# Song to the Siren

"Song to the Siren" is a song written by Tim Buckley and Larry Beckett, first released by Buckley on his 1970 album Starsailor. It was later included on Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology, featuring a performance of the song from the final episode of The Monkees.
Pat Boone was the first to release a recording of the song on his 1969 album Departure, 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 by This Mortal Coil in 1983.

## Background

"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 album Starsailor.
In 1968, Buckley first performed the song solo in its original folk style as a guest on the series finale of The Monkees. This performance contrasts with the lusher, reverb-filled version later recorded for Starsailor. On The 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 the electric guitar and high-pitched background vocals, whereas the earlier rendition was accompanied solely by Buckley’s twelve-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 for Judy Henske, wife of producer Jerry Yester, who laughed at the original line.
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."
The song's reference to the sirens luring sailors stems from Greek mythology. Its lyrical style reflects Larry Beckett's literary influences, contrasting with Buckley’s more personal songwriting approach.

## Larry Beckett

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. "Song to the Siren" became part of this collaboration when Beckett visited the UK for two tour dates in 2015—in Liverpool and Lancaster.
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. The Larry Beckett and The Long Lost Band version was released online on October 21, 2016.
Additionally, the song was performed live by Stuart Anthony aboard the Odysseia, a replica of an ancient Greek ship, setting sail from Lefkada. This performance symbolized a spiritual "homecoming" for the song, as the surroundings are believed to represent Homer’s Ithaca.

## This Mortal Coil version

This Mortal Coil recorded a version of "Song to the Siren," released as their debut single in September 1983. It entered the UK Independent Singles Chart at No. 31 on 24 September and reached No. 3 on 5 November.
The song also charted on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 66 on 22 October. The single remained on the UK Indie Chart for 101 weeks, ranking fourth in the 1980s behind "Bela Lugosi's Dead" by Bauhaus (131 weeks), "Blue Monday" by New Order (186 weeks), and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division (195 weeks).
"Song to the Siren" was later included on This Mortal Coil's 1984 album It'll End in Tears.
This Mortal Coil was a musical collective led by producer Ivo Watts-Russell, featuring musicians from the 4AD label. Singer Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins, both signed to 4AD at the time, performed on this version. Fraser also recorded a duet with Tim Buckley’s son, Jeff Buckley.
The release of This Mortal Coil's version led to a renewed interest in Tim Buckley's work. This revival contributed to increased posthumous sales of Buckley's music, alongside Jeff Buckley's own success.
The early EDM duo Messiah sampled this cover in their 1992 hit "Temple of Dreams."
This Mortal Coil's version prominently appeared in David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway. Lynch had originally intended to use the song in his 1986 film Blue Velvet, but the licensing costs were too high. As a result, he collaborated with composer Angelo Badalamenti to create "Mysteries of Love."
In 2009, the song was featured in the film The Lovely Bones to critical acclaim.
In 2012, Dawn French selected the song on Desert Island Discs as "the song that made me fall in love again."
In 2021, the song was featured in an episode of BBC Radio 4's music documentary series Soul Music.

## Covers and versions

A cover by Susheela Raman appears on her 2001 Mercury Prize-nominated debut album Salt Rain.
Robert Plant recorded the song for his 2002 album Dreamland.
The Czars included their rendition on their 2006 album Sorry I Made You Cry.
A version of the song, arranged and produced by Paul Charlier and performed by Paula Arundell, was featured in the 2006 film Candy.
A live cover version was released by David Gray on 8 October 2007 on his compilation CD of live covers entitled A 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 album The Empyrean.
Sinéad O'Connor released a cover of the song in 2010.
Bryan Ferry recorded the song for his 2010 album Olympia.
English tenor Alfie Boe covered the song alongside Robert Plant on his 2011 album Alfie.
George Michael performed the song during his 25 Live and Symphonica tours and released a cover on the "White Light" single on August 11, 2012.
Brendan Perry covered the song live on KEXP-FM in 2012.
Amen Dunes included the song on the 2015 EP Cowboy Worship.
English rock band Wolf Alice recorded a version in 2017.
Third Eye Blind released their cover on the 2018 EP Thanks for Everything.
Eurielle included a cover on her 2019 album Goodbye Butterfly.
The 2021 director's cut Zack Snyder's Justice League features a rendition of "Song to the Siren" by British singer-songwriter Rose Betts.
Garbage released a cover of the song on their 2024 EP Lie to Me. Later that year, it appeared on their cover compilation Copy/Paste.
070 Shake released a cover featuring Courtney Love on her 2024 album Petrichor.
Numerous trance cover versions exist. "Sunrise (Here I Am)" by Ratty (2000), a version by Vengeance featuring Clare Pearce (2001), and Lost Witness' "Did I Dream (Song to the Siren)" featuring Tracey Carmen are notable examples.
Half Man Half Biscuit performed the song live on the John Peel show.