In the Melody Maker, the Stud Brothers wrote : "it's a slow, heavily orchestral & sensuously tense piece with Siouxsie first tapt, then cracked and finally spiralling off into the ether".
The song features strings which build to a dramatic conclusion. Thanks to Danny Elfman's involvement the song features elements from his score to the film. Lyrically the song makes indirect references to Batman Returns characters Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. "Face to Face" is heard in the film during a ballroom scene in which the characters are dancing together, not realizing that, as their alter-egos (Batman and Catwoman), they are enemies. The lyrics reflect the characters' conflict ("...Cheek to cheek / the bitter sweet / commit your crime / in your deadly time / It's too divine / I want to bend / I want this bliss / but something says I must resist..."). At one point Siouxsie can be heard purring like a cat, a reference to Catwoman.
"Face to Face" peaked at number twenty-one in the UK singles chart. It also performed well on American alternative rock radio, where the single peaked at number seven on the U.S. Modern Rock Tracks chart. Remixes of "Face to Face" were produced by 808 State.
Face to Face
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My lovely foe
Mouth to mouth
Raining heaven's blows
Hand on heart
Tic tac toe
Under the stars
Naked as we flow
The bitter sweet
Commit your crime in your deadly time
Commit your crime in your deadly time
It's too divine
I want to bend
I want this bliss but something says I must resist
Another life
Another time
We're Siamese twins writhing intertwined
Face to face
No telling lies
The masks they slide to reveal a new disguise
You never can win
It's the state I'm in
This danger thrills and my conflict kills
They say follow your heart
Follow it through
But how can you
When you're split in two?
And you'll never know
You'll never know
One more kiss
Before we die
Face to face
And dream of flying
Who are you?
Who am I?
Wind in wings
Two angels falling
To die like this
With a last kiss
It's falsehood's flame
It's a crying shame
Face to face
The passions breathe
I hate to stay but then I hate to leave
And you'll never know
You'll never know
The song "Face to Face" by Siouxsie and the Banshees portrays a twisted and passionate love affair. The opening lines describe the intense nature of this relationship, where the two lovers are both foes and yet they can't resist each other. Throughout the lyrics, the lovers are depicted as being close to each other, with many physical descriptions such as "mouth to mouth", "cheek to cheek", and "hand on heart". However, there is a sense of danger to this relationship, with the line "commit your crime in your deadly time" suggesting that they are participating in something illicit. The singer also expresses a sense of conflict in the relationship, with her heart wanting to give in to the bliss of the moment, but her mind telling her to resist.
As the song continues, Siouxsie describes the lovers as being "Siamese twins writhing intertwined", emphasizing the intense connection they feel towards each other. The masks they wear in public slide off in each other's presence, revealing their true selves. The singer acknowledges that this relationship is ultimately unsustainable, as the conflict and danger will eventually lead to tragedy. In the final verse, the lovers share a last kiss before falling together, "to die like this with a last kiss".
Overall, "Face to Face" is a dark and intense portrayal of a love affair that is both addictive and dangerous. The use of physical descriptions throughout the lyrics emphasizes the physical and sexual nature of the relationship, while the conflict and danger signal that the relationship ultimately has no future.
Line by Line Meaning
Face to face
Intimate confrontation
My lovely foe
Beloved enemy
Mouth to mouth
Exchange of words
Raining heaven's blows
Fierce confrontation
Hand on heart
Being truthful
Tic tac toe
An internal conflict
Under the stars
In a romantic setting
Naked as we flow
Open, unfiltered communication
Cheek to cheek
Close proximity in a romantic way
The bitter sweet
The mixed emotions of the situation
Commit your crime in your deadly time
Take risks on your own terms
It's too divine
An irresistible temptation
I want to bend
Desire to give in to temptation
I want this bliss but something says I must resist
Internal conflict between yielding to temptation and resistance
Another life
Different circumstances
Another time
A different era or lifetime
We're Siamese twins writhing intertwined
Two people inseparable and deeply connected
No telling lies
Honesty is necessary
The masks they slide to reveal a new disguise
Hidden identities being uncovered
You never can win
There is no clear victory
It's the state I'm in
The current situation
This danger thrills and my conflict kills
The excitement of danger and the internal struggle it causes
They say follow your heart
Advice for making decisions
Follow it through
Stick to your choices
But how can you
An obstacle to following advice
When you're split in two?
