Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead

  

A song titled "Bela Lugosi's Dead" is generally considered as the first gothic rock record which was ever issued. This song was written by the gothic rock pioneers, an English Northampton-based group Bauhaus and released by London independent record label Small Wonder in August 1979 (TEENY 2, originally only 12inch maxi-single, on white vinyl and limited to 5.000 copies). According to group's members it was recorded live in studio in only one take lasting more than nine minutes. The title of this song refers to an American-Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi, famous for creating the classic vampire image in 1931 film "Dracula" directed by Tod Browning. Although this song never entered proper UK Single Chart it was ever present on indie charts for over two years. "Bela Lugosi's Dead" has got received his second life when it was featured in the cult vampire movie "The Hunger" directed by Tony Scott starring David Bowie and Catherine Deneuve. Bauhaus was portrayed in a film's opening scene as performing this song in live the nightclub where vampires are cruising in a hunt for their next victims. This song was also used in several other movies or television productions like horror films "The Collector", "Good Luck Chuck", "Dead Man's Curve", "Sombre" and tv series "Smallville", "Fringe", "Supernatural".

Song's lyrics:
White on white translucent black capes
Back on the rack
Bela Lugosi's dead
The bats have left the bell tower
The victims have been bled
Red velvet lines the black box
Bela Lugosi's dead
Undead undead undead
The virginal brides file past his tomb
Strewn with time's dead flowers
Bereft in deathly bloom
Alone in a darkened room
The count
Bela Lugosi's dead
Undead undead undead