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
Halloween
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the frost it bites my face
I wear my silence like a mask
And murmur like a ghost
"Trick or Treat"
"Trick or Treat"
The bitter and the sweet
Are distant now
I wear my memories like a shroud
I try to speak but words collapse
Echoing
"Trick or Treat"
"Trick or Treat"
The bitter and the sweet
I wander though your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween......Halloween
A sweet reminder
In the ice-blue nursery
Of a childish murder
Of hidden luster
And she cries
"Trick or Treat"
"Trick or Treat"
The bitter and the sweet
I wander through your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween, Halloween
This song, "Halloween" by Siouxsie and the Banshees, is a haunting and melancholic exploration of memories and nostalgia. The opening lines describe a cold and still night, where the singer is wrapped in silence like a mask, murmuring like a ghost. The refrain of "Trick or Treat" echoes throughout the song, bringing a sense of childish innocence and playfulness, but also a bittersweet feeling of longing for the past. The second verse speaks of memories being worn like a shroud, and an inability to speak without words collapsing. The singer wanders through another person's sadness with "scorpion eyes," an intense and piercing gaze that suggests both empathy and a hint of danger. The final stanza offers a vivid image of a youthful murder, hidden luster, and a weeping child calling out for "Trick or Treat."
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of a person grappling with their own memories and the passage of time, while also exploring themes of death, murder, and nostalgic longing. The refrain of "Trick or Treat" serves as a haunting reminder of the childish joys and fears that continue to haunt us as adults.
Line by Line Meaning
The night is still
The atmosphere is calm and quiet.
And the frost it bites my face
The cold weather is harsh and unpleasant.
I wear my silence like a mask
I am deliberately avoiding communication and keeping my thoughts to myself.
And murmur like a ghost
When I do speak, I do so quietly and with an eerie tone.
"Trick or Treat"
Reference to the Halloween tradition of asking for candy.
"Trick or Treat"
Reference to the Halloween tradition of asking for candy.
The bitter and the sweet
Both good and bad experiences are present in life.
The carefree days
A time in the past when life was without worry or responsibility.
Are distant now
Those days are far away and not easily returned to.
I wear my memories like a shroud
My past experiences are a heavy burden on me, like a burial shroud.
I try to speak but words collapse
When I attempt to vocalize my emotions, I am unable to express myself fully.
Echoing
My words repeat and resonate within my own self.
"Trick or Treat"
Reference to the Halloween tradition of asking for candy.
"Trick or Treat"
Reference to the Halloween tradition of asking for candy.
The bitter and the sweet
Both good and bad experiences are present in life.
I wander though your sadness
I am present and aimlessly moving through your negative emotions.
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
I have a penetrating stare that can make you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable.
Halloween......Halloween
Repetition that solidifies the association between the song and the holiday.
A sweet reminder
An experience that is positive, yet still connected to Halloween.
In the ice-blue nursery
Imagery of a cold, uninviting place of childhood.
Of a childish murder
The death of innocence that comes with growing up.
Of hidden luster
The exciting and mysterious parts of childhood that remain hidden.
And she cries
The person in question is upset.
"Trick or Treat"
Reference to the Halloween tradition of asking for candy.
"Trick or Treat"
Reference to the Halloween tradition of asking for candy.
The bitter and the sweet
Both good and bad experiences are present in life.
I wander through your sadness
I am present and aimlessly moving through your negative emotions.
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
I have a penetrating stare that can make you feel uncomfortable or vulnerable.
Halloween, Halloween
Repetition that solidifies the association between the song and the holiday.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, BMG Rights Management
Written by: John Mcgeoch, Peter Clarke, Steven Bailey, Susan Ballion
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pierres6847
The night is still
And the frost, it bites my face
I wear my silence like a mask
And murmur like a ghost
"Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The bitter and the sweet
The carefree days are distant now
I wear my memories like a shroud
I try to speak, but words collapse
Echoing, "Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The bitter and the sweet
I wander through your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween... Halloween
A sweet reminder in the ice-blue nursery
Of a childish murder of hidden lustre
And she cries, "Trick or treat"
"Trick or treat"
The bitter and the sweet
I wander through your sadness
Gazing at you with scorpion eyes
Halloween... Halloween
@ladysnake8449
It is now tradition to play this song during Halloween night! 🎃
@stinque42056
Fucking duh
@francescofasolato2375
I play full Bad moon rising of Sonic Youth ... and Siouxsie
@peterfitzgerald53
every night is a Siouxsie night
@julienalphonsedonatien990
I recognized this song from the end credits of the movie Monster House and it seemed to have been written for the movie. That taste between creepy and attractive towards Halloween. Beyond candies and children's games, a dark and attractive world as the voice of Siouxie. Man, such a flash!
@winstonwolfwhiteshoes
Same!
@BarryHart-xo1oy
Testify.
@jaceyp.8457
ik there's people who are annoyed of people saying monster house brought them here, but let me tell ya, if it wasn't for monster house, I probably wouldn't have found this band as soon as I did, and Im a huge fan of siouxsie and the banshees now because monster house introduced me to this band
@stellamaris9172
Lol, I don't even know what Monster House is, but if made even one new person fall in love with Siouxsie and the Banshees, I'm all for it! People and their "seniority"🙄. This is hands down my favorite Halliween song! I'm just happy to see it being passed along!
@Spooky_Theatrenerd
Same here!! That movie introduced me to this band as a kid, and I LOVE their other songs too!