Anglo For Your Ear: This Mortal Coil’s “Song to the Siren”

By Kevin Wicks | Posted on June 5th, 2008

Has this song been featured on more film soundtracks than any other? Seems that way. Picture it: the protagonist is journeying through the desert, pained yet determined after a long-fought battle, haze rising in the distance. Cue “Song to the Siren” with its prayer-like, vaguely Middle Eastern feel. The vocalist is none other than Elizabeth Fraser, lead singer of Cocteau Twins, and the song itself is a Tim Buckley cover. This version, performed by a selection of artists on the 4AD record label under the name This Mortal Coil, was released in 1984, and its popularity has steadily grown ever since.

Download This Mortal Coil’s “Song to the Siren”