back to home page

discography: albums

previous  index  next

Bend Sinister

Original UK release
First released 29 September 1986 on Beggars Banquet LP: BEGA75; cassette: BEGC75; and CD: BEGA75CD (later pressings: BBL75CD)

01. R.O.D. (Rogers/Scanlon/Smith, ME/Smith, B/Wolstencroft) 4:31  Lyrics

It's approaching
600 pounds gas and flesh
Robes in tatters
It's approaching
Lips and tongue abhorrent
Flickering lexicon
Or a stray dog pack leader

Hide hide, all good people hang out for a result
Hide dive hide, reasonable people in silence do exult
Realm of dusk

The Northerns
Look at the North ones
Their brains are unhinged by the sun

Rare stone
Our faces are rare stone
It comes to take them
Move out the armies

Hide Lyrics

02. Dktr. Faustus (Scanlon/Smith, ME) 5:32  Lyrics

(parts in [ ] are Brix)

[Yeah... yeah...]
Doctor Faustus
Horseshoes splacking
Swallows hay cart, cart horse
Of the peasants blocking his path
[Yeah...]
Doctor Faustus
Power showing
Spits out hay cart, cart horse hay and box [yeah]
Outside the gates of the town of Anholt

... part...
[Had your chances... you've had your chance
You've had your chances... you've had your chance
Yeah....]

Doctor Faustus
At the court of the Count
Made fruits exotic pleasure-licious
Appear behind curtains in Winter

[Banana... apple... plum]
Faustus [exotic fruits]
At the court of the decadent Count [yeah]
Made animals from sunny lands appear [banana]
In the sparse gardens
[Strawberries... exotic fruits
Had your chances... you've had your chance
You've had your chances... you've had your chance
Banana]

Doctor Faustus [Yeah]
Horseshoes splacking
Swallows hay cart, cart horse [cherry]
Hay and box [cherry]
Of the peasants blocking his path [banana]
Had to leave (apples... cherries)
His drinking student friends (exotic fruits)

[Doctor Faustus... Doctor Faustus]
(? MES quiet background vox])
[Yeah... exotic fruits... strawberry
Doctor Faustus... Doctor Faustus
Had your chances... you've had your chance
Had your chances... you've had your chance
Had your chances... you've had your chance
Had your chances... you've had your chance]

There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky
There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky
There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky
There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky
[Banana]
Had your chance... you've had your chances [banana]
[There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky]
Had your chance [banana]
There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky / [you've had your chance]
[Doctor Faustus, Doctor Faustus]
(?)
[Banana]
[There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky
There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky
Banana]

[Doctor Faustus
Had your chance
Banana
Had your chances
Banana
There's a blood silhouette through the ceiling sky
Banana]

Hide Lyrics

03. Shoulder Pads 1# (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 2:54  Lyrics

All these fads
It's shoulder pads

On New Year's Dawn
To my surprise
All the Macca lads stayed at home
Picking antiques
Encloses
Cosy fleck with green bits
Main undercurrent, white spermatoze

My powers
Against them, half-useless
My senses
Alive have party

Was embarrassed but stuck with them
Walked, at shoulder, down the street, ridicule
They couldn't tell Lou Reed from Doug Yule
Suppressed hate romance

It was like being back at school

My powers before them resound
My powers heard language, two-time doom

Win populace, internal defeat
Their mob had a coup d'etat
Realize what they'd always wanted
Knew I was right all along
It wasn't then a Beatles song
Superhero in harlequin kecks
Dim-wit lecture, half read
Cursing black singers ten years dead

Was a clown in victim hat
Was shouldered and spurned

Then my powers did return...

Hide Lyrics

04. Mr. Pharmacist (Nowlen) 2:17  Lyrics

Mr Pharmacist
Can you help me out today
In your usual lovely way
Oh Mr Pharmacist I insist
That you give me some of that vitamin C
Mr Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist won't you please
Give me some energy
Mr Pharmacist

Hey Mr Pharmacist
I'll recommend you to my friends
They'll be happy in the end
Mr Pharmacist can you help
Send me on a 'delic kick
Mr Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist use your mind
You better stock me up for the wintertime
Mr Pharmacist

Hey Mr Pharmacist
Words cannot express
Feeling I suggest
Oh Mr Pharmacist I can plead
Gimme some of that powder I need
Mr Pharmacist
Dear Pharmacist I'll be back
With a handful of empty sack
Mr Pharmacist

