future
All our nightmares are flying home
Our deepest and darkest fears are becoming a reality
And it's too late to do anything but... Cry...
There is no way to change the current situation, so the only thing left to do is to weep
Tears and stars collide, confide then die
The emotions, when combined, are intense and fleeting
Deep inside tears run dry, but I cry and cry
The singer's tears may eventually stop, but the sadness and pain will remain
Cry...
The song's title repeated as a final message to the listener to express their emotions and sadness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ALASTAIR GAVIN, SARAH JANE MORRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind