All Sisters of Mercy Songs Ranked
Publishing a proper song list on RYM is ridiculous so I made it here. It doesn't include covers. |
| 52 | The Sisters of Mercy
Home of the Hitmen
We're not off to a good start and they weren't either. This is a 30 second song, there's not much to say about it. Kind of a shame since it's a pretty cool song title. |
| 51 | The Damage Done
As is the case of the previous song, you can barely hear the vocals and it's nothing special, although it does have much more in terms of lyrics. That being said, it wouldn't be accurate to judge the band as a whole taking the songs from this single much into account, that's like judging someone for who they were in middle school. |
| 50 | You Could Be The One
''Yeah, yeah, yeah...'' This is not that good. And this one is recent (relatively). It's like Eldritch just didn't want to bother with the music anymore. The lyrics are cool and all, but it would be easier to appreciate them without so much repetition. I know there was a lot of repetition in the Floodland songs too but they were so amazing that it didn't matter. This is bland and not comparable. And also, recycling the ''get undressed'' line. Andrew baby, you had already done it better. |
| 49 | Detonation Boulevard
Some bands change genres suddenly and they turn out to be much better at their new style. The Gathering is an example, but The Sisters aren't. The lyrics seem like they would be interesting but they didn't use their full potential. They're probably about something but they seem nonsensical either way, and not in the cool and ominous way. |
| 48 | Doctor Jeep
YMMV but I find this very tiring to listen to. If I listened to music on shuffle I would skip it because life is too short to listen to this more than twice or so. |
| 47 | When You Don't See Me
Well, this one is okay. It's a little predictable even though the first few verses are nice. However, it's a better version of the half-assed rock sound they wanted to give in the previous songs from Vision Thing. |
| 46 | Something Fast
This is actually not bad. It's quite romantic and emotive, which they (or he, I guess) otherwise seemed to be trying to avoid in many parts of VT. This, however, feels like it goes on forever.
''I don't wanna be the last...'' |
| 45 | Watch
We're leaving Vision Thing alone for a little while to get back to their earliest stuff. This actually has a Bauhaus-esque sound. The rawness here is much better than the one in songs like The Damage Done.
''Watch us fall from grace
Watch us fall flat on our face
But you always fall on your feet '' |
| 44 | Fix
If you think of it as slow and sensual as opposed to ''much longer than it needs to be'', it's easier for it to grow on you.
However, the lyrics... look at them:
''Love for the party love for the nation
Love for the fix for the fabrication
Love for the corpse for the corporation
Love for the death and for the defecation
Romance and assassination
Give me the love of genocide
Give me love.'' |
| 43 | Kiss The Carpet
Apparently the title and lyrics refer to cunnilingus. But it makes sense, as someone pointed out on songmeanings, that it's a metaphor about drugs. Andrew sure does love his amphetamines as we know. |
| 42 | Heartland
Very nice intro. He does repeat the last line of ''my heartland, heartland, heartland'' forty times, but at least he does change his tone, and although that takes half the song, it's not annoying and the first half is very interesting. It also feels like quite a sweet song, at least for it being Eldritch who wrote it. |
| 41 | Adrenochrome
Very raw sound, although a little monotonous. However, the imagery it gives with the lyrics is quite cool. Also they drop their own band name.
''High tide
Wide eyed
Dread in monochrome
Denied in spite
Disliked in monochrome
Panic in their eyes
Rise
Dead and monochrome
The sisters of mercy
Spite
On adrenochrome'' |
| 40 | Train
Sounds a little more rock than the other, better, songs on the Body And Soul EP, but it still is worth it to listen to it. |
| 39 | Body And Soul
This is very goth. Even if you take out the album cover. It's easy to skip this one but it's also nice to listen to it once in a while. If you ever find yourself walking alone among fog, this is very fitting. |
| 38 | I Was Wrong
Contrasting with the previous song, this one is upbeat. Also different in the lyrics, most of their early stuff has lyrics that are just plain dark and that's cool and all, but these seem much more honest and direct.
