Ian McCulloch Hails 'The Killing Moon' as the Ultimate Song

For Ian McCulloch, the frontman of Echo and the Bunnymen, the track 'The Killing Moon' holds an esteemed place as he's quoted by Rhino calling it 'the greatest song ever written.' The depth of his affection for the song is in part due to its divine inception. He shared that one morning he awoke with the profound line 'Fate up against your will. Through the thick and thin. He will wait until you give yourself to him' vividly in his mind. The process of crafting 'The Killing Moon' also involved reverse-engineering David Bowie's 'Space Oddity' for inspiration, although the eventual outcome bore no resemblance to Bowie’s track.

Inspired by Celestial Muses

McCulloch's experience of receiving this song so compellingly in a dream-like state led him to consider it a gift from above, attributing the lyrics to a higher power. The 1984 hit has enchanted fans, including the writer who became enamored with the song during high school in the late 1980s. Music lovers are encouraged to listen to McCulloch's own acoustic rendition from 2014, celebrated for its lushness by NME.

From Original to Cover Brilliance

Meanwhile, the indie rock band Pavement has been praised for their 'effortlessly cool' cover of the song, reimagining 'The Killing Moon' with indie flair attributable to frontman Stephen Malkmus. Pavement's version incorporates unique lyrics and pays homage to another Echo and the Bunnymen song, 'Crown Of Thorns,' by including a line from it. Echo and the Bunnymen continue to resonate with fans as they tour across the UK, Europe, and North America into mid-June 2024.

Echo, Bunnymen, McCulloch