The five best covers of Echo and The Bunnymen’s ‘The Killing Moon’
There are few songs in history so good that even their creators attribute them to divine intervention. Yet that’s precisely how Echo and the Bunnymen’s Ian McCulloch describes writing the lyrics to ‘The Killing Moon’—or rather, how he discovered them, as if they were presented to him by some otherworldly force.
In this case, it would be easy to see such a comparison as a manifestation of the ego. However, something about the inexplicable brilliance of ‘The Killing Moon’ seems as though McCulloch might not be too far off the mark. Even as he recalls the moment the words came to him, he seems to experience the unmistakable taste of euphoria, knowing he had something no one else could ever come close to.
“One morning, I just sat bolt upright in bed with this line in my head: ‘Fate up against your will, through the thick and thin. He will wait until you give yourself to him,'” he said. “You don’t dream things like that and remember them. That’s why I’ve always half credited the lyric to God. It’s never happened before or since.” It’s no doubt a bold claim but a believable one, at least in the way you suspend disbelief when you just want to join in on the fun.
For this reason, among many others, ‘The Killing Moon’ isn’t an easy song to replicate. For artists who stumble upon the track and feel they are capable enough to reinterpret it with their unique touch, the challenge lies not just in capturing its haunting beauty but its immersive essence, all in a way that maintains the aura of mystique McCulloch immediately instated when emerging from his prophetic dream.
The best covers of ‘The Killing Moon’:
Chvrches
Anyone familiar enough with the opening notes of ‘The Killing Moon’ will understand that it’s not just one of rock’s most instantly recognisable tracks; it’s also one that’s almost impossible for others to replicate. And that’s not just regarding the notes themselves—which aren’t actually that difficult to imitate—but the atmosphere it immediately generates, somehow feeling both large and intimate, like a brooding and hypnotic chase into the unknown.
That’s why a good cover is also recognisable from the very first twinkles of melancholy. However, the moment Chvrches begin their version, you immediately know that it’s going to be a good one. While Lauren Mayberry’s vocals differ greatly from McCulloch’s, the charm remains intact, with her notes adding an additional layer of sentimentality, allowing it to float higher into the abyss.
Pavement
While it’s not hard to imagine Pavement covering something as sluggishly brooding as ‘The Killing Moon’ and doing it well, something about their very essence feels almost destined for it. After all, their version adopts an even slower, more weighted-down pace than the original, while Stephen Malkmus’ vocals bring a Velvet Underground-esque quality that perfectly complements the song’s broader sense of resignation.
And that’s not even the best part. During the mid-section and bleeding into the latter segment, there is a more detached aura when it becomes clear that Pavement has no intentions of rushing the song or giving it its mark. In many ways, that’s the spirit of a truly good reinterpretation, the ability to give something everything you’ve got, even if it transforms it into something more grounded.
Lydia Loveless
Most covers of ‘The Killing Moon’ linger (rightly so) on the production and the arrangements. It makes sense, considering how the opening notes provide the gateway into its world, setting the scene for the wonderfully cryptic words McCulloch once dreamt up in the dead of the night. However, few amp up the lyrics or the vocals, leaving out one vital aspect of its ethereal intensity.
When Lydia Loveless took on the challenge a few years back, they knew they were venturing out of their comfort zone, but that’s precisely why it felt like the right thing to do. However, though clunky to begin with, everything soon falls into place the moment Loveless begins to sing, pouring their heart and soul into the words, making sure they shine with meaning.
A-ha
Though not technically a cover in the traditional sense, considering the fact it’s usually performed with McCulloch himself, A-ha’s rendition of ‘The Killing Moon’ proves it holds more acoustic versatility than expected. Together, they perform a slower, more stripped-back, heartfelt rendition that captures the heart of despair amid immense yearning.
As a result, every word seems even more pronounced and delicately placed, with Morten Harket injecting his signature emotionally charged vocal style throughout. Some might be put off by this approach and feel it removes from the original song’s sense of mystique, and while some of those qualities are lost, they are made up for by the newfound vulnerability that stretches from start to finish.
Nouvelle Vague
This extraordinary gem might be hard to spot at first. It plays with the idea of imitation, delicately floating in that in-between space where familiarity and the unknown merge. But once it gets going, it becomes difficult to tell whether it’s trying to haunt or comfort. But that’s precisely what makes it so endearing—like coming face-to-face with an unexpected stranger in a desolate setting, coasting the line between disorientation and warmth.
As your mind battles to find peace amid the uncertainty, there’s an unexpected charm in the not knowing, like suddenly finding ease in something that once seemed too frightening to even think of. That’s what makes this the perfect cover of ‘The Killing Moon’—how it takes the original’s inexplicable aura and twists it into something entirely different, yet still manages to achieve the same feat.