Hide Lyrics

05. Gross Chapel-British Grenadiers (Hanley, S/Scanlon/Smith, ME) 7:20  Lyrics

Porterage down
The dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Sales person mobile

Porterage down
Dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Was introduced by a woman loose-limbed, slim

One woke up to a whitewashed ugly wall - whoosh!
Made worse by dirty postcards
Trapped in their town

They're embracing criminals in panicky hall
No temper for Fall group

I'll put you down
Porterage down
To the dark gross chapel
He stepped streets around now
Sales-person, mobile

I'll put you down
To the gross chapel

You were right said Peter
Dying for a smoke
But you shouldn't have said to the police
Jobs I do are little things
Like the chemist coming on insulted
They were as fed up as I was
Waiting outside after putting blame on you

Porterage down
Ask him! I am ailing
Porterage down

Then let us fill a bumper,
And drink a health to those
Who carry caps and pouches,
And wear the louped clothes.
May they and their commanders
Live happy all their years

Whene'er we are commanded
To storm the palisades
Our leaders march with fusees,
And we with hand grenades.
We throw them from the glacis,
About the enemies' ears.
Sing tow, row, row, row, row, row,
For the British Grenadiers.

I'll put you down

Hide Lyrics

06. U.S. 80's-90's (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 4:34  Lyrics

Had a run-in with Boston Immigration
And to my name had an aversion
Nervous droplets
Due to sleeping tablets
No beer
No cigarettes
Slam, spikes, gin, cigarettes
Beer in ban
The cops are tops
Welcome to the 80s 90s
Welcome to US 80s 90s
I'm the big-shot original rapper
But it's time for me to get off this crapper
Welcome to the US 80s 90s
No beer
No cigarettes
Spikes, gin, cigarettes
Whisky

Like cones of silence

Welcome to the US 80s and 90s
Like 50s, 1890s

Kentucky dead keep pouring down
By death stadium
No more amused dressing room
My ambition, but one chance in three million Jack
Like cones of silence

Cast aside over-inflation theory of the panic insists
Welcome to the US 80s 90s
Look at page 19, small column, lower right-hand side
Welcome to the 1980s

Hide Lyrics

07. Terry Waite Sez (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 1:37  Lyrics

Terry Waite Sez
Terry Waite Sez
Terry Waite Sez
Give us a ring, give us a ring kid
Mister Big
Sounding sour and frustrated
With the pressure of his own life.

Terry Waite Sez
Terry Waite Sez
What are those trees
Painted white jobs
Silvered something
Silvered something
50 plus
Out to heal provincial pus
Let the real reverend walk
He says and does

He plans but they won't let him in
w
Terry Waite Sez
Terry Waite!

Hide Lyrics

08. Bournemouth Runner (Hanley, S/Smith, ME/Smith, B) 6:05  Lyrics

Consumed with premonition
Of trouble on horizon
By my remarks I was certain
I was destined persecution
But then I took a chase after the Bournemouth Runner!
Bournemouth Runner!
C-c-could dare
Bournemouth Runner!
First night
Bournemouth Runner!
He was a Bournemouth Runner!
Bournemouth Runner!
Didn't get far
Bournemouth Runner!
First night
Bournemouth Runner!
But the second night
He got away with our guiding light
Was chilled to the bone
At 8am
On a Bournemouth morn
There was a drum deck
Outside [Route/room] 51
Two nights before
Bristol ball
A runner took backdrop, exit hall

Bournemouth Runner!
Raced a couple of hundred yards
Bournemouth Runner!
Barman clipped his ears
Bournemouth Runner!
Spitted and shifted
Bournemouth Runner!
Backdrop dissipated
Bournemouth Runner!
He was the Bournemouth Runner!

How could we now it was the Bournemouth Runner?
Bournemouth Runner!
Raced a couple of hundred yards
Bournemouth Runner!
Barman clipped his ears
Bournemouth Runner!
Spitted and shifted
Bournemouth Runner!
Backdrop dissipated
Bournemouth Runner!
He was the Bournemouth Runner!
Took away our guiding light

Our backdrop was friendly, heavy
Often it would rumble into hotel
And partake with us
In diluted drink and dogmeat
Of RAC recommended hostelry
Bournemouth Runner!
Shifted and twisted
Bournemouth Runner!
On beach sand sifted
Bournemouth Runner!
In the best home
Bournemouth Runner!
Locks picked
Bournemouth Runner!
Should've known better
Than to underrate
Bournemouth sucker
Took away our guiding light
Bournemouth Runner!
Calendar
Bournemouth Runner!
I'v forgotten the date
Bournemouth Runner!
No plot
Bournemouth Runner!
You're welcome
Bournemouth Runner!
It was coated in poison
Bournemouth Runner!