''Pain looks great on other people
That's what they're for'' |
| 37 | Afterhours
If you haven't heard this, you should. Not because it's particularly good (after all, it's in place 37), but just because of the atmosphere it gives you. It's dark. But there is more than atmosphere, it's also Andrew's deep sexy voice saying
''Get up off the floor and angel
Put your clothes on
It's time for us to go''
Plus the rest of the lyrics. |
| 36 | Colours
So the lyrics repeat themselves four times. It's just a good song. Also, this could be about the end of WWII and the Soviets arriving to Germany having won. ''You reap what you sow''. 'Colors' IIRC is a term for either a flag or a military uniform or something like that. |
| 35 | Valentine
It was hard to decide whether to place Burn or Valentine here, and there's nothing wrong with Valentine, but it does look slow and boring in comparison to Burn. |
| 34 | Burn
The effect of Andrew singing backwards (or that's what it seems to be at least) makes this quite cool. It's not bad by any means. I have to admit that Some Girls Wander by Mistake is much closer to the pure post-punk than even their first studio album. Maybe the purity of it is an acquired taste (when I was first getting into the Sisters I thought Some Girls Wander By Mistake was boring, so it was for me at least), but it doesn't make it bad at all. This is a very good song, it's just that I think they have many ones that are better.
''My Face in the fire my faith in the fire
In the
In the burn me down my
My burning down.'' |
| 33 | Torch
I want to place this higher when I listen to this but the ones higher don't let me. This is a slow and sensual song. Of course I'll carry your torch, Andrew ♥. I don't know what instrument starts to be played halfway through the song (I guess a transverse flute?), but it really adds to it. |
| 32 | Body Electric
Very different from the previous one, it's fast and fun. Not that hard to get into if it's your first time listening to SGWBM. |
| 31 | Under The Gun
There's probably a lot of people that like this much more than me. It's actually a beautiful song, and you bet I love to hear Andrew saying ''love''. However, her line of ''Are you living for love?'' repeated over him mumbling gets annoying. But the rest of it would probably be worthy of a higher place. |
| 30 | Never Land
It has to struggle a bit to make its length worth it, but the lyrics save it.
''Too much but never enough
Tear it up and watch it fall''
There's not a separate entry for (A Fragment), but it would probably be higher. |
| 29 | Vision Thing
The lyrics are as fun as the sound itself. I just can't rate it any lower or higher, this is the place it needs to be. It's a very good song but it gets exhausting after listening a few times. Maybe there's more to it, in fact I'm sure there's some political meaning behind, since the title comes from something Bush said. |
| 28 | Floorshow
This seems to be about Eldritch hating a good chunk of the people that listen to his music. ''Mundane by day inane at night
Pagan playing in the flashing light''. It's def. About goth clubs or something similar. Who knows? Maybe he secretly considers this to be self-deprecating humour. Anyway, you can't skip this traditionally post-punk song. |
| 27 | Poison Door
I don't love this song in theory but I do in practice. It's repetitive (kind of ironic that I've been saying that a lot), but it's also short enough to make its point and then leave when it should.
''And kiss your memory goodbye
And the shadows smile
But their lips are ssss... '' |
| 26 | Anaconda
Yes, this is the third best one from SGWBM (of course I omitted Phantom). The bass is pretty cool. This is somehow the fun version of Alice, interesting because that one is the first track and this one the last, probably trying to say that drugs are more fun than sad. Maybe.
''Baby finger on the trigger baby shot formaldehyde'' |
| 25 | More
Now the second best one from Vision Thing. Some people interpret this as being about rape, some about US politics, etc. At first it seems to be about wanting a rougher relationship, but it could be a metaphor. And I guess about politics, you know, American government wanting more? But it honestly seems like it's just sincerely about wanting a more intense relationship or something like that. Anyway, it's a good song, it gets a little boring after 4 minutes or so, but it doesn't take from the fact that it's so good. |
| 24 | Blood Money
One of their most underrated ones. The lyrics are dark, and yet they're original enough to not seem over-the-top or corny.
''(Flesh)
(Bone)
(Splinters on the telephone)
(Whispers)'' |
| 23 | 1959
This is a very romantic song. Not in the 'love' sense of the word, but the emotive one.
''And it feels like me today.''
