Arguably the most underrated of all of the early 90s rock acts, Fatima Mans… Read Full Bio ↴Arguably the most underrated of all of the early 90s rock acts, Fatima Mansions were a refreshing kick up the backside against corporate mediocrity and musical banality - steered from start to finish by the singular vision of one man's astute and unwavering misanthropy.

In a state of disillusionment, Cathal Coughlan walked out of the wonderful and melodically rich - but lyrically barbed - Microdisney and formed the Fatima Mansions, setting up stall in 1989. His former Microdisney partner, Sean O'Hagan, went off to form the High Llamas and perfected his obsession with 'Smile'-era Beach Boys drenched tunefulness but Cathal had other ideas and there were times when the Mansions' screaming indignation and eclectic belligerence went off the scale.

Underneath it all was his dry and off-centre humour that many may have missed in highlights like the viciously compulsive rant 'n' roll epic 'Blues for Ceausescu' and the truly schizoid 'Angels Delight'. Other tracks veered in all kinds of unpredictable directions and styles - savage electronics, pure dance pop, soaring balladry, scabrous industrial noise, acoustic grandeur, hellish Wagner-esque vaudeville, crazed psychobilly, traditional folk, etc.... The Fatima Mansions at their mightiest were an incredible tour de force that simply refused to be pigeonholed! Indeed, very few bands at the time were in quite the same league.

Aided and abetted by a chillingly intense group of musicicans including Andreas O'Gruama, Nick Allum, Nick Bagnall, and Hugh Bunker, the Mansions captivated, thrilled, provoked and confounded through 3 full albums and a couple of mini albums. Their live gigs were often equally cathartic rituals which met with critical approval and rave reviews. They even scored an unlikely hit [on the back of the Manic Street Preachers' cover of the Theme From M*A*S*H] with their irreverently skewed take on Bryan Adam's eternal number 1 hit Everything I Do (I Do It For You).

Since their demise in 1995/6, Coughlan has been recording and performing solo and, with a much more acoustic and controlled sound allied to his ever caustic lyrics and fantastic voice, remains a true one-off. He is still awaiting a more widespread critical appraisal and overdue recognition that his rare talent truly deserves.

V.N.
The Fatima Mansions Lyrics

We have lyrics for these tracks by The Fatima Mansions:

(Everything I Do) I Do it for You Written by Michael Kamen, Bryan Adams and Robert "Mutt" Lang…
1000% Let me in, let me in, let me in Oh please,…
13th Century Boy Let the dark ages begin...now! You don't live the way you…
A Pack of Lies They first met at the hospital, she was checking out…
A Singer Must Die Now the courtroom is quiet, but who will confess. Is it…
A Walk in the Woods A walk in the woods after a storm Through waves of…
Angel's Delight A necklace of rubber, burning bright A burning rubber neckla…
Angels Delight A necklace of rubber, burning bright A burning rubber neckl…
Be Dead Be dead / Be dead.... Be dead / Be dead....…

Behind the Moon Green bed of bottles, open to the sky Bare head of…
Belong Nowhere No dates to miss, no home to phone No face to…
Bertie's Brochures August the 20th: Yes, folks, it's another cold, clammy day…
Bishop of Babel No one comes from here And so I'm not afraid Everyone's the…
Blues for Ceaucescu Well, hello. You can no longer depend on the land in…
Blues For Ceausescu Well, hello. You can no longer depend on the land in…
Brain Blister In rags in their normal place Where diesel machines roar by …
Brunceling's Song James Jesus Angleton sells sunlamps door to door In this so-…
Chemical Cosh Alcohol, heroin, THC Care in the impotent (numb) community* …
Evil Man Born to refuse, and raised to exclude Fed myths to disprove…
Farewell Oratorio Ciao, Ceaucescu Ciao, Ceaucescu…
Gary Numan's Porsche In a half-faced mask made of tinted glass Walking streets o…
Go Home Bible Mike Welcome to Apeville! Now you're a citizen, too Meet Mrs. Dor…
Greyhair Greyhair fool / Shoes undone / The fields ahead /…
Hive Do you think they could see us in this base…
Humiliate Me (If ever you're going hungry, there's always the graveyard..…
I Do it for You ("Big size really doesn't matter. You think I got really…
Lady Godiva's Operation (Lyrics / Music--Lou Reed) Published by MGM Music ([???]) (…
Look What I Stole for Us Darling ("The air corps helicopter took a five-year-old girl from Ac…
Mr. Baby See the priest in gleaming nappies Gurgling and burping chi…
Nite Flights (Music/Lyrics--Scott Engel) ©1993 International Media Holdin…
North Atlantic Wind He sits in the light of the carousel With his children…
On Suicide Bridge On Suicide Bridge, I found myself one spring morning in…
Only Losers Take the Bus I'm not stupid -- I'm a man I'm not stupid I'm born…
Perfumes of Paradise Somebody's threatened you, well, you know why Time now to pa…
Popemobile to Paraguay The postmark read "Asuncion"... By the foul Adriatic there …
Purple Window He and she, their empty house / He's awake, she…
Ray of Hope Hoe of Rape A glass ravine / The low clouds which wink The boughs…
Shiny Happy People "Ha ha ha, that's disgusting! Here we fuckin' go! Bring out…
Sleep of the Just Lift up your head, lift up your head Your room in…
Something Bad I was raised to expect continuity. Instead I get this.. The…
Stigmata Stronger than reason Stronger than lies The only truth I kno…
The Day I Lost Everything I'm here on a mission To tell you exactly what can…
The Door-to-Door Inspector The door-to-door inspector, his knuckles bare and white, is…
The Holy Mugger Here he comes, in the dead of the month His hair…
The Loyaliser The model volcano by the giant gas tank The street corner…
The White Knuckle Express This truck stop: rancid gravy A man with no hands waving and…
Thursday The windows watch me wait for you Mirror mirror, mirror mir…
Valhalla Avenue You awake, lying still while light makes landfall in the s…
Viva Dead Ponies Do you know how Jesus feels when he's behind his sportscar…
Walk in the Woods A walk in the woods after a storm Through waves of…
Walk Yr Way The days are chained like daisies Flung on some years-old gr…
what Let's go round again Let loose again Off the wall again Acro…
Wilderness On Time When my taxi arrives Say that I'm dead Having swallowed my l…
You Won't Get Me Home Her uncle won't support her now He loves his masons more W…
You're a Rose This is Mister Blank calling, gorgeous From the slum which …

Your World Customer In the bright-lit railway station, 3 A.M. In a town whose…

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