Have to buy a new one.......

Hide Lyrics

09. Riddler! (Rogers/Smith, ME/Smith, B) 6:19  Lyrics

Say! Mmmmmm-uuuaahhh
Say! Mmmmmm-uuuaaaah
Say! Mmmmmm--uuuaaaah

Monday night at operation control
I sat facing rows of monitor mountains
Mind control
Life control
Operation mind control
My first is in car
I'm easily bought, but still always short
[Fly that over space beam]
And round my way the people still do say
Ridd-ler
Ridd-ler
And round these parts the people still impart
Riddler!
My second is in..
Zoooooooom!
Say! Mmmmmm
Say! Mmmmmm
And round my way the people still do say
Riddler!
Round these parts the people still impart
Ridd-ler
Ridd-ler
Third: slopes
Fourth: [inverting within]
Round my way the people still do say
Riddler
And round these parts the people still exclaim
Ridd-ler
And even now kids round our place say
Riddler

Hide Lyrics

10. Shoulder Pads 2# (Smith, ME/Smith, B) 1:56  Lyrics

Knew I was right all along
Rock to Them, a Talking Heads album
Superhero in harlequin kecks
Dim-wit lecture, half read

Was I - victim in clown hat?
Was I - nearly turned
Then my powers did return....
Watch out!
Makers of fads
It's MES in shoulder pads
My powers none
Powers, said Batman
Said a twisted chill, flashes pan
It's MES in shoulder pads
Big fit deal for mothers of fads
It's MES in shoulder pads
You'd better
Line that bottom line
Against that different clan
Holding ankles
Rotten kecks
It's MES in shoulder pads

Hide Lyrics


(LP side 1: tracks 1-5; LP side 2: tracks 6-10)

The cassette and CD versions included the bonus tracks:

11. Living Too Late (Smith, ME) 4:35
12. Auto-Tech Pilot (Hanley, S/Smith, ME) 4:51
13. Town And Country Hobgoblins (Riley/Scanlon/Hanley, S/Smith, ME) 3:00

(Cassette side 1: tracks 1-5, track 11; side 2: tracks 6-10, track2 12-13)
(CD: tracks 1-5, track 11, tracks 6-10, track 12)

Track 11 comes from the Living Too Late single; track 12 comes from the Mr. Pharmacist single; track 13 is a live recording of City Hobgoblins (the B-side of How I Wrote 'Elastic Man') from the Town And Country Club, London on 12 July 1986 - hence the track being renamed Town And Country Hobgoblins.

Credits
Mark E Smith - vocals, tapes
Brix Smith - guitar, keyboards, vocals
Craig Scanlon - guitar
Steve Hanley - bass, guitar
Simon Rogers - keyboards, guitar
Simon Wolstencroft - drums, percussion (all except tracks 2 & 11)
Paul Hanley - drums (tracks 2 & 11)

Produced by: John Leckie
Engineered by: Joe Gillingham

Recording info & notes
Recorded at Yellow 2, Stockport; Abbey Road, London; Square One, Bury mid 1986.

The CD was re-pressed in 1990 and 1997 as a budget price release with a different catalogue number (BBL75CD), but the tracklisting and cover artwork remained the same as the original CD.

Overseas releases
Released in the USA in 1987 on Bigtime Records LP: 6039-1 under the title The Domesday Pay-Off Triad Plus. The US version had a different tracklisting and cover (see image gallery).

01. There's A Ghost In My House (Dozier/Holland/Holland/R. Dean Taylor) 2:36
02. U.S. 80's-90's
03. Shoulder Pads #1
04. Mr Pharmacist
05. Riddler
06. Hey Luciani (Hanley, S/Smith, ME) 3:34
07. Haf Found Bormann (Smith, ME) 2:43
08. Terry Waite Sez
09. R.O.D.
10. Shoulder Pads #2
11. Gross Chapel-British Grenadiers

Tracks 1 & 7 are the single There's A Ghost In My House; tracks 2-5 & 8-11 are from the original UK album; and track 6 is from the single Hey! Luciani.


© The Fall online. Email Conway about this page. to top of page