The Siouxsie and the Banshees song inspired by Jayne Mansfield
For many reasons, punk icons Siouxsie and the Banshees are among the most cherished British acts. Typically, the discussion of the band centres around their frontwoman, the focal point whom the rest of the group rallies around, Siouxsie Sioux.
An enigmatic performer and personality complete with a wailing form of vocal delivery and unique aesthetic, whilst Siouxsie is an indisputable icon, there are plenty of other reasons to love the band. These include the atmospheric beats of drummer Budgie, the ominous basslines of Steven Severin, and the hooky guitar parts of respective guitar heroes John McKay and the late John McGeoch.
Right from the very get-go, a time when they were a loose outfit who played an extended version of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ at the ‘100 Club Punk Special’ in 1976, Siouxsie and the Banshees made it clear to everyone that they were iconoclasts in every sense of the word. They were going to experiment, despite what their scene and the world might say.
Fusing a chilling form of punk rock with gothic themes and genuine artistic panache, without the efforts of Siouxsie and the Banshees, the world of rock music – and of popular culture – would be very different today.
Their debut album, 1978’s The Scream, which features the band’s first concrete lineup, with drummer Kenny Morris and John McKay, is one of the most coveted records of the period. Joy Divison, Primal Scream, and even the unrelenting energy of Californian rabble Faith No More have all been massively influenced by the project.
Following The Scream, the London band went from strength to strength, and by the mid-1980s, they had asserted themselves as pioneers, with Siouxsie revered as the high priestess of the now flourishing goth movement. Together, they delivered some of the most enduring pieces of post-punk and goth. As a testament to their power, they continue to be incredibly impactful today, with their work coursing through new acts in the recent post-punk resurgence.
Lyrical density was something Siouxsie Sioux invariably did well, with the subjects of her songs ranging from sarcastic takes about the modern obsession with the idea of a happy family to more captivating takes about hauntings as well as more everyday themes about local Chinese takeaways.
One of the most riveting subjects of her songs comes in the form of the heady dance-pop of 1991’s ‘Kiss Them for Me’. The song is a tribute to the late actress and sex symbol Jayne Mansfield, who died in a car crash, alongside others, on the way to New Orleans aged just 34 in 1967.
Although Sioux’s lyrics are relatively cryptic, it is clear that she’s referencing Mansfield by including her catchphrase “divoon” and with lines such as, “On the road to New Orleans / A spray of stars hit the screen”. Added to this is Kiss Them for Me, the title of a famous 1957 film that Mansfield starred in opposite Cary Grant, one of the most iconic of the period.
