Watch (song)
Released on The Sisters of Mercy's first single The Damage Done, on Merciful Release
in November 1980, under catalogue# MR7.
The song is also featured on the early demo tapes of the band and was later used
for The Sisters of Mercy's early singles compilation Some Girls Wander By Mistake
as well as for countless studio bootlegs like the Floorshow EP, Before The Flood
and Heartland. A flexi disc does exist as well, but is hard to find.
Watch was to all likeliness first performed live at The Sisters of Mercy's first known concert
at Alcuin College, University of York on February 16th, 1981 already and remained
part of the setlist until at least March 3rd, 1983.
Accordingly, various bootlegs with live versions of the track have been circulating, for example
Klub Foot - Hammersmith 1982, or Leeds Warehouse 20 January 1983 (complete) or on vinyl Aporetical Poetry.
In addition, The Sisters of Mercy have always claimed that The Damage Done (single) was played by John Peel
in his radio show, which has now proved true, thanks to the research of the lovely people at the John Peel Wiki.
It was, however not the title track The Damage Done that was broadcast, but Watch, most likely due to the fact
that a good part of the singles had the labels on the wrong side.
The song was broadcast twice, first already on 04 November 1980 and a second time years later on 28 September 1983.
Read more about this issue and its circumstances in the most lovely I Was A Teenage Sisters of Mercy Fan blog
under Sisters Mysteries V – did Peel play Damage Done? as well as in this thread at The Heartland Forums,
see also John Peel Shows 1980-85.
Lyrics
Here's the story
No time to lose (like the present)
Now I've lost my friends
Now I've lost my friends
It's not my party
Never will be
Feeling out-of-place
I'm not happy
A touch of the storm cloud...
Roughage in a comradeship and conversations
Conversations, everything's so run-of-the-mill
We stand still...
And time slips back
And time slips back...
Back to the garden
Time slips back
Back in the dark rooms
Time slips back
Back in the dark room
Back to the dark age
Put me on the rack
We stand still
Time slips back
Recount movements
Recount movements
Watch us grow
Watch us fall from grace
Watch us fall flat on our face
But you always fall on your feet
Tell me how you always
Fall on your feet
Tell me how
Tell me how
Tell me how
Oh tell me how
Words & music: Gary Marx
Lyrics and music are property and copyright of their respective rights holders and provided only for study purposes.
