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John Cale – Sanctus (Sanities) (1982) | Track profile | Dork

Tracks
John Cale
Music for a New Society
Sanctus (Sanities)

TRACK

Sanctus (Sanities)

Release date: 1st September 1982

From Music for a New Society

More on John Cale

About This Track

"Sanctus (Sanities)" is a track by John Cale, from the album Music for a New Society, released 1st September 1982. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 1 article about John Cale.

About the Artist

John Cale

John Cale

Lyrics

Sanctus (Sanities)

She was so afraid

Since her mother, white with time

Told her

She was a failure

She was so ashamed

Of everything she said

And everything she did

For her mother, white with time

Everything around her mother

White with time

And dirty

Her mother was greedy with dirt

Greedy

Then she heard choirs of angels

Singing choirs of angels

Greedy angels

Spitting glory on her failure

That stardust of failure

As if it was the medicine that didn't work

Anyway, anyway

The windows they were closed

And the midwives had locked their doors

They didn't understand

And after all, what was there to understand?

But the angels, sheer choirs of angels

In a friendship

No, more than a friendship

It was a marriage, a marriage made in the grave

The shivering night

The searching of the river continued

The bullet of searchlight

That searchlight found her so cockleshell and sure

Sick and tired of what she saw

But cockleshell and sure

Sure of what the world had offered a tired soul

From Istanbul to Madrid

To Reykjavik, to Bonn

To Leipzig, to Leningrad

To Shanghai, Phonm Penh

All so that it would be a stronger world

A strong though loving world to die in

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From Music for a New Society

1982

Listen

Album

Music for a New Society

Release year

1982

—Chinese Envoy
—Changes Made
—Close Watch
—Risé, Sam and Rimsky-Korsakov
—If You Were Still Around
—Taking Your Life in Your Hands
—Damn Life
—In the Library of Force (Music for a New Society)
—Sanctus (Sanities)
—Broken Bird
—Thoughtless Kind

More from John Cale

Albums & EPs

POPtical Illusion

POPtical Illusion

Mercy

Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Shifty Adventures in Nookie Wood

Extra Playful: Transitions

Extra Playful

EP: Extra Playful

Live At Rockpalast (Live at Zeche Bochum 06.03.1983 & at Grugahalle Essen 13./14.10.1984)

Live At Rockpalast (Live at Zeche Bochum 06.03.1983 & at Grugahalle Essen 13./14.10.1984)

Circus Live

Black Acetate

Explore

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Standing Next to You

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God Made Me Do It (Don’t Ask Me Again)POPtical Illusion

Edge of ReasonPOPtical Illusion

I'm AngryPOPtical Illusion

God Made Me Do It (Don't Ask Me Again)POPtical Illusion

Shark - SharkPOPtical Illusion

All to the GoodPOPtical Illusion

Davies and WalesPOPtical Illusion

How We See the LightPOPtical Illusion

Company CommanderPOPtical Illusion

Setting FiresPOPtical Illusion

Laughing in My SleepPOPtical Illusion

Calling You OutPOPtical Illusion

Funkball the BrewsterPOPtical Illusion

There Will Be No RiverPOPtical Illusion

TIME STANDS STILL (feat. Sylvan Esso)Mercy

EVERLASTING DAYS (feat. Animal Collective)Mercy

I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPY (feat Tei Shi)Mercy

THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICE (feat. The Fat White Family)Mercy

MARILYN MONROE'S LEGS (Beauty Elsewhere) [feat. Actress]Mercy

STORY OF BLOOD (feat. Weyes Blood)Mercy

MERCY (feat. Laurel Halo)Mercy

MARILYN MONROE'S LEGS (Beauty Elsewhere)Mercy

NIGHT CRAWLINGMercy

NOISE OF YOUMercy

I KNOW YOU'RE HAPPYMercy

THE LEGAL STATUS OF ICEMercy

NOT THE END OF THE WORLDMercy

TIME STANDS STILLMercy

EVERLASTING DAYSMercy

OUT YOUR WINDOWMercy

MOONSTRUCK (Nico's Song)Mercy

Corner of My Sky

Sanctus (Sanities) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Damn Life (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Changes Made (Music For a New Society)

Thoughtless Kind (Outtakes) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Broken Bird (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Risé, Sam and Rimsky Korsakov (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Close Watch (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS

Thoughtless Kind (Music For a New Society)

Thoughtless Kind (M:FANS]

If You Were Still Around (M:FANS)

View all tracks by John Cale →

Broken Bird (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
4:46
Close Watch (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
3:07
Damn Life (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
5:14
MOONSTRUCK (Nico's Song)Mercy
5:31
NIGHT CRAWLINGMercy
4:54
NOISE OF YOUMercy
5:16
NOT THE END OF THE WORLDMercy
6:17
OUT YOUR WINDOWMercy
5:14
Risé, Sam and Rimsky Korsakov (Music For a New Society)Music for a New Society/M:FANS
2:23
Sanctus (Sanities) [Music For a New Society]Music for a New Society/M:FANS
6:07

Showing 10 of 50

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Charli XCX has collaborated with John Cale on new track 'House' for the 'Wuthering Heights' soundtrack - and there's an entire album coming

Charli XCX has collaborated with John Cale on new track 'House' for the 'Wuthering Heights' soundtrack - and there's an entire album coming

It's part of a whole album set for release in early December.

7 Nov 2025 • 11:18 am

Credits

Production & Engineering

Writer: John Cale
Producer: John Cale