POLY STYRENE – Ghoulish (2011)

Marianne Joan Elliott-Said (1957–2011), known by the stage name Poly Styrene, was an English musician, singer-songwriter, and frontwoman for the punk rock band X-Ray Spex.

After the original line-up of X-Ray Spex broke up in 1979, Poly Styrene recorded a solo album, Translucence, in 1980. The album abandoned X-Ray Spex’s loud guitar work for a quieter and more jazzy sound that has since been described as foreshadowing later work by Everything but the Girl. In 1986, she released the EP God’s & Godesses [sic] on the Awesome record label. A New Age solo album, Flower Aeroplane, followed in 2004.

The song “Ghoulish” is taken from Poly Styrene’s solo album Generation Indigo, released on 28 March 2011, via Future Noise Music. The album received critical acclaim, including a perfect 10 out of 10 score in Artrocker magazine, and 8 out of 10 in The Daily Telegraph newspaper. Generation Indigo was also chosen as Album of the Day on UK radio station BBC 6 Music. It was released in the US on 24 April 2011, the day before her death.

Crimson lips and charcoal eyes On your painted white face, quite a surprise But I can see through your disguise I can see you’re quite a nice guy

Ghostlike form [Incomprehensible] clouded black Snake like hips, wild across back But I can see through your disguise I can see you’re quite a nice guy

Baby, you’re so ghoulish But I’m not so foolish to be scared

Dyed black hair and pencil browns A girls curiosity is not aroused But I can see through your disguise I can see you’re quite a nice guy

Whispers voiceless and disturbed Mysterious life of bad or good But I can see through your disguise I can see you’re quite a nice guy

Baby, you’re so ghoulish But I’m not so foolish to be scared

I’m not scared I’m not scared I’m not scared

Crimson lips and charcoal eyes On your painted white face, quite a surprise But I can see through your disguise I can see you’re quite a nice guy

Ghostlike form [Incomprehensible] clouded black Snake like hips, wild across back But I can see through your disguise I can see you’re quite a nice guy

Baby, you’re so ghoulish But I’m not so foolish to be scared Baby, you’re so ghoulish But I’m not so foolish to be scared