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
https://siouxsieandthebanshees.backstreetmerch.com
Split in 2002
Forever
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Countless days pass by immeasurably
Anniversaries gutter in the maelstrom
Whirling a snowstorm of lustrous millennium
We couldn't stay together
This couldn't last forever
Senses dissolve into soliloquies
Flooding ascent in synchronicity
I knew this wouldn't last forever
Forever just one more tie then never
This is the last string to sever
On and on yes it goes on and on
I could stay wherever
I would last forever
Forever just one more tie then never
This is the last string to sever
Forever never forever
This is the last string to sever
I have lost you for ever and ever
The lyrics to "Forever" by Siouxsie and the Banshees deal with the idea of the passing of time and the inevitability of endings. The first line speaks to the grand scope of time, with "Infinity stretches unlimitlessly," evoking a sense of eternity. However, as the song progresses, the idea of time becomes more concrete, with "Countless days pass by immeasurably" and "Anniversaries gutter in the maelstrom." The passing of time is not necessarily a smooth process, but rather a chaotic one that can be overwhelming, as depicted by the "snowstorm of lustrous millennium" imagery.
The chorus of the song repeats the lines "We couldn't stay together / This couldn't last forever" and "Forever just one more tie then never / This is the last string to sever," reinforcing the idea that all things must come to an end, including relationships. The last verse, which ends with "I have lost you for ever and ever," brings the theme of loss and heartbreak to the forefront. The soliloquies, flooding ascent, and senses dissolving all seem to represent the singer's inner turmoil at the end of the relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Infinity stretches unlimitlessly
Time seems endless and there appears to be no end to what lies ahead
Countless days pass by immeasurably
Time flies by and cannot be quantified or measured
Anniversaries gutter in the maelstrom
Important milestones and celebrations are overshadowed and eventually fade in the chaos of life
Whirling a snowstorm of lustrous millennium
The passage of time is like a storm that dazzles, yet ultimately creates a sense of distance and separation
We couldn't stay together
The relationship could not continue due to circumstances beyond the artist's control
This couldn't last forever
The singer has come to terms with the fact that the relationship is not sustainable long-term
Senses dissolve into soliloquies
The singer's experiences and emotions become internalized, leading to introspection and self-reflection
Flooding ascent in synchronicity
The artist is overwhelmed by feelings of unity and harmony, but must face the reality of separation
But we couldn't stay together
The relationship ultimately must come to an end
I knew this wouldn't last forever
The artist had a sense of inevitability that the relationship would eventually end
Forever just one more tie then never
The word 'forever' is just another way of saying 'never again', as the relationship has come to a definitive end
This is the last string to sever
The final aspect of the relationship that needed to be let go of has been released, allowing for closure and moving on
On and on yes it goes on and on
Time continues to march forward despite the singer's feelings and emotions
I could stay wherever
The singer is resigned to the fact that they can no longer stay in the relationship, regardless of where they might end up
I would last forever
Even though the relationship has ended, the singer desires to remain in stasis and hold onto what cannot be grasped
Forever never forever
The mere promise of 'forever' is an illusion, as things are in a constant state of change
This is the last string to sever
The final aspect of the relationship that needed to be let go of has been released, allowing for closure and moving on
I have lost you for ever and ever
The singer has come to terms with the loss of the relationship, realizing that it is final and will never be regained
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IAN OWEN DEVANEY, ANDY MORRIS, LISA JANE STANSFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@JuniorOliveira-ni5je
Lyrics
Infinity stretches unlimitlessly
Countless days pass by immeasurably
Anniversaries gutter in the maelstrom
Whirling a snowstorm of lustrous millennium
We couldn't stay together
This couldn't last forever
Senses dissolve into soliloquies
Flooding ascent in synchronicity
But we couldn't stay together
I knew this wouldn't last forever
Forever just one more tie then never
This is the last string to sever
On and on yes it goes on and on
I could stay wherever
I would last forever
Forever just one more tie then never
This is the last string to sever
Forever never forever
This is the last string to sever
I have lost you for ever and ever
@the_nicolas_cage_pillow5807
spotify needs to put this album back on for streaming because i’m going crazy without this song man
@jacksonvill3212
i’m saying
@Lavvey
EXACTLY
@AngelGarcia-oy3yj
Thank God I'm in Mexico and I have it
@carmen000laurent
What is going on with that!?
@carmen000laurent
The reissues on vinyl have been crap. This is the only way I have to listen to this song 😓
@rp61productions
I can imagine anybody who hears this song for the first time; even if they're not a big Banshees fan, to fall in love with the track instantly. It just conjurs up such emotions... I'm really happy there's been many many people who've enjoyed the way I edited the footage to fit the mood of the song.
@leniceclark6285
2019, I brazilian girl with 24 years old listening for the first time. Lovely song!!!!!! I❤❤❤❤❤❤
@01aleph
I'm from Split , Croatia (Ex Yogoslavia) and I've been listening to SATB since 1980.they are my favourite band 4 decades , thanks for this post rp61productions
@retrofuture1989
First time hearing this song and it honestly brought me to tears