Sisters Of Mercy, The - Ribbons Lyrics

sexual excitement......!!!!! ❤

flowers on the razor wire

Seen Eldritch on stage this Saturday... Ribbons played. Great!

SOM..from Leeds England..Interesting

I recall being told: Its a man dying and laid on his back ("the stars look all too near" -- close to death). "Few and far between", potentially refers to the injured survivors of the battle, dotted around the field. Razor wire is another name for barbed wire. On a battlefield, (flowers = poppies / red on flanders, etc.). He is probably thinking of the woman he "loved"; about how beautiful she is, and how others, [queued at the door], will have her now ([they] can "just walk on in" - since he is not there to stop them, nor to approach her himself, about something other than politics - his dying regret -- "I tried to tell her... I don't know what for"). It seems likely, its a reference to either WW1 Trench-warfare (c.f. the Battle of the Somme), or the White/Red Russian War. I would guess, the "red ribbons" is being used metaphorically and figuratively, (in her hair, and to being cut to bloody red ribbons, by bullets -- bandages, or actual flesh). Marx's and Engels are famous Red's/ communists / Red Russians. Gods and Angels is likely referering more genreally to the Christians, (and potentially the Russian Tsar/ White Russians). Blue is often the colour of the opposing politics to communism, (her politics perhaps in reply to his, or an inferrence of her use of language "Blue"/anger). Purple is often denotive of religion, (and possibly a purple heart/medal for valor / courage, is also referened?). Basically, I would guess, its about different forms (splinters?) of love, and their relative worth (Love of self, other, partner, Country, Ideology, God and maybe 'love for sale'). Its not clear what side he represents. But the implication is he should have had the courage to walk into her, and to express "his love", ( to her, in her red ribbons), and not to have walked instead into death for/against politics ( e.g. red flags, blood and bandages, etc). (It is possible this is what she was telling him before he left for war. Consider those who volunterered to fight against communists, nationalists or fascists -- such as Hemmingway). Perhaps her red ribbons imply she was a Red, and hence "I see no purple light crashing out of you", (e.g. spirituality or morals?). His comment about trying to tell her though, might imply she had a general ignorance of such things, and just happened to wear red (or maybe even, is a rerference to her being a scarlet woman?/lacking conviction??, and maybe a prostitute he once saw. The singers voice is against the idea, but consider the notably young age of many going to fight in the WW1 period). "Incoming", is a warfare term, which means there is an incoming missle/bomb/machinegun fire. He was likely commanded, like many in WW1, to just walk into the incoming fire from machine guns (for ideology, King and Country, etc). Splinters may reference bullets, from the opposing sides, love of their side. Flowers on the razor wire, is possibly referencing the poppies that were all over the battle fields, and which later become a symbol of the wasted lives. Its also a contrast of the beauty growing amongst the horror, and nature vs technology.

temperance123 here is my tAke. The main imagery here revolves around love and death. Death is visualized as a woman and battlefield imagery is applied to love and lust. As you suggest he’s lying there dying. . The tempo and urgency, the heavy layering of the voices as death approaches,
“Incomings” referring to both the incoming fatal artillary shell and him finally “walking on in” to the room with his lover death. this is against the backdrop and final thinness of the track suggest the nararrator bleeding out at the end.

All these dying men, each waiting to die ( in the hallway for their turn with her ) and maybe referring to the massive lines of dead who already there. Death is love and lust and life. She’s a whore who will (and) does take us all eventually.

The ribbon she wears is the color of blood and sex. Its the red blood/ flowers on the razor wire. It’s the people cut to ribbons. The flowers on the razor wire can also be the peace overtaking war. For our narrator at least - peace is coming. Flowers could mean so many things in this context.

