Modern Rock Tracks No. 1s - Psychedelic Furs and "Until She Comes"

The Furs close out their early MRT-chart dominance with arguably the best of their chart-toppers, a mellow reflection on love. Or possibly drug addiction. But let's say love.

Matt Madurski

Mar 10, 2024

Psychedelic Furs - “Until She Comes”

Weeks atop the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart: 2 weeks (Sept. 7 and Sept. 14, 1991)

Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers during this time:

Bryan Adams - “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” (9/7/91 - 7 total weeks)
Paula Abdul - “The Promise of a New Day” (9/14/91)

If I’m being honest, I wasn’t very optimistic coming into this week’s writeup.

I’ve been fortunate through this project to discover bands long beloved that existed beneath my musical radar growing up. Acts like The Replacements, XTC, Happy Mondays, and Elvis Costello opened up my eyes thanks to their long-ago hits that I missed completely, and I became more deeply interested in what they had to offer outside of their brief stay atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

And then there’s the Psychedelic Furs.

Don’t get me wrong: The Furs are perfectly pleasant and I can’t say that I completely hated any of their tracks. I gave their first chart-topper, “All That Money Wants,” a reasonably solid 7/10 in my initial review. Their second #1 MRT hit, “House,” was less exciting to me, and it squeaked through with a 5/10. While I respect the talent of the band, nothing about these tracks lit a fire inside me, and ultimately my attempts to get to know more about their musical catalog fell flat. And that’s fine: If we all loved the same stuff, things would get boring really quickly.

And just as I was about to write off the band completely, they come out and turn in a really solid performance with their third and final Modern Rock Tracks #1 hit, “Until She Comes.”

One of my favorite exercises in researching these songs is discovering the meanings behind them, and I really enjoy when there are differing opinions on the band’s intention with their music.

Take Wikipedia, which refers to a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette article from 1991 and notes that “Until She Comes” depicts “a metaphorical story about drug addiction.” The link is dead on Wikipedia, and half-hearted attempts to find the original article came up empty, so take this citation with a grain of salt. But you could make a case that the “she” in the song is about drugs, and from that perspective the lyrics definitely lean toward one’s dependence on mind-altering substances to get through life:

The sun goes out and night comes in
The time goes round and day grows dim
Until she comes again

As I tend more toward the romantic than the drug-fueled, I feel like the song more closely matches the impressions of folks who talk about the meaning of songs on websites like “Song Meanings.” In this case, the romantics win out, arguing that the “she” in the song is literal, and love conquers all. Or something.

And with her step
I move my feet
And with her hand
I feel my skin
And with her need
I find I'm saved
And with her dreams
I'm laid
Until she comes again

I think musically, the love theme seems to fit better. And as I listened to the song a couple of times, I couldn’t help but make a mirror connection to a song that sounds eerily similar in style and substance: “Drive” by The Cars.

Bear with me through this. In “Drive,” Benjamin Orr sings about someone who seems lost without having someone there to lift them up when they’re feeling down, or give them guidance when they need it the most.

Who's gonna pick you up
When you fall?
Who's gonna hang it up
When you call?
Who's gonna pay attention
To your dreams?
Who's gonna plug their ears
When you scream?

It’s almost as if the Furs “Until She Comes” is the sequel to this idea, that when “she” comes, she’s the one who’s gonna drive them home … tonight. “She” is the one who is going to pick you up when you fall. She’s the one who’s gonna pay attention to your dreams.

I am almost 100 percent certain The Furs weren’t writing a sequel to the 1984 #3 Hot 100 hit by The Cars, but even if not intentional, it does lend itself to some reflection and consideration. Love, and the need to have someone in your life to pick you up when you’re down and out, are universal themes that drive a lot of great art, and in the case of “Until She Comes,” I think The Furs did a terrific job translating those feelings into good music.

And much like “Drive,” “Until She Comes” has a slow but deliberate pace that builds momentum but never really explodes into a big refrain or chorus. The song maintains a dreamy ambiance, with light drums punctuating solid acoustic guitar work and a well-placed cello. It’s not a wall of sound, but it’s what I would consider “atmospheric rock,” something that fills a room without having to try too hard to do it.

The album that spawned this hit, “World Outside,” would be the last album the band would release for nearly 30 years. They would have one more MRT chart hit, the #13 single “Don’t Be A Girl,” but “Until She Comes” remains the band’s final chart topper.

For 15 years, beginning in the late ‘70s and into the early ‘90s, Psychedelic Furs managed to capture the imaginations of many alt-rock music fans, and they left an indelible mark on the advancement of alternative into the mainstream in the 1990s and beyond. With this #1 hit, The Furs complete the MRT #1 hit redux of Siouxsie and the Banshees and Big Audio Dynamite, the trio of British acts that helped launch the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1988 with consecutive chart-toppers and get one last curtain call to usher in the next era. That they went out with “Until She Comes” speaks to the power of reflection and love in music, and restored my faith in the possibility of me finding more great tracks from the band.

Rating: 8/10

Chart Check: A look at other notable MRT chart songs from this time period

Surprisingly crowded this week, given The Furs’ reign at the top was relatively short. We see Crowded House continue their recent dominance of the MRT top five, a return to form for Joan Jett, our first visit from Meat Puppets, and the very best the Mock Turtles have to offer.

“It’s Only Natural” by Crowded House: Crowded House pulls off a decent two-part harmony in their #5 MRT chart hit “It’s Only Natural,” their second top-five hit on the MRT chart from the album “Woodface.” It’s a decent, upbeat jam, with some twinkling guitar work, a significant departure from their late ‘80s hits. And definitely better than “Chocolate Cake,” which hit #2 on the MRT charts a few weeks prior to this peak.

“Backlash” by Joan Jett: Joan Jett brings her undeniable rock chops to the MRT chart with “Backlash,” the lead single off her “Notorious” album. It peaked at #7 behind The Furs.

“Sam” by Meat Puppets: Did you know the Meat Puppets formed in 1980? I surely didn’t. It’s crazy to me that it took the band nearly a decade and a half to crack the mainstream with “Backwater,” a #11 hit in 1994 that will eventually occupy this space. But before “Backwater,” alt-rock audiences got their first radio-heavy taste of Meat Puppets with “Sam,” which peaked at #13 behind “Until She Comes.” It’s interesting and catchy.

“Can You Dig It” by Mock Turtles: I can dig it, Mock Turtles! Earning a place in this review because of their unique band name, Mock Turtles managed a #19 peak on the MRT charts with “Can You Dig It,” a decent, feel-good indie-rock jam. Bonus points for lead singer Martin Coogan pulling off the Lloyd Christmas haircut three years before Jim Carrey made it famous.