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The Eighties Archive

Song Number 0077
In September 1983, the British post-punk and goth-rock pioneers Siouxsie and the Banshees achieved their highest-charting success in the United Kingdom with a mesmerizing cover of the Beatles track Dear Prudence. Originally written by John Lennon for the 1968 self-titled double album popularly known as the White Album, the song was completely re-imagined by the Banshees during a highly chaotic yet creatively hyperactive phase of their career. Released as a standalone single, the track was an instant commercial juggernaut, peaking at number three on the UK Singles Chart and cementing the band’s status as masters of alternative pop reinvention.
The background of the recording is deeply intertwined with alternative rock lore, occurring at a moment when the band’s line-up was in total flux. Following the sudden departure of guitarist John McGeoch due to severe exhaustion and stress, Robert Smith, the enigmatic frontman of The Cure, stepped in as the Banshees’ temporary live and studio guitarist. According to band lore, the group decided to record Dear Prudence largely because it was one of the few Beatles songs that Smith already knew how to play. Recorded rapidly between intensive European tour dates, the session captured a rare, lightning-in-a-bottle synergy between Smith’s distinctively atmospheric guitar playing and the established Banshees rhythm section.
Musically, the Banshees transformed the serene, acoustic folk sensibilities of the Beatles’ original into a lush, shimmering piece of psychedelic post-punk. The track is built on a foundation of dreamy, phased guitar textures and swirling synthesizers that evoke a haunting, otherworldly atmosphere. Siouxsie Sioux delivers an iconic vocal performance that perfectly balances her trademark icy detachment with an underlying warmth and urgency. Rather than copying Lennon’s delicate delivery, she commands the lyrics, turning the song into a hypnotic, dramatic plea. Backed by the inventive, tribal percussion of drummer Budgie and the driving bassline of Steven Severin, the arrangement peaks with an euphoric, layered crescendo that feels entirely original.
Lyrically, the song retains Lennon’s original message of care and awakening, which had been written in India to coax actress Mia Farrow’s sister, Prudence, out of an obsessive, locked-in state of intense meditation. In the hands of the Banshees, lines like greeting the brand-new day and opening up your eyes took on a slightly more surreal, intoxicating meaning that perfectly fit the subcultural aesthetics of the early 1980s alternative scene. The track’s massive success actually surprised the band, with Siouxsie later noting that a significant portion of younger fans initially believed the song was a Banshees original rather than a cover. Decades later, Dear Prudence remains a definitive high-water mark of the post-punk era, illustrating how a classic piece of pop history could be brilliantly deconstructed and reborn with a dark, majestic edge.
The song peaked at No. 03 in the UK charts on 15th October 1983.
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - Eighties Archive Promo Image
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - UK 7'' Cover - Front
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - UK 7'' Cover (Front)
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - UK 7'' Cover - Back
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - UK 7'' Cover (Back)
A-Side Dear Prudence (3:50)
(John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
Produced By Siouxsie & The Banshees, Mike Hedges
B-Side Tattoo (3:26)
(Siouxsie & The Banshees)
Produced By Siouxsie & The Banshees, Mike Hedges
UK Top 40 Chart Run [7 Weeks] – 25th September 1983 – 12th November 1983
17
04
03
05
11
15
34

Officially Released Versions

Dear Prudence (Single Version) (3:50)
Dear Prudence (Extended Version) (4:12)

See ALL releases of ‘Dear Prudence’ on Discogs.

Lyrics

Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful, and so are you
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?Dear Prudence (Dear Prudence), open up your eyes
Dear Prudence (Dear Prudence), see the sunny skies
The wind is low, the birds will sing
That you are part of everything
Dear Prudence, won’t you open up your eyes?

Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Look around

Dear Prudence (Dear Prudence), let me see you smile
Dear Prudence (Dear Prudence), like a little child
The clouds will be a daisy chain
So let me see you smile again
Dear Prudence, won’t you let me see you smile?

Dear Prudence (Dear Prudence), won’t you come out to play?
Dear Prudence (Dear Prudence), greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It’s beautiful, and so are you
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play?Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Oh, look around, look around, ah-ah-ah

Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round
Look around, around
Oh, look around, around
Look around, ’round, ’round, ’round, ’round

Written By John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - Promo Advert

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Siouxsie & The Banshees
Dear Prudence
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - UK 7'' Cover - Front
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Dear Prudence - VIT Album

Date Released

23rd September 1983

Highest Chart Position

No. 03

Genre

Rock, New Wave, Post-Punk, Goth

Date Of UK Top 40 Entry

1st October 1983

Record Label

WONDERLAND RECORDS

Catalogue Number

SHE 4

Other Songs In Archive

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