l-r: Ian McCalloch, Will Sergeant, Les Pattinson, Pete de Freitas
“Lips Like Sugar” is the seventh track on the first disc of The Brit Box. It was the second single released from Echo & The Bunnymen’s fifth (and eponymous) album, which was released in August, 1987. This was their last album with Pete, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1989.
Tidbits:
Musicians on the song:
Ian McCulloch – vocals, guitar
Will Sergeant – lead guitar
Les Pattinson – bass
Pete de Freitas – drums
Henry Priestman – piano
Initially dismissed by songwriter Ian McCulloch as too commercial, it became a chart success in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. Despite not charting in the US, the song has become one of their most famous songs in America, thanks in part to college radio airplay and its music video directed by Anton Corbijn, which was regularly broadcast on MTV’s 120 Minutes program.
The lyrics seem simple, but they are anything but. The water imagery and how she teases and taunts, is this a woman, or perhaps a mermaid — or a siren?
“Lips Like Sugar”
She floats like a swan
Grace on the water
Lips like sugar
Lips like sugar
Just when you think you’ve caught her
She glides across the water
She calls for you tonight
To share this moonlight
You’ll flow down her river
She’ll ask and you’ll give her
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
She knows what she knows
I know what she’s thinking
Sugar kisses
Sugar kisses
Just when you think she’s yours
She’s flown to other shores
To laugh at how you break
And melt into this lake
You’ll flow down her river
But you’ll never give her
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
She’ll be my mirror
Reflect what I am
A loser and a winner
The King of Siam
And my Siamese twin
Alone on the river
Mirror kisses
Mirror kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Lips like sugar
Sugar kisses
Writer(s): McCulloch Ian Stephen, Pattinson Leslie Thomas, Sergeant William Alfred
Tao Talk 
I hear this on the radio all the time. (K)
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Awesome! I just started listening to spotify with blue tooth in the car and they have created some neat playlists for me with new Britpop songs.
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Pretty catchy tune. It’s probably the only one I can name by Echo & The Bunnymen, even though I find it a quite memorable band name! Perhaps I would recognize some of their other songs, if I listened to them.
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Christian, same here. They are new to me except for the name and this song.
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a great song… many Echo purists didn’t like that album (simply entitled Echo & the Bunnymen) but it was great start to finish… a little more commercial than some of their material but a very upbeat, listenable album. “The Game” and “bedbugs and Ballyhoo” off it were both outstanding singles too… happily for me , both were big in Toronto bu not much elsewhere I guess.
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Aha! Glad you are familiar with it and have info on the album.
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A co-worker of mine and I went to lunch for years and years…he got me listening to them…a really good band…and different.
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It’s funny how we find good music along life’s path, isn’t it.
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