Lights
Lights is the second song on the Reptile House EP, released under cat n° MR023.
A demo version on a slightly higher pitch is known, appearing on the unofficial Floorshow EP based on a demo tape for concert promoters, a recording that does appear on many studio bootlegs and can for example also be found on the Black Planet bootleg-CD.
Another demo version of the song stems from a recording session at Strawberry Studios, Stockport with John Ashton and is featured for example on the Hard Reign bootleg-LP.
Beyond that, the quite famous live-bootleg The Lights Shine Clear Through The Sodium Haze derives its name from this song.
Ten years after the first release, in 1993, Lights was officially featured again on the album Some Girls Wander By Mistake - a 2LP compilation of the early single and EP releases from 1980 to 1983.
Lights was played live only on nine occasions during 1982 and 1983.
Soon after the release of The Reptile House EP in June 1983, BBC presenter John Peel broadcast the song during his show of 06 July 1983 on Radio One. A recording of this appearance is, however, not available.
For more information on Sisters songs featured by John Peel, please read the fabulous John Peel Wiki and the blog post Sisters Mysteries V – did Peel play Damage Done? in the - I Was A Teenage Sisters of Mercy Fan blog. You might also want to check this thread @The Heartland Forums.
Lyrics
The lights shine clear through the sodium haze
The night draws near and the daylight fades
Ignore the voices, discard the day
For the brand new darkness, for the bright new way
Hit
There have been better plans, but
None that I could ever understand
Emerald signal, the green on black, the
Lights say move, say never look back and so I
Find another place where I've never been seen
Find another place where the red turns green, where the
Emerald glistens through the darkness again, where the
Emerald glistens through the rain
The lights shine clear through the sodium haze
The night draws near and the daylight fades, but there's a
Voice in the distance, quiet and clear, saying
Something that I never ever wanted to hear
There have been better plans, but
None that I could ever understand, I see the
Emerald, see the signal, see the green on black, I see the
Lights say move, say never look back and so I
Find another place where I'll never be seen
Find another place where the red turns green, where the
Emerald glistens through the darkness again, where the
Emerald glistens through the rain, rain, rain 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
Lyrics above taken from The Sisters of Mercy official lyrics book Postcards From Above The Chemist
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...
and in the Heartland Forums Lyrics Section under
