The group has released three original studio albums: First and Last and Always (1985), Floodland (1987), and Vision Thing (1990). Each album was recorded by a different line-up; singer-songwriter Andrew Eldritch and the drum machine called Doktor Avalanche are the only points of continuity throughout. Eldritch and Avalanche were also involved in The Sisterhood, a side-project connected with Eldritch's dispute with former members.
The Sisters of Mercy ceased recording activity in the early 1990s, when they went on strike against East West Records, whom they accused of incompetence and withholding royalties, and had pressured the group to release at least two more studio albums; instead, the label released the album Go Figure under the moniker SSV in 1997. Although the Sisters of Mercy were eventually released from their contract with East West, they have never been signed to another label nor released any new material, despite showcasing numerous new songs in their live sets.
Former members of the group established the bands Ghost Dance and The Mission.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sisters_of_Mercy
Discography
First and Last and Always (1985)
Floodland (1987)
Vision Thing (1990)
Some Girls Wander by Mistake (compilation, 1992)
A Slight Case of Overbombing (compilation, 1993)
Crash and Burn
The Sisters of Mercy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We shimmer to shine
Slide on the chrome and plastic
The hum of the powerlines
Sum of a love
Come trip the light fantastic
Singing:
Do I drive?
Can I brake
What I've been given?
Take a walk
Turn
Talk
Or crash and burn
Everybody get a wife, I got mine
She's kneeling on the backseat, feeling fine, she's
Married to a soldier in the army of the Rhine, but
He don't know so he don't mind, she says
Do I drive?
Or am I driven?
Can I brake
What I've been given?
Take a walk
Turn
Talk
Or crash and burn
Slip on the vinyl
Shimmer to shine
Sing:
Do I drive?
Or am I driven?
Can I brake
What I've been given?
Take a walk
Turn
Talk
Or crash and burn
The Sisters of Mercy's song Crash and Burn is an enigmatic and poetic track that explores the idea of control and the consequences of one's actions. The first verse sets the scene for the listener, describing a surreal experience where both the physical and the mechanical merge, and the hum of the powerlines is the only constant. The line "Sum of a love" is a play on words, where "some" is intentionally misspelled to make it sound like "sum," and it suggests that there is some kind of equation involved in this experience, where love is a variable. The chorus poses some existential questions about the role of the singer in this scenario, asking whether they are driving or being driven, if they can control what they've been given, or if they are destined to crash and burn.
The second verse introduces a new character, the singer's wife, who is described as being both rebellious and submissive. She's married to a soldier in the army, but she's also kneeling on the car's backseat, which suggests that she's engaging in some kind of taboo behavior. It's unclear whether her husband knows about this, but the fact that she feels fine about it suggests that she's in control of this situation. The chorus is repeated, and it's left up to the listener to interpret whether the singer's wife is also asking herself those same questions.
Line by Line Meaning
We slip on the vinyl
We stumble and slide on the dance floor
We shimmer to shine
We sparkle and radiate in the lights
Slide on the chrome and plastic
We glide on the metal and plastic surfaces
The hum of the powerlines
The sound of electricity flowing in the background
Sum of a love
The combination of all the emotions in a relationship
Come trip the light fantastic
Come dance joyfully and enjoy the moment
Singing: Do I drive? Or am I driven?
Questioning one's control over their life
Can I brake what I've been given?
Wondering if one can change their fate or circumstances
Take a walk Turn Talk Or crash and burn
Listing options for dealing with the situation at hand
Everybody get a wife, I got mine
Everyone gets married, but the singer has already found their spouse
She's kneeling on the backseat, feeling fine
His wife is in the car, enjoying the ride
She's Married to a soldier in the army of the Rhine, but He don't know so he don't mind, she says
The wife is secretly married to someone else, but her lover is unaware and she doesn't care
Slip on the vinyl Shimmer to shine Sing: Do I drive? Or am I driven? Can I brake What I've been given? Take a walk Turn Talk Or crash and burn
Repeating the chorus, emphasizing the importance of choosing one's own path in life
Contributed by Alice V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@FrauStaenki
The setlist with jump marks:
00:00 Susanne
04:25 Still
07:02 I have slept with all the girls in Berlin
10:27 Gift that shines
13:05 Crash & Burn
17:16 Romeo Down
22:54 Summer
26:17 Arms
29:24 Rain from Heaven (Live)
@miguellemahuton7351
Counting the days in the haze around you
Susanne on the wall
No pain, summer rain
I'm lost for stupid again
We are the same
Give it a name Susanne
Counting the days in the haze around you
Susanne let the ether fall
Out of phase, I am all around you
Susanne on the wall
No pain, summer rain
I'm lost for stupid again
We are the same
Give it a name Susanne
@FrostedSeagull
@@GrimAnglo its not meaness.
These songs sound like shamelss, souless rip-offs and D-grade re-writes off
First and Last and Always and Floodland.
I grew up with the Sisters. I hope Eldtritch releases a 'real album' .
We all know he won't as there's no money in it anymore.
Huge EGO - He got too greedy and got caught out badly in 1992. Grunge exploded in 1992 and no record company gave a sh$t about Eldtritch his by-then outdated Industrial sound as Ministry blew Vision Thing away with
Psalm 69.
Not to mention his ego based pedantic conditions that he demanded from US record companies.
Damn waste of talent !
@tommiatkins3443
As a fifty year old goth, my versions of these songs were cluttered and untenable. You have basically given me a whole new album. Nothing I can say to thank you enough.
@zenaudio108
Hey, I'm a fifty year old goth too! Happy to help!
@chrismurray5846
Careful throwing the G word around; Andy will have your heads on pikes! XD
@jaredtheiss4551
Im 38
@laurentg.2661
@@zenaudio108 There was no "goth" in the eighties, only the so called new wave or post punks. The goths were a stupid pantomime of what happened between 1975 (first industrial Throbbing Gristle album) and 1985. I was lucky enough to experience this uncomparable musical decade from the inside.
@KiladiPoohPooh
I’m 52. Saw them only once in the old days. Crash and Burn not bad.
@Nephilim-81
Susanne is an incredible song.
@amonronin8759
Ritr you are sir
@dacra9625
A live version of Susanne is also on the Visions of the Forum bootleg - a gig I also happened to attend in Feb ‘98. It stood out on the night (as did AE’s bleached blonde hair) Prefer the version you have included here.
@everythingiscold
The only good thing about Covid 19 is that The Sisters might need to put out an album to make a living.