When I first heard this song - the way he spits out “you look good in ribbons” sounded like a serial killer talking to his sliced up victim. Are you familiar with the song Tie a yellow ribbon? The parallel here would be he’s finished “serving his time” on this earth and death has tied all these red ribbons to let him know he is welcomed back home into deaths arms. Death as a comforting women isn’t new - but I like the cruel edges - the feral aspects of the men waiting. Sure death is a sweet comfort in the stories - but here. she’s also a whore, cheap and empty with just the trappings of love. Hollow. Your afterlife isn’t one of sweet release. It has an undead feel to it. Or maybe that the romanticized death is cheap and everyone Ends up there. Modernized and automatic, like the new ways of war - no intense personal death. Just line the fuck up, there more coming so hurry it along. She could also be Mother Russia - that brought these men out to die. Oh the god and angels line = he’s trying to 3cplain to death his reasons - why they are fighting and dying, but it’s pointless. Both their war, and because death is beyond these things. He tries to explain his philosophies - and realizes how silly that is. Either because they were clearly not true, because it would be silly to talk about your thought on death ... to Ddeath, or for any number of reasons. To me it further communicates his helplessness - rattling off his dying thoughts into the night air. Like a sick and fevered person talking to the doctor about some childhood memory.

Not sure about the cobalt line. Need to think n that more.

Ive heard for a long time that it has to do with a war vet perhaps who was a serial killer who had lost it .

One of my favourite . And many of my girlfriends love that song , too.

HAMMER!!!

It's Alllllllllllllll about Novak, Cerritos, Phil and the 4 paper towels, "Probably no one ever told you before", pimpiing bottles, melancholia written on wet paper, pilgrimes with a E. Wild what things a song bring back. Saratoga 120's.

Wtf is this song about

like all songs, take what you want from it, every one has there own interpretations

Death rock...Sisters of Mercy are Death rock.

Album rules fuck the haters

I love the way the lyrics just throw up their hands and give up towards the end, when the parts start crossing over... lol

I actually tried transcribing the lyrics for this once - I ended up having to divide the page into four separate columns (in front, behind, left and right) to account for all the crossover between the various overlapping phrases and even then it was tricky getting them to line up properly, so I can't say I blame them!

Goth badasses

I N C O M I N G

INCOMING!

INCOMING!

Flowers on a razor wire.

INCOMING!

Атмосферно: село, крики петуха...

Could you tell me the name or denomination of the lettering fond you used for the subtitles?

have a look at Caslon Antique

(Flowers on the razor wire)

Subbed #266! Please sub back. We are watching your vids to give you hours! Keep rockin the vids!

Me gusta 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

The track that saved a bad album

@Albrecht yeah I was mistaken , it had been a while since I had looked at the credits of Vision Thing , probably because it's my least favourite Sisters album .

@Shadowman820 It's probably my least favourite, too, although there are some fantastic moments on it - this one included.

@Albrecht yeah that's right, I really like Ribbons .

There is nothing Eldritch has done that was bad!

@Sanela H Except his vocals in the last 15 years .

brilliant

INCOMING!

walk on in

What does the lyrics mean?

@temperance123 You just presented me with yet another reason to love this song, and I thank you profoundly for that.

Has somrhing to do wirh the pyramida

@/ fromariatosirius maybe....




some type of sex spell maybe a tiny bloodletting ritual where he ties a red red ribbon to the figure candle and binds her up in the same material :') his guttural voice is kind of hot. hitachi *INCOMING* forced o *INCOMING* it's such a shame i've never been in a relationshit

I think it's about toxic relationships. when two people hurt each other purposely for the sport of it. And use others, to cause damage/stab the main lover. it's about sadistic people. Damaged/Broken people who cannot trust anyone. They take advantage of others.
it's about people who need love, but these people are living in fear.

just my personal interpretation.

like all songs, take what you want from it, every one has there own interpretations

Love the line "Her lover queued up in the hallway, i heard them scratching at the door". And the symbolism of flowers on the razor wire...

What' s the symbolism? Sorry by ask you, but I can't understand.

@Boris Karloff The song is about a prostitute. A whore. A woman of the night...

And she is INCOMING!

Reminds me of "Naked Truth" fanzine circa 1994: "I wonder if I could get away with using that imagery again? Yes. The proles are still reeling from 'Under the Gun', anyway". Those who remember will know what I mean.

help me always thrue lovepain... thx som +--:)

Fuck yeah, goth karaoke!

Dark Majesty.

If there were ever a deep, engraved song....... #1. This is a perfect example of the duality of words and interpretation.  LOVE Andrew and the sisters. Wonder what would have happened if the Mission did not split ????

The Sisters of Mercy. Ribbons

Great song!!!! ❤️