Burn
The Sisters' song Burn was first released officially on the The Reptile House EP in May 1983. Before that, however, The Sisters of Mercy performed the track live during the Kid Jensen Show on 6th March 1983, their second performance with BBC Radio One, which can be found on multiple bootlegs. The version recorded for The Reptile House EP can be found on bootlegs as well. One of them features the song Burn played backwards and is - consequently, called NRUB. That version reveals that a hidden lyrics text is sung after the first verse:
The catherine wheel a ring of fire
For the juggling men and the idiot clowns
We'll burn this circus down
The wheel goes round and the flames get higher
Parts of these lyrics can also be found in the lyrics to Burn It Down, an early demo, that has not much in common with the final version of Burn, but most likely counts as a first step into the development of the released song.
A live version of Burn is featured on the limited edition 12" single Doctor Jeep released in December 1990. That version was recorded live during the Black October Tour in 1984 at Schlachthof, Bremen, Germany. The original Burn was used later - in 1992 - for the singles compilation album Some Girls Wander By Mistake as well.
The lyrics of this song did not only give the name to the entire record it was released on, the Reptile House EP,
but also to The Sisters of Mercy's official information service and merchandise mailorder service The Reptile House Ltd.
Lyrics
Burn me a fire in the reptile house
In the colour and the carnage fall me down
My face in the fire in the reptile house
And the kissing and the colour come crashing down
... here follows the sequence that is played backwards ...
In the fire in the reptile house
In the colour and the carnage fall me down
My face in the fire in the reptile house
And the kissing and the colour come crashing down
Down, down, down
Down around me
Down, down, down
Down around my
Face ...
In the fire in the reptile house
In the colour and the carnage fall me down
My face in the fire in the reptile house
And the kissing and the colour come crashing down
Down, down, down
Down around me
Down, down, down
Down around my
Face in the fire my faith in the fire in the
In the burn me down
My face my fire my faith my fire my
My burning down
In the fire in the reptile house
In the colour and the carnage fall me down
My face in the fire in the reptile house
And the kissing and the colour come crashing
Down
Crashing down
Music & Lyrics: Andrew Eldritch
Lyrics and music are property and copyright of their respective rights holders and provided only for study purposes.
Analysis
Some basic analysis has been done at 1959 and all that ...
Check also the Lyrics section of the Heartland Forums under Burn... and the entry Burn (It Down) - demo of the I Was A Teenage Sisters of Mercy Fan blog.
The lyrics here are taken from The Sisters of Mercy official lyrics book Postcards From Above The Chemist.
