Jezebel (Recoil song)

This article is about the song 'Jezebel' written by Alan Wilder for the 2000 Recoil album Liquid. For the Depeche Mode song 'Jezebel' written by Martin L. Gore for the 2009 album Sounds Of The Universe, see Jezebel (Depeche Mode song).

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Lyrics

Jezebel

Well stop, great God, stop there and listen

Listen to the story ‘bout Jezebel

Her sins were so wicked Jehovah got angry

Her soul went leapin’ and jumpin’ into Hell

Way back yonder in the olden days

John told Jezebel to borrow her ways

Said her evil deeds had ruined the land

And repent for the kingdom of God was at hand

She got mad at John ‘cause he told her ‘bout the gospel

Told her servants to boil him in oil

Well they tell me God looked from the windows of the heavens

Spoke one word and the oil wouldn’t boil

He raised his hand, creation trembled

Stamped his feet and time stood still

Raised his voice, looked down and thundered

"John! Go do my will"

You got to go to judgment, stand trial

Then they tell me John moved through the power of the gospel

Told Jezebel her time was nigh

On the book of life, her days were ended

Her time run out and she had to die

Well they tell me God walked his footsteps thunderin’

He moved his head and his eyes flashed fire

Clapped his hands and death come jumpin’

Jehovah was angry, somebody had to die

You got to go to judgment, stand trial

Then Death come knockin’ on Jezebel’s door and said

"Come on woman ain’t you ready to go?

Of your evil deeds God’s done got tired

You got to go to judgment, stand trial"

Then Death come leapin’ she jumped into Hell

Great God Almighty I heard them tell

Nine days she lay in Jerusalem’s streets

Her flesh was too filthy for the dogs to eat

You got to go to judgment, stand trial

"Jezebel, mind God’s talking, says he’s tired of your evil ways

You got to go to judgment, stand trial"

Songwriter: Traditional/Orlandus Wilson
Publishing Information: ℗ 2000 Mute Records Limited

Music video

The music video for "Jezebel" was uploaded to the official Recoil YouTube channel on 7 November 2007.

Remixes

Jezebel (Seductress Mix)

The "(Seductress Mix)" is a remix produced as a collaborative effort between remixer Ehron VonAllen and Alan Wilder, who provided suggestions and feedback throughout its production. Notably, the remixer detailed Wilder's input and dissected various elements of the song via video annotations in a 2012 YouTube video upload. YouTube removed the annotations feature as of January 2019, however, a mirror of the original annotations can be viewed at indivio.us. Below is a transcript of Ehron VonAllen's annotations edited for clarity:

0:08 - [The] intro male vocal is [from] the original [Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet] voice slowed down.

0:12 - The bassline is the original from Alan's stems, except it was looped twice and overlapped just slightly to give a more sequenced effect.

0:57 - This famous "Bonham" drum loop that kicks in here [was used by Alan] in Depeche Mode's 'Halo' & 'Get Right With Me'.

1:21 - Here, I recreated Alan's bass sample so I could have more options. I didn't want to abandon the signature 'Jezebel' bassline, so I kept its overall tone.

1:49 - You can hear three time-stretched cymbals in a row. This was requested by Alan after I sent him the first version of the song. He thought it would make the transition coming after that go smoother. He was right of course.

1:59 - The violin sequence is taken from Ehron VonAllen's 2003 cover of 'Jezebel'.

2:09 - The bassline in this section is Alan's original 'Jezebel' bassline sample, just in reverse to give the illusion of a new line.

3:14 - The male voice is Ehron VonAllen's vocals from the chorus of his song 'Countless Contradictions' but it is reversed to give a more sinister and dark effect.

3:17 - It was Alan's idea to add a filtering effect here.

3:36 - The female vocal is gospel singer Nancy Allen taken from Ehron VonAllen's song 'Estella'.

4:00 - The female vocal is Nancy Allen again, [using the] same vocals from the song 'Estella' but in reverse to give off [an] "exotic language" effect.

4:11 - These vocals originally appeared near the beginning of the song.

4:42 - It was Alan's idea to leave the last vocal part hanging over so long during the transition, which worked great.

4:54 - There was once a section here that used samples from the Recoil song 'Bloodline', but that segment didn't fit in the final mix well.

5:04 - During the discussion to remove that part, Alan revealed that there is a sequence in 'Electro Blues For Bukka White' that he created originally [for use with] 'Waiting For The Night'.

5:12 - After Alan expressed the change, he said "Now you know why they call me a perfectionist control freak right?" Great quote :)

5:23 - The female vocal [pronouncing the word] "judgement" throughout the song is [performed by] Diamanda Galás.

Depeche Mode songs released as singles 1981-1985: Dreaming Of Me • New Life • Just Can't Get Enough • See You • The Meaning Of Love • Leave In Silence • Get The Balance Right • Everything Counts • Love In Itself • People Are People • Master And Servant • Blasphemous Rumours / Somebody • Shake The Disease • It's Called A Heart 1986-1989: Stripped • But Not Tonight • A Question Of Lust • A Question Of Time • Strangelove • Never Let Me Down Again • Behind The Wheel • Little 15 • Personal Jesus 1990-1998: Enjoy The Silence • Policy Of Truth • World In My Eyes • I Feel You • Walking In My Shoes • Condemnation • In Your Room • Barrel Of A Gun • It's No Good • Home • Useless • Only When I Lose Myself 2001-2009: Dream On • I Feel Loved • Freelove • Goodnight Lovers • Precious • A Pain That I'm Used To • Suffer Well • John The Revelator / Lilian • Martyr • Wrong • Peace • Fragile Tension / Hole To Feed 2013-2017: Heaven • Soothe My Soul • Should Be Higher • Where's The Revolution • Going Backwards • Cover Me 2023: Ghosts Again Recoil songs released as singles 1992-1998: Faith Healer • Drifting • Stalker / Missing Piece 2000-2008: Strange Hours • Jezebel • Prey • Allelujah Dave Gahan songs released as singles 2003-2008: Dirty Sticky Floors • I Need You • Bottle Living / Hold On • A Little Piece • Kingdom • Saw Something / Deeper And Deeper 2012-2015: Longest Day • Take Me Back Home • All Of This And Nothing • Shine Martin Gore solo songs released as singles 1989-2003: Compulsion • Stardust • Loverman 2012-2015: Spock • Single Blip • Aftermaths • Europa Hymn • "Pinking" (Christoffer Berg Remix) Official releases Studio albums • Live albums • Compilation albums • Video albums • Singles