THE SISTERS OF MERCY – Lucretia My Reflection (1988)

“Lucretia My Reflection” is a song by the English rock band the Sisters of Mercy. Released as the third and final single from their second studio album, Floodland, in June 1988, it reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.

The song was written by Andrew Eldritch as a “welcome” to the Sisters of Mercy bassist, Patricia Morrison, who, he said, “always strikes me as a Lucrezia [Borgia]-type person”. Its lyrics concern the fall of an empire, war and the consequent destruction of other aspects of life.

I hear the roar of a big machine
Two worlds and in between
Hot metal and methedrine
I hear empire down
I hear empire down

I hear the sons of the city and dispossessed
Get down
Get undressed
Get pretty but you and me
We got the kingdom
We got the key
We got the empire
Now as then
We don’t doubt
We don’t take direction
Lucretia
My reflection
Dance the ghost with me

I hear the roar of a big machine
Two worlds and in between
Love lost
Fire at will
Dum-dum bullets and shoot to kill
I hear dive bombers and
Empire down
Empire down