Bela Lugosi's Dead

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"Bela Lugosi's Dead"

Single by Bauhaus
Released	1979
Format	12", CD, CS
Genre	Gothic rock
Length	9:36
Label	Small Wonder
Bauhaus singles chronology
	Bela Lugosi's Dead	Dark Entries

"Bela Lugosi's Dead" is an influential gothic rock song (often considered to be the first) written by the band Bauhaus. The song was the band's first single, released in August 1979. It did not enter the UK pop charts, but remained on sale for many years thereafter. The B-side features the song "Boys" and some versions also include an early recording of what would be their next single, "Dark Entries."

1 Description
2 Lyrical content
3 Personnel
4 Covers
5 Printing Info
6 Audio sample
7 External links

[edit] Description

The song is over nine minutes in length and was recorded "live in the studio" in a single take. Live recordings are often several minutes longer. David J, the band's bassist, claims on his website to have written the lyrics. By far their most famous work, its minimalist, free-form nature evoked a mixture of The Doors, early Pink Floyd and experimental Krautrock bands such as Can and Neu!, and particularly The Chain by Fleetwood Mac. The singing does not start (in the studio version) until several minutes into the track.

The title references horror film star Bela Lugosi (1882-1956), who did much to establish the modern vampire image as the title character in the 1931 film Dracula. Lugosi was, in fact, buried in his Dracula cape - an event depicted in the film Ed Wood (though reportedly inaccurately).

The song was featured in the 1983 Tony Scott cult vampire film The Hunger, where it played during the opening credits and introduction. A 7" promotional record featuring an edited version of the song was released to theaters playing the movie. The song also featured as the intro music to the Saturday Night Live skit "Goth Talk", which had Chris Kattan and Molly Shannon as two goth students. This song was also in an episode in the fifth season of Smallville, the Halloween-themed "Thirst." It was also played throughout the movie The Curve.

[edit] Lyrical content

The song's lyrics describe Bela Lugosi's funeral in terms that suggest an actual vampire's death:

The bats have left the bell tower

The victims have been bled

Red velvet lines the black box

Bela Lugosi's dead

The song seems to deliberately blur the line between Lugosi and his most famous creation:

Alone in a darkened room

The Count

The song ends with Peter Murphy repeating "Bela's undead" - evoking both the supernatural creature Lugosi played and the immortality of the filmic archetype that he created.

[edit] Personnel

Peter Murphy — vocals, guitar
Daniel Ash — guitar
David J — bass
Kevin Haskins — drums

[edit] Covers

Following are bands who have done covers of "Bela Lugosi's Dead":

Electric Hellfire Club
Sepultura
Until December
The Buzzcocks
Godhead
Dream Disciples
Opera IX
Poison Idea
XIII Stoleti
XPQ21
Nouvelle Vague
Soft Taco (band)
Truth Decay did a parody/homage called "The Ballad of Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss is Dead)" which referenced many Dr. Seuss characters, particularly the Cat in the Hat.

An excerpt of the song is parodied in Bill Bailey's Cockney Medley, a feature of his Bewilderness stand-up routine.

In June of 2006, while touring together, Peter Murphy, Trent Reznor and members of TV on the Radio performed the song for a radio and internet broadcast.

The Dirtbombs' cover of the soul song "Kung Fu" features an instrumental line that is virtually indistinguishable from that of "Bela Lugosi's Dead".