Mittageisen
Encyclopedia
"Mittageisen" is a single by the English
band Siouxsie and the Banshees. Originally appearing on the band's 1978 debut album The Scream
as "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)", the track was re-recorded in 1979 with this time the lyrics sung in German
.
The title "Mittageisen" is a word play
based on the German words "Mittagessen" (literally: "noon meal", i.e. Lunch) and Eisen ("iron
"). The title was inspired by John Heartfield
's photocollage Hurrah, die Butter ist Alle! ("Hurray, the Butter is Finished!"), that was also used as front cover art.
John Heartfield's photocollage was initially used on the frontpage of the "Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung
/ Workers Illustrated Journal", published on 19 December 1935. Heartfield (1891–1968) was an early member of the Club Dada
, which started 1916 as Cabaret Voltaire
in Zürich. The picture with the title 'Hurrah, die Butter ist Alle! / Hurray, the butter is finished!' shows a family who eats various pieces of metal. The trigger for it was the following quote from Hermann Göring
: "Iron made a nation always strong, butter and lard made only the people fat."
"Mittageisen" was composed by Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux
, John McKay
, Kenny Morris and Steven Severin
, the lyrics were translated by Dave Woods. The single is dedicated to John Heartfield.
The other song, "Love in a Void" was composed by Sioux, and former short-lived Banshee guitarist Peter Fenton. The track was an early live favorite, but had not been properly recorded until this release.
The record was promoted as a double A-side release at the time, but only "Mittageisen" was tracked on the UK singles chart
, where it peaked at number 47. Nevertheless, "Love in a Void" was included on the 1981 compilation Once Upon a Time: The Singles
. Putative A-side "Mittageisen" later appeared on the band's B-side compilation Downside Up
.
"Mittageisen" was later covered
by Massive Attack
as "Superpredators (Metal Postcard)" in 1997 on the soundtrack to the film The Jackal. "Love in a Void" was later covered by black metal
group Darkthrone
, on their Too Old, Too Cold EP. The Swiss band Mittageisen
was named after this song.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
band Siouxsie and the Banshees. Originally appearing on the band's 1978 debut album The Scream
The Scream (album)
The Scream is the debut album by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in November 1978 on Polydor Records. Even before this release, the band already had a strong reputation as a live act, as well as having a Top 10 UK single under their belt with "Hong Kong Garden"...
as "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)", the track was re-recorded in 1979 with this time the lyrics sung in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
The title "Mittageisen" is a word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
based on the German words "Mittagessen" (literally: "noon meal", i.e. Lunch) and Eisen ("iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
"). The title was inspired by John Heartfield
John Heartfield
John Heartfield is the anglicized name of the German photomontage artist Helmut Herzfeld...
's photocollage Hurrah, die Butter ist Alle! ("Hurray, the Butter is Finished!"), that was also used as front cover art.
John Heartfield's photocollage was initially used on the frontpage of the "Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung
Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung
Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung or AIZ was a weekly German illustrated magazine published between 1924 and 1938 in Berlin and later in Prague...
/ Workers Illustrated Journal", published on 19 December 1935. Heartfield (1891–1968) was an early member of the Club Dada
Dada
Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement that began in Zurich, Switzerland, during World War I and peaked from 1916 to 1922. The movement primarily involved visual arts, literature—poetry, art manifestoes, art theory—theatre, and graphic design, and concentrated its anti-war politics through a...
, which started 1916 as Cabaret Voltaire
Cabaret Voltaire (Zürich)
Cabaret Voltaire was the name of a nightclub in Zurich, Switzerland. It was founded by Hugo Ball, with his companion Emmy Hennings on February 5, 1916 as a cabaret for artistic and political purposes. Other founding members were Marcel Janco, Richard Huelsenbeck, Tristan Tzara, and Jean Arp...
in Zürich. The picture with the title 'Hurrah, die Butter ist Alle! / Hurray, the butter is finished!' shows a family who eats various pieces of metal. The trigger for it was the following quote from Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
: "Iron made a nation always strong, butter and lard made only the people fat."
"Mittageisen" was composed by Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux
Siouxsie Sioux is an English singer-songwriter. She is best known as the lead singer of the critically acclaimed rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and of its splinter group The Creatures . The Banshees produced eleven studio albums and a string of hit singles including "Hong Kong Garden",...
, John McKay
John McKay (musician)
John McKay was the first studio guitarist of Siouxsie and the Banshees.He was member of the band from July 1977 until September 1979. He played on the albums The Scream and Join Hands...
, Kenny Morris and Steven Severin
Steven Severin
Steven Severin , is an English musician, composer, bassist and co-founding member of Siouxsie and the Banshees....
, the lyrics were translated by Dave Woods. The single is dedicated to John Heartfield.
The other song, "Love in a Void" was composed by Sioux, and former short-lived Banshee guitarist Peter Fenton. The track was an early live favorite, but had not been properly recorded until this release.
The record was promoted as a double A-side release at the time, but only "Mittageisen" was tracked on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, where it peaked at number 47. Nevertheless, "Love in a Void" was included on the 1981 compilation Once Upon a Time: The Singles
Once Upon a Time: The Singles
Once Upon a Time: The Singles is Siouxsie and the Banshees's 1981 compilation album featuring the band's UK single releases to date. The album featured several songs that had been released as singles yet had not appeared on any of the Banshees' four albums.In 2002, Q Magazine named Once Upon A...
. Putative A-side "Mittageisen" later appeared on the band's B-side compilation Downside Up
Downside Up
Downside Up is a four-disc box set collecting B-sides and bonus material from the catalog of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Also included is The Thorn , originally released in 1984....
.
"Mittageisen" was later covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
as "Superpredators (Metal Postcard)" in 1997 on the soundtrack to the film The Jackal. "Love in a Void" was later covered by black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
group Darkthrone
Darkthrone
Darkthrone is a Norwegian black metal band. They formed in 1987 as a death metal band, but after embracing the black metal style in 1991, they became a driving force in the Norwegian black metal scene. For most of this period Darkthrone has consisted of just two musicians, Nocturno Culto and...
, on their Too Old, Too Cold EP. The Swiss band Mittageisen
Mittageisen (band)
mittageisen is a Swiss Dark Wave band of the early 1980s.The name refers to "Mittageisen", a single by Siouxsie and the Banshees that makes use of a John Heartfield photomontage on the cover. This picture was originally published on the frontpage of the "Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung / Workers...
was named after this song.