And it feels like Eldritch is opening up to us. |
| 22 | Walk Away
I can describe this as being the worst from the best. It's good but not enough to be even in the top 20. I'm sure Andrew himself didn't mean it to be that good anyway, it's clearly about a member leaving anyway. |
| 21 | Bury Me Deep
Possibly their most depressing song (not necessarily their darkest one), which is saying a lot for a goth band. However, for this same reason it's also tiring to listen to. At two minutes you'll probably feel the need to skip it. |
| 20 | On The Wire
I'd say (and I'm sure most people would say this too) that this is him saying that he won't fall into addiction. If something objectively makes this better than Walk Away, it's definitely the lyrics.
''Now the ground comes up too fast
Too fast to meet you
In clouds of dust erupting
Thick around your feet, be careful ''
''I don't sleep so I don't dream
So I don't wake up frightened'' |
| 19 | No Time To Cry
I can picture Andrew telling himself to calm down and holding back his tears. Well, that's basically what the song is about. I don't know if it's ironically saying that they don't cry to show how much something hurts or the narrator is saying that being scared is not enough reason to cry. But I like the fact that it makes the narrator (and probably Eldritch) seem weak.
''And I get frightened
Just like you
I get frightened too '' |
| 18 | Lights
This also competes in the ''most depressing'' thing, but even though it doesn't win that for me, it's better. It's an improved version of the ''listen to this while walking alone on a foggy night'' song. The lyrics repeat themselves although with a different tone, and he adds these simple lines that you could think would make this slightly more upbeat but they actually sound like despair.
''And I'm happy here
In the rain
In the rain
In the rain rain rain
I'm happy here
In the rain
Where the emerald
Glistens
Through the rain '' |
| 17 | Black Planet
It's getting good. Now this is a classic, but there's better songs. I can swear that even though it's an environmentalist song, I can't help but imagine ancient Egypt with this. It makes sense if you consider that they were probably black, so like... Black planet, and they're invading Europe somehow (you know, ''so dark all over Europe''). Anyway, great song. In fact, from this point on, all songs are iconic and beautiful, but it's a ranking after all. |
| 16 | Driven Like The Snow
I consider this to be just as good as the next song, but I like that a bit more. They both seem to be about relationship that has ended. I'm not sure what position Andrew is declaring here towards purity, but it seems that he's not comfortable with the idea of ''settling down'' and marrying someone. |
| 15 | First And Last And Always
It seems in this song that he's trying to make a relationship function and he's been trying for very long, but he doesn't want to let go. It could not be a romantic one, though, maybe just a group of friends or something similar. And now that he's committed a mistake, he needs this connections more but fears that because of what he's done, he'll be all alone. Whatever it is, it's pretty heartbreaking.
''Say, say you'll be by me
When the evidence comes along '' |
| 14 | Alice
Last and best one from Some Girls Wander By Mistake. He describes how miserable someone who is addicted to drugs is. We feel bad for Alice. I can't otherwise explain what makes the song so good, but it's just... the way it's executed. The intensity of the last lines is probably what makes it. |
| 13 | Possession
You have to admit this has one of the best lyrics by The Sisters. And the way you hear the bass with his voice is just beautiful.
''Stand these pictures on your shelf
And wear your heart upon my sleeve,
Wear a dress that you can see through,
See yourself inside;
I'll be your imagination,
Tear apart what you believe'' |
| 12 | Ribbons
Speaking of cool lyrics, check this out:
''I'm lying on my back now
The stars look all too near
Flowers on the razor wire
I know you're here
We are few and far between''
This is clearly exploring the aggressiveness in relationships but I don't think it's about BDSM as some people think, I think it's about wanting to hurt someone you love.
''Her lovers queued up in the hallway
I heard them scratching at the door
I tried to tell her
About Marx and Engels, God and angels
I don't really know what for''
Andrew is really trying to convince himself he's too good for those shallow prostitutes so it's much more pleasant to murder them, it seems. Ironically Marx and Engels... well, should I even say it?
Or it could be about trying to 'save a prostitute' from her job by talking about Marx and Engels, God and angels. Who knows.
This also makes me think a lot of 1984, with the relationship between Julia and Winston.
