Monitor

Siouxsie And The Banshees' song 'Monitor' delves into the unsettling themes of surveillance and the voyeuristic tendencies of modern society. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of people being monitored from the outside, suggesting a world where privacy is compromised for the sake of security and entertainment. The 'monitor' serves as a metaphor for the omnipresent surveillance systems that watch over individuals, ostensibly to prevent crime but also to pass the time and provide a form of twisted entertainment for those on the inside.

The song critiques the passive consumption of this surveillance, as people 'sit in our homes' and 'enjoy the real McCoy,' indicating a sense of complacency and acceptance of this invasive oversight. The 'new air of authority' and 'sentinel of misery' highlight the oppressive nature of this constant monitoring, suggesting that it brings more discomfort and unease than actual safety. The lyrics evoke a sense of excitement and thrill derived from watching others' suffering, as seen in the lines 'His face was full of intent / And we shook with excitement.' This reflects a disturbing aspect of human nature, where pain and misery become a form of entertainment.

The final lines of the song, 'No more second rate movies / From those people outside,' underscore the idea that real-life suffering has become a preferred source of entertainment over fictional portrayals. This chilling observation critiques the desensitization of society to violence and pain, as well as the ethical implications of deriving pleasure from others' misfortunes. Siouxsie And The Banshees use 'Monitor' to hold a mirror up to society, forcing listeners to confront the darker aspects of their own voyeuristic tendencies and the pervasive influence of surveillance in their lives.