| "Song to the Siren" | |
|---|---|
| Song byTim Buckley | |
| from the albumStarsailor | |
| Released | November 1970 (1970-11) |
| Recorded | 1969 |
| Genre | Folk[1] |
| Length | 3:28 |
| Label | Straight |
| Composer(s) | Tim Buckley |
| Lyricist(s) | Larry Beckett |
| Producer(s) | Tim Buckley |
| Audio samples | |
fromStarsailor | |
"Song to the Siren" is a song written byTim Buckley andLarry Beckett,[2] first released by Buckley on his 1970 albumStarsailor. It was later included onMorning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology, featuring a performance of the song from the final episode ofThe Monkees.
Pat Boone was the first to release a recording of the song on his 1969 albumDeparture, predating Buckley's version. The song has become one of Buckley's most well-known works due to numerous covers by various artists following his death in 1975, most notably byThis Mortal Coil in 1983.
"Song to the Siren" was written in 1967, but Buckley was dissatisfied with early recording attempts. The song was eventually released three years later on his albumStarsailor.[3]
In 1968, Buckley first performed the song solo in its originalfolk style as a guest on the series finale ofThe Monkees. This performance contrasts with the lusher, reverb-filled version later recorded forStarsailor. OnThe Monkees, the song was performed in the key of E major, while the album version is in B-flat major. The studio version features heavy reverb on theelectric guitar and high-pitched background vocals, whereas the earlier rendition was accompanied solely by Buckley’stwelve-string acoustic guitar.
Additionally, the 1968 performance contained different lyrics. The line "I am puzzled as the oyster" in the final verse was changed to "I'm as puzzled as the newborn child" on the album. This alteration reportedly occurred after Buckley played the song forJudy Henske, wife of producerJerry Yester, who laughed at the original line.[4][5]
Buckley and Beckett regarded this song as their greatest collaboration. Beckett later stated, "It's a perfect match of melody and lyrics. There was some kind of uncanny connection between us."[3]
The song's reference to thesirens luring sailors stems fromGreek mythology. Its lyrical style reflectsLarry Beckett's literary influences, contrasting with Buckley’s more personal songwriting approach.[6]
Beckett wrote the lyrics to "Song to the Siren" as part of his ongoing collaboration and friendship with Buckley during their high school years. Beckett has also worked alongside English musician, vocalist, and songwriter Stuart Anthony in various capacities. Their collaboration began in 2014 with the Lancaster-based band The Long Lost Band when Beckett started contributing lyrics to their work.[7] "Song to the Siren" became part of this collaboration when Beckett visited the UK for two tour dates in 2015—in Liverpool and Lancaster.[7]
The live version of the song featured a spoken word segment by Beckett, in which he explained the origin of the lyrics, a narrative previously included in documentary footage about the author. A studio version was later recorded in 2016 to mirror the live performance, making this rendition particularly notable. Among the many cover versions of the song, this was the first time the lyricist himself appeared on the track. TheLarry Beckett and The Long Lost Band version was released online on October 21, 2016.[8][9]
Additionally, the song was performed live by Stuart Anthony aboard theOdysseia, a replica of an ancient Greek ship, setting sail fromLefkada. This performance symbolized a spiritual "homecoming" for the song, as the surroundings are believed to represent Homer’s Ithaca.
| "Song to the Siren" | |
|---|---|
| Single byThis Mortal Coil | |
| from the albumIt'll End in Tears | |
| Released | September 1983 (1983-09) |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:30 |
| Label | 4AD |
| Songwriter(s) | |
This Mortal Coil recorded a version of "Song to the Siren," released as their debut single in September 1983. It entered theUK Independent Singles Chart at No. 31 on 24 September[12] and reached No. 3 on 5 November.[13]
The song also charted on theUK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 66 on 22 October.[14] The single remained on theUK Indie Chart for 101 weeks, ranking fourth in the 1980s behind "Bela Lugosi's Dead" byBauhaus (131 weeks), "Blue Monday" byNew Order (186 weeks), and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" byJoy Division (195 weeks).[15]
"Song to the Siren" was later included on This Mortal Coil's 1984 albumIt'll End in Tears.
This Mortal Coil was a musical collective led by producerIvo Watts-Russell, featuring musicians from the4AD label. SingerElizabeth Fraser and guitaristRobin Guthrie of theCocteau Twins, both signed to 4AD at the time, performed on this version. Fraser also recorded a duet with Tim Buckley’s son,Jeff Buckley.[16][17]
The release of This Mortal Coil's version led to a renewed interest in Tim Buckley's work.[18] This revival contributed to increased posthumous sales of Buckley's music, alongside Jeff Buckley's own success.[18]
The early EDM duoMessiah sampled this cover in their 1992 hit "Temple of Dreams."[citation needed]
This Mortal Coil's version prominently appeared inDavid Lynch's 1997 filmLost Highway. Lynch had originally intended to use the song in his 1986 filmBlue Velvet, but the licensing costs were too high. As a result, he collaborated with composerAngelo Badalamenti to create "Mysteries of Love."[19]
In 2009, the song was featured in the filmThe Lovely Bones to critical acclaim.[20][21]
In 2012,Dawn French selected the song onDesert Island Discs as "the song that made me fall in love again."[22]
In 2021, the song was featured in an episode of BBC Radio 4's music documentary seriesSoul Music.[23]
A cover bySusheela Raman appears on her 2001 Mercury Prize-nominated debut albumSalt Rain.
Robert Plant recorded the song for his 2002 albumDreamland.
The Czars included their rendition on their 2006 albumSorry I Made You Cry.
A version of the song, arranged and produced byPaul Charlier and performed byPaula Arundell, was featured in the 2006 filmCandy.
A live cover version was released byDavid Gray on 8 October 2007 on his compilation CD of live covers entitledA Thousand Miles Behind exclusively available through his official website (on both CD and digital download).https://www.davidgray.com/music/ewki06l8tbz4z0pds2p169r1o3ltls
John Frusciante covered the song in 2009 on his albumThe Empyrean.[24]
Sinéad O'Connor released a cover of the song in 2010.[25]
Bryan Ferry recorded the song for his 2010 albumOlympia.
English tenorAlfie Boe covered the song alongside Robert Plant on his 2011 albumAlfie.
George Michael performed the song during his25 Live andSymphonica tours and released a cover on the "White Light" single on August 11, 2012.
Brendan Perry covered the song live onKEXP-FM in 2012.
Amen Dunes included the song on the 2015 EPCowboy Worship.
English rock bandWolf Alice recorded a version in 2017.
Third Eye Blind released their cover on the 2018 EPThanks for Everything.
Eurielle included a cover on her 2019 albumGoodbye Butterfly.
The 2021 director's cutZack Snyder's Justice League features a rendition of "Song to the Siren" by British singer-songwriterRose Betts.[26]
Garbage released a cover of the song on their 2024 EPLie to Me. Later that year, it appeared on their cover compilationCopy/Paste.
070 Shake released a cover featuringCourtney Love on her 2024 albumPetrichor.
Numeroustrance cover versions exist. "Sunrise (Here I Am)" by Ratty (2000), a version by Vengeance featuring Clare Pearce (2001), andLost Witness' "Did I Dream (Song to the Siren)" featuring Tracey Carmen are notable examples.
Half Man Half Biscuit performed the song live on theJohn Peel show.
Other 1983 synthpop singles that got played to death either in the common room or in my bedroom included...the hair-prickling "Song to the Siren" by This Mortal Coil...
Brendan Perry also covered the song in 2012 performing the song live on KEXP video on YouTube.com|access=date 24th May 2024.
