Ornaments Of Gold Lyrics
It's a passage taken from the Koran. "But for fear that all mankind would have become a single people of unbelievers, verily we would certainly have given to those who believe not in the God of Mercy roofs of silver to their houses, and silver stairs to ascend by; And doors of silver to their houses, and couches of silver to recline on; And ORNAMENTS OF GOLD"
SIOUXSIE: "Eureka's a big part of it, I love that film. That song's about imagining adornment, intoxication. I wish people were more exotic with one another. I was flicking through The Koran, a book there called Ornaments Of Gold, saying "Don't look for riches on earth, you'll get them in Heaven", which is just keeping people who've got nothing content. The song is saying why not have both!" Source: NME 1988.
The futility of materialism- even the ideal, poetic edge of materialism- its lovely, empty.
A great example of how a Banshees song means the opposite of what it seems to. On the surface a song about how material things make life better but the references to the Koran show how it means exactly not that. A beautiful song and the Banshees at their best.
Like what Jimmy2345 said, this whole song references the passage he quoted from the Koran. This song is the opposite of what it seems, because it shows the emptiness of materialism and how for materialistic people, their true love lies within 'precious' material goods rather than anything of human or philosophical value:
"And ornaments of gold Warm my soul from the growing cold"
Like here, she indicates that gold gives her more comfort and love than the actual and real love of another (human) also, I am not inferring by 'she' that Siouxsie is materialistic.). Like a lot of her other works, this song is sarcastic and satirical.