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
Mother
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's Mother (From Mother)
They teach you to respect... (Makes you always want to please)
Mother (Mother)
The one who keeps you warm (The one who keeps you warm)
And shelters you from harm (And shelters you from harm)
Watch out she'll stunt your mind (She'll open up your mind)
Is that Mother? (Mother)
Downstairs I don't know (Downstairs I don't know)
If it's the springs in her bed (Why I feel safe in my bed)
Or her joints I hear (When I know I'm alone)
Creaking overhead (She must be watching overhead)
Mother (Mother)
She'll twist the words you speak (She'll kiss and say goodbye)
If she thinks you're near escape (If you want to go away)
Mother (Mother)
So she clutches at her brood (So she gathers up her brood)
And sits across its face (And smiles into their face)
She sucks up all its energy (She beams down vital energy)
And smothers their last breath (She gave us our first breath)
Oh Mother (Mother)
The thing you grow to hate (The love you won't forget)
The lyrics of "Mother/Oh Mein Papa" by Siouxsie and the Banshees explore the complex relationship between a mother and her children. The song reflects on the contradictory nature of a mother's love, both nurturing and stifling. The first verse highlights the paradox of a mother's influence, as she teaches her children to respect and love her while also disapproving of their choices. The chorus questions whether this is truly what motherhood should be.
The second verse describes the protective role of a mother, keeping her children safe and warm. However, the lyrics also suggest that the mother's overbearing nature can stifle her children's development and creativity. The third verse describes the unease and paranoia that can stem from being under a mother's watchful eye, with the lines "I don't know if it's the springs in her bed or her joints I hear creaking overhead" painting a picture of someone constantly on edge.
The final verse is perhaps the most chilling, with the lyrics suggesting that a mother will go to great lengths to keep her children under her control and drain them of their energy. The line "she sucks up all its energy and smothers their last breath" implies that a mother's love can be overwhelming and destructive.
Overall, the lyrics of "Mother/Oh Mein Papa" convey a sense of unease and complexity surrounding the relationship between a mother and her children. While the love of a mother can be a powerful and positive force, it can also have darker undertones of control and manipulation.
Line by Line Meaning
The word you learn to love (The disapproval that you hate)
Mother is the embodiment of authority but her disapproval can be tough to bear
That's Mother (From Mother)
The word 'Mother' carries immense weight and expectation
They teach you to respect... (Makes you always want to please)
The teachings of respect from Mother is so that you will constantly aim to satisfy her expectations
Mother (Mother)
The title and subject of the song is Mother and its impact on the band's lives
The one who keeps you warm (The one who keeps you warm)
Mother provides love and safety
And shelters you from harm (And shelters you from harm)
Mother's protection extends beyond bodily harm
Watch out she'll stunt your mind (She'll open up your mind)
Mother's influence can inhibit or facilitate creativity
Til you emulate her kind (To make you good and make you kind)
Her mannerisms and habits become your own
Is that Mother? (Mother)
The cyclical nature of the relationship between Mother and child inspires introspection
Downstairs I don't know (Downstairs I don't know)
Suspicious activity from Mother taints the environment
If it's the springs in her bed (Why I feel safe in my bed)
The noises from Mother's bed make you feel reassured of her presence
Or her joints I hear (When I know I'm alone)
Mother's creaks and groans scare the band as it implies she's watching or listening
Creaking overhead (She must be watching overhead)
The sound from above feels omniscient and unsettling
She'll twist the words you speak (She'll kiss and say goodbye)
Mother can manipulate words to distort and suit her own agenda
If she thinks you're near escape (If you want to go away)
Mother can sense when someone wants to leave and will use all tactics necessary to prevent this
Mother (Mother)
The title and chorus of the song is a haunting repetition that hints at the inescapable presence of Mother
So she clutches at her brood (So she gathers up her brood)
Mother will seek to bring her children back into her fold despite their will
And sits across its face (And smiles into their face)
Mother views her children as objects that she can manipulate and influence
She sucks up all its energy (She beams down vital energy)
The energy balance is in her favour as she holds all the power over her children
And smothers their last breath (She gave us our first breath)
Her influence is all-encompassing, right up to the end of her children's lives
Oh Mother (Mother)
The song ends with a final, desperate plea for Mother to let go
The thing you grow to hate (The love you won't forget)
The internal conflict of love and hate towards Mother is difficult to reconcile
Contributed by Sarah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.