When you have opposing desires
And you'll never know
The fear of never finding out
One more kiss
A final moment of intimacy
Before we die
Just before the end
And dream of flying
A longing for freedom
Who are you?
Questioning identity
Who am I?
Questioning one's own identity
Wind in wings
Feeling liberated
Two angels falling
Two people plummeting towards their inevitable end
To die like this
Death in the midst of passion
With a last kiss
A final moment of intimacy before death
It's falsehood's flame
The passion is not real
It's a crying shame
A regretful situation
The passions breathe
The intensity of emotions
I hate to stay but then I hate to leave
The internal conflict about ending things
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SUSAN BALLION, STEVEN SEVERIN, PETER EDWARD CLARKE, DANIEL ELFMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charlessmith263
I love this "chillout" EDM song from the "Batman" movie saga.
Here are the lyrics for those who need to know the words......
NOTE: Danny Elfman actually did the “Penguin Motive” – the iconic 4-note passage of stepwise motion (notes D-Eb-D-C), and also the “Catwoman Motive” (notes Eb-D-Eb-D), in this song.
VERSE 1
Face to face – my lovely foe.
Mouth to mouth – raining heaven’s blows…
Hand on heart – tic-tac-toe;
Under the stars, naked as we flow –
Cheek to cheek – the bitter sweet (also known as “the pitch is swayed”)
Commit your crime…in your deadly time!
It’s too divine…I want to bend! (also known as “I want your bait!)
I want this bliss, but something says I must resist…..
VERSE 2
Another life, another time….
We’re siamese twins, writhing intertwined;
Face to face---no telling lies,
The masks they slide to reveal a new disguise!
You never can win (also known as “You’ll never get away”) – It’s the state I’m in.
This danger thrills, and my conflict kills (also known as “and my cold lip kills!”)
They say follow my heart….Follow it through….
But how can you…when you’re split in two…..
And you’ll never know…….And you’ll never know, and you’ll never know!!!....
(Rrrrrrrrugh……ahhhhhhhhhhh……Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrruuuuuuuuuuugggggggggggh!)
VERSE 3
One more kiss…before we die…..
Face to face…and dream of flying…
Who are you? Who am I?
Wind in wings (also known as “spread your wings”), two angels falling…….
To die like this…with one last kiss…
It’s falsehood’s flame (also known as “It lost its flame”) – it’s a cryin’ shame—
Face to face…the passions breathe (also known as “the passions breed”)
I hate to stay….But then I hate to leave…..
(And you’ll never know, And you’ll never know….you’ll never know….you’ll never know….you’ll never know, you’ll never know………..you’ll never know…..)
@sskoog
This public dance at the ball scene was amazing -- Pfeiffer's eyes fluttering toward the ceiling, glittering with madness, with Siouxsie's darkly Pharaonic music playing in background -- ranks up there alongside the Ra's al Ghul training sequence as the best scenes in Batman cinematic history. Batman Returns is an underrated masterpiece.
@arthurchallat8530
I was so happy to know that Burton asked Siouxsie And The Banshees to perform a song for this movie. One of my favorite film-maker likes such an amazing band 😍😍
@joshuwajimer
Mistletoe can be deadly of you eat it, but a kiss can be even deadlier...if you mean it
@CountTentacula
Does this mean we have to start fighting?
@THERobertL2000
@CountTentacula Let's go outside
@PowerHouser
BOOM
@Emily00Strange
It's 2022 and Batman Returns is still my favorite Batman movie. I love this version of Catwoman & The Peguin.
@DarthCipient
Best ever Batman movie.
@darkclaw3296
DarthCipient I was literally just about to post that. I f'n LOVE this one. It also doubles as my favorite XMas movie as well, hehe.
@marshanahrai97
+DarthCipient So true.