…INCOMING! |
| 11 | Marian
Oh, this beautiful song. So romantic and yet so dark. And we all know that what I'm trying to say is that it's goth as hell. Narrator simply and sincerely wants Marian to get him out of the horrible place he's in. You just feel him suffering through the lyrics. And then the German lyrics. It's all perfect. |
| 10 | A Rock And A Hard Place
I think this and Possession are the most underrated songs from First And Last And Always. If I had to guess, I'd say it's about leaving someone you know is too pure and innocent for you. What I find interesting is the personality of the narrator, he seems to be a cold-hearted person and he shows no regrets about what he's done, ''right or wrong''. A lot of character development for it being a single song.
'Cause and effect go hand in hand with
The devil may care but I don't mind and I
Thought she'd never quite understand so I
Left her there that night but will she
Find me? I don't think so, no
When you go, you go alone
And I'm gone.... '' |
| 9 | Flood I
Now this is one of his sexy songs that we all know was supposed to be sexy. Listen to the drums, the lyrics, all.
''Push the glass, stain the glass
Push the writer to the wall
It may come but it will pass
Some say we will fall
Dream of the flood...
Flood...''
''In a flood of your tears, in sackcloth''
However, as slow and sensual as it is, it also goes on for a little too long without many changes. |
| 8 | Flood II
Now the girl is on top and she's about to orgasm (I swear that's what I get from the lyrics). Compared with Flood I, this one changes more and doesn't get tiring and feels much longer, even though it is slightly longer.
''She says no no no no harm will come your way
She says bring it on down, bring on the wave''
'She says
She says anytime
Raise your arms
Flood'' |
| 7 | Some Kind of Stranger
There's actually two versions of this song, they have different lyrics. One is not better than the other. Early version has this:
''From England in the morning
I haven't slept for days
I haven't kept the promise made
And I know the world is cold ''
The later one this:
''All my words are secondhand and
Useless in the face of this
Rationale and rhyme and reason
Pale beside a single kiss
And I've heard so many things I
Fail to understand at all
I'd settle anytime for
Unknown footsteps in the hall outside ''
Both have a variation of this:
''And I don't care what you're called
Tell me later if at all
I can wait a long, long time before I hear another lovesong
Don't give me whys and wherefores
Reason for surprise
I don't care for words that don't belong ''
Both are serious heartbreak. And pure pain. Just pain. Oh, I love it. |
| 6 | Temple of Love
No one can deny how epic this sounds. Its only flaw is being a little too long, like others, but you still will want to listen to it more because if something is good enough, it doesn't matter that it's repetitive.
''And the devil in black dress watches over
My guardian angel walks away '' |
| 5 | Amphetamine Logic
This is another example. It repeats its lines a little too much but it still manages to feel even a little short. Besides, there are some changes in the lyrics throughout the song. And also it's just too good to be affected by it. Their creativity shows through the music and lyrics, and everything.
''Watch them do
The falling over
Watch them do
The standing still
Nothing but the knife to live for
One life, all I need
Give me one good reason'' |
| 4 | This Corrosion
Wow, we're here already? This would deserve a higher spot if the songs above weren't even better. Of course it repeats the chorus a lot but choruses are repeated a lot. That's what they do. And the verses between the choruses are all very different from each other, this just can't get boring. |
| 3 | Dominion/Mother Russia
It's not that easy to describe things that are ridiculously good. Well, this is one of the most bluntly political songs by them, maybe their most blunt in those terms. The lyrics are straight up genius (''White house in a red square'') and everything is so well put together. It starts out soft-ish and then becomes stronger and as it goes on, his voice gets louder and then Mother Russia rains down on the mobile homes of Memphis (and of course, with the rain you get the Flood I). |
| 2 | Nine While Nine
And now for something completely different. This is a depressing song. You can even hear his pain as he declares he's lost all sense of the world outside. He's waiting for something because it's better to kill time than to face reality. He's not ready for it. The narrator remembers her obsessively but she's gone. It's so tragic, honest... and yes, beautiful. |
| 1 | Lucretia My Reflection
''I hear the roar of the big machine...''
Maybe I'm a little predictable, but this just is number one. What else could be?
Plus we get to hear Andrew singing ''get down, get undressed''. And also his intense ''I don't feel'' line. Everyone, whether they like goth rock or not, should listen to this song. |
|
