Although their debut album The Scream had already been released, "The Staircase (Mystery)" did not appear on it. Released as a stand-alone single, it became the group's second top forty hit, peaking at number twenty-four in the UK singles chart. The track later surfaced on the singles compilation album Once Upon a Time: The Singles. When The Scream was re-mastered and re-issued in 2005 with bonus material, "The Staircase (Mystery)" was included in the package.
The Staircase
Siouxsie and the Banshees Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stare cat on a mat
Looking down
Slide down the banister
Take the escalator
Slide down the banister
Or try the elevator
I was standing on the landing
Now I'm standing in the hall
Looking up
Won't someone assist me
Solve this mystery
Somebody assist me
Arrange the symmetry
Muffled footsteps on the carpet
Spiral steps start spinning
Around me
Which floor which ceiling
You're off balance
Which floor which ceiling
It's all upside down
Stare case lying face up
Stare cat on a mat
Looking down...
The lyrics of Siouxsie and the Banshees' song "The Staircase" create a surrealist and vividly visual world. The opening lines depict a staircase lying face up, along with a cat sitting on a mat, both of which are looking down. The image seems nonsensical, yet intriguing. Then, the lyrics mention options for sliding down the banister, taking the escalator, or trying the elevator. These lines lead listeners to wonder if the song is about traveling through different levels or states of consciousness.
In the second verse, the perspective shifts to the singer standing on a landing and then in a hall, looking up. There is a sense of disorientation and a desire for assistance in solving the mystery and arranging the symmetry. The following lines reveal that there are muffled footsteps on the carpet and spiral steps spinning around the singer, creating a disorienting sensation of which floor is the ceiling and which ceiling is the floor.
Overall, the lyrics of "The Staircase" suggest a dreamlike state where sense and logic are twisted and strange things happen. The song creates an intriguing and otherworldly atmosphere that leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
Line by Line Meaning
Stare case lying face up
The staircase is in a horizontal position.
Stare cat on a mat
A cat is sitting on a mat while being watched.
Looking down
Observing below from an upper position.
Slide down the banister
Descending the stairway by sliding on its railing.
Take the escalator
Use the moving staircase to travel up or down.
Or try the elevator
Attempt to use the mechanized lift to go up or down.
I was standing on the landing
Initially positioned on a flat area between two flights of stairs.
Now I'm standing in the hall
Moved to a common area between several rooms.
Looking up
Observing from a lower position towards a higher object.
Won't someone assist me
Desiring help from others due to confusion or difficulty.
Solve this mystery
Figure out what is perplexing or difficult to understand.
Somebody assist me
Requesting aid from others for assistance.
Arrange the symmetry
Organizing objects or structures to be balanced and harmonious.
Muffled footsteps on the carpet
Someone's steps are faint and muted because they are walking on a soft surface.
Spiral steps start spinning
Stairs that wind in a circular manner are moving and rotating.
Around me
Happening in the immediate vicinity of the artist.
Which floor which ceiling
Cannot determine what is considered the top or bottom of a space.
You're off balance
Incorrectly oriented and unstable.
It's all upside down
Everything seems to be in a reversed position from what is expected.
Stare case lying face up
The staircase is still in a horizontal position.
Stare cat on a mat
The cat is still sitting on a mat while being watched.
Looking down
Still observing below from an upper position.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SIOUX, JOHN GARETH MCKAY, KENNETH IAN MORRIS, STEVEN SEVERIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@angelicagarcia738
Stare case lying face up
Stare cat on a mat
Looking down
Slide down the banister
Take the escalator
Slide down the banister
Or try the elevator
I was standing on the landing
Now I'm standing in the hall
Looking up
Won't someone assist me
Solve this mystery
Somebody assist me
Arrange the symmetry
Muffled footsteps on the carpet
Spiral steps start spinning
Around me
Which floor which ceiling
You're off balance
Which floor which ceiling
It's all upside down
Stare case lying face up
Stare cat on a mat
Looking down...
@carljules3123
John McKay was such a fantastic guitarist
@whiterat1977
one of the best and most original players ever
@nateisnobody5041
Always been an inspiration of mine.
@sunnyjim1355
@whiterat1977 lol, no
@eduardovelasquez1488
@Sunny Jim lol yes
@fatabasita5943
E il BASSO non ti dice nient? Sembra quasi quello del SIMPLE MIND, tipo ...in the cities.... non ti sembrano bassi da FAR PAURA? 😎 che goduria di musica!
ma non la fa più NESSUNO.. SIC...
@auntiesue7173
Always loved this underrated classic, takes me back watching Siouxsie commanding the stage so uniquely
@neilmurrell281
What a band, Siouxsie is a true icon.
@sunnyjim1355
Such a true icon that even at the time was a bit part player, who nobody now under the age of 30 has ever even heard of. Still, at least she's not Toyah Wilcox or Clare Grogan, I suppose.
@robertroberts3703
@Sunny Jim Thank God for that 🙏