"Song to the Siren" for multiple voices

Do you like a challenge? Of all the songs you’ve ever heard, which one is your favorite? Maybe this makes it easier: of all the songs you’ve heard, which one has had the biggest impact on your life?

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It’s not easy, is it? Well, I had already planned this post a few weeks ago and had to come to a conclusion quickly. Since it was difficult, I chose, from a selection of 11 songs, the one that impacted me the most: “Song to the Siren.”

The reasons for my choice are personal and partly stem from the song’s meaning. In addition to its meaning, there’s undoubtedly the milestone this song represented in the music industry—with the label 4AD, responsible for shaping my generation by introducing bands like: This Mortal Coil, Cocteau Twins, Dead Can Dance, Pixies, The Breeders, Bauhaus, among many others.

A melancholic love song inspired by Larry Beckett’s universe, Greek mythology, and the ancient tale of the enchanting sirens who lured sailors to their deaths, from Homer’s literary work “The Odyssey.”

This song is a mix of desire, vulnerability, frustration, and transcendence. A love that calls, but never materializes. The feeling of total surrender that leads to loss. The irresistible desire that borders on emotional danger, or even a spiritual quest.

The song was written by Tim Buckley and his collaborator Larry Beckett in 1967, but it wasn’t released until it appeared on his 1970 masterpiece, “Starsailor”. This meant that pop star Pat Boone’s 1969 version, from his album “Departure”, was the first actual recording to see the light of day. However, by that time, Buckley had already recorded the song for the final episode of the series The Monkees in 1968.

But it was with the voice of Elizabeth Fraser, then with This Mortal Coil (1983), that this song became quite famous. In an ethereal/dream pop style, it was used in the film Lost Highway and stayed on the indie charts longer than many iconic songs of the 1980s.

It is one of the most reinterpreted songs in alternative music, with dozens of different covers. There are 24 official cover recordings. If we include remixes, samples, and unofficial versions, the number likely reaches a hundred different interpretations. I’m sharing with you the versions that stand out most to me.

He was one of the leading singers and songwriters of the counterculture era, thanks to his powerful voice and experimental compositions. However, when it comes to his most moving work, there is no moment more striking than “Song to the Siren.”

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Buckley’s talent—and, when considered alongside the innovation underlying some of his other works—leads us to wonder what his career might have been like had it not been for his overdose of heroin and morphine.

A more energetic rendition by Boone from 1969. This version is radically different from Buckley’s. Nevertheless, it remains highly impactful and captures a different facet of 1960s culture.

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A maximalist take on the folk classic, this rendition was tailored for the bright lights and glamour of Las Vegas and the lively crowds Boone was already accustomed to.

A minimalist interpretation driven by the power of Cocteau Twins singer Elizabeth Fraser’s voice—this time singing actual lyrics, as opposed to the abstract vocalizations for which she is famous—has lost none of its impact since its release in 1983.

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Accompanied only by the sparse, reverberating guitar of Cocteau Twins member Robin Guthrie, this cover remains the most effective ever and is, by far, the most important track on the 4AD collective’s 1984 debut album, It’ll End in Tears.

Fun fact: Fraser was in an intense romantic relationship with Jeff Buckley, whom she had charmed ever since he first heard this version.

This cover delves deeply into the intoxicating nature of the mythical sirens and Buckley and Beckett’s song. Her sincere and passionate interpretation is similar to Elizabeth Fraser’s in the This Mortal Coil version in its melismatic quality, but the song adds a completely different dimension.

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Supported by shimmering synthesizers and an intoxicating, repetitive beat, all the elements envelop the listener in this version. This cover builds to a massive climax, which proves to be the icing on the cake.

As he made clear during his 12 years with Led Zeppelin and continued to demonstrate throughout his solo career, Robert Plant is a folk music enthusiast. As a songwriter whose work draws on various mythologies, it’s no surprise that his love for the genre and this form of literature led him to create one of the finest renditions of Buckley’s masterpiece.

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Included on Plant’s 2002 album, Dreamland, this cover draws heavily on the intoxicating feeling of the sirens in the title and the original song, through its introspective interpretation, the gliding guitar line, and, above all, the sweeping strings.

Bryan Ferry’s version is one of the most elegant and sophisticated interpretations of this song, as evidenced by this performance in Belfast in 2012. The live orchestral accompaniment and backing vocals breathe new life into this song.

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Unlike Buckley’s raw emotional intensity or Elizabeth Fraser’s ethereal fragility, Bryan Ferry’s more restrained tone evokes a sense of mature nostalgia—a more controlled and subtle emotion. It feels less like a cry of pain and more like a melancholic reflection. Brilliant!