Song to the Siren (Tim Buckley song)

Song to the Siren is the title of a song by Tim Buckley from the year 1967. Buckley wrote the play along with the songwriter Larry Beckett.

Pat Boone published it in 1969 on his album Departure; In 1970, there then appeared on Buckley's album Starsailor. Buckley had the song played in March 1968 in the TV show The Monkees in a version that did without technical effects, and more followed the traditions of folk music. This version was released in 2001 after Buckley's death on the album Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology.

The quiet, slow song set to a melancholy and mystical mood. Accompanying instruments are used sparingly, in the foreground is the voice. The design of the piece refers to the siren from Greek mythology that attracts sailors.

Cover versions

The song was copied by many artists. The version of This Mortal Coil ( with Elizabeth Fraser and Robin Guthrie ) was published in September 1983, was for three weeks in the UK singles charts and reached in October 66th place in the British independent charts, it remained 101 weeks and was in the 1980s a the songs that lingered longest in these charts. This Mortal Coil released the song in 1984 on their album It'll End in Tears. This version was used in the 1997 film Lost Highway by David Lynch, but is not included on the accompanying soundtrack album. Peter Jackson used in 2009 also this version in his film The Lovely Bones.

Other cover versions:

  • Half Man Half Biscuit for Peel Sessions, 1986, unpublished
  • Laurie Freelove on the album Smells Like Truth 1991
  • The King on the album Grave Lands 1998
  • Ratty on the single Sunrise ( Here I am ), 2000
  • Susheela Raman on the album Salt Rain, 2001
  • Robert Plant on the album Dreamland, 2002
  • John Frusciante on the album Empyrean, 2009
  • Bryan Ferry on the album Olympia, 2010
  • Sinéad O'Connor on the album Music of Ireland: Welcome Home, 2010
  • George Michael on the Symphonica Tour, 2011

Other songs with the same title

1992 The Chemical Brothers released their second band under the name The Dust Brothers on the album Exit Planet Dust another song with the same title.

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