I can feel the earth begin to move
Hear my needle hit the groove
And spiral through another day
I hear my song begin to say
Kiss me where the sun don't shine
The past was yours but the future's mine
You're all out of time
I don't feel too steady on my feet
I feel hollow I feel weak
Passion Fruit and Holy Bread
Fill my guts and ease my head
Through the early morning sun
I can see her, here she comes
She bangs the drums
Have you seen her have you heard
The way she plays there are no words
To describe the way I feel
How could it ever come to pass
She'll be the first she'll be the last
To describe the way I feel
The way I feel
Have you seen her have you heard
The way she plays there are no words
To describe the way I feel
How could it ever come to pass
She'll be the first she'll be the last
To describe the way I feel
The way I feel
Have you seen her have you heard
The way she plays there are no words
To describe the way I feel
How could it ever come to pass
She'll be the first she'll be the last
To describe the way I feel
The way I feel
Acoustic demo version (1987):
I can feel the earth begin to move
Hear my needle hit the groove
And spiral through another day
I hear my song begin to say
Kiss me where the sun don't shine
The past was yours but the future's mine
You're all out of time
I don't feel too steady on my feet
I feel hollow I feel weak
Passion fruit and holy bread
Fill my guts and ease my head
Through the early morning sun
I can see her, here she comes
She bangs the drums
She fills me up with all I need
She gives me hope, she gives me speed
Yeah
Oh yeah
I don't feel too steady on my feet
I feel hollow I feel weak
Passion fruit and holy bread
Fill my guts and ease my head
Through the early morning sun
I can see her, here she comes
She bangs the drums
She fills me up with all I need
She gives me hope, she gives me speed
Yeah
Yeah yeah
Lyrics by:
Squire / Brown
Music by:
Squire / Brown
Written:
1987
Personnel:
John Squire (guitar)
Ian Brown (vocals)
Gary Mounfield (bass)
Alan Wren (drums, backing vocals)
Producer:
John Leckie
Engineer:
Paul Schroeder
Format:
Released July 1989:
She Bangs The Drums / She Bangs The Drums (Silvertone, ORE DJ 6, 7" promo)
She Bangs The Drums / Standing Here (Silvertone, ORE 6, 7")
She Bangs The Drums / Standing Here (Silvertone, ORE X 6, 7" with postcard, 3,000 pressed)
She Bangs The Drums / Mersey Paradise / Standing Here (Silvertone, ORE T 6, 12")
She Bangs The Drums / Mersey Paradise / Standing Here (Silvertone, ORE Z 6, 12" with print, 5,000 pressed)
She Bangs The Drums / Mersey Paradise / Standing Here / Simone (Silvertone, ORE CD 6, CD)
She Bangs The Drums / Mersey Paradise / Standing Here / Simone (Silvertone, ORE C 6, cassette)
Released 1989:
She Bangs The Drums / Standing Here (Silvertone, ALFA 09B3-46, Japanese 3" CD)
She Bangs The Drums / Mersey Paradise / Standing Here / Simone (Silvertone, ZD42970, German CD)
Released November 1989:
What The World Is Waiting For / Fool's Gold / She Bangs The Drums (12" mix) / Elephant Stone (12" mix) / Guernica / Going Down (Alfa-Silvertone, 18B2-103, Japanese CD)
Released February 1990:
Elephant Stone / Made Of Stone / She Bangs The Drums / Fools Gold (Silvertone, ZD43632, The UK Singles)
Released 1992:
She Bangs The Drums / Mersey Paradise / Standing Here / Simone (Silvertone, ZD42970, German CD from Maxi Collection)
She Bangs The Drums / Mersey Paradise / Standing Here / Simone (Alfa-Silvertone, ALCB-541, CD from Japanese Singles Collection boxset)
Released 2nd May 2005:
She Bangs The Drums / She Bangs The Drums (Elephant Remix) (Simply Vinyl S12, S12DJ194, 12")
UK chart details:
She Bangs The Drums entered the charts on 29th July 1989, spending 3 weeks in the charts and reaching a highest position of 36. It re-entered the charts on 31st March 1990 for 3 weeks, reaching a highest position of 34.
Also available on:
The Stone Roses (3.42)
The Complete Stone Roses (3.42)
The Stone Roses (10th Anniversary Edition) (3.52)
The Very Best Of The Stone Roses (3.52)
First live performance:
In late 1987
Artwork details:
The She Bangs The Drums artwork is from 'Sugar' (1988), oil on canvas, 32" x 32"
Details:
She Bangs The Drums, the Roses' first Top 40 hit, has to go down as one of the finest singles of its era, with b-sides Standing Here, Mersey Paradise and Simone on the CD and cassette versions. The two versions are identical in length but are two different mixes; the single version, the more 'pop' sounding of the two, omits the hi-hat intro and features a slightly heavier guitar sound with more bite, more bass and a superior backing vocal arrangement. Listen out for a wonderful high-pitched "La" (2.09) from Ian that is barely audible on the TSR mix. A heavier sounding guitar was used to good effect for the Second Coming homecoming performances of this song.
I think that the middle section of She Bangs The Drums borrows from The Beach Boys'* 'Here Today' (Track 11 of their 'Pet Sounds' LP).

In the following sound clips, listen out for the sharpness of each guitar and the bass.
She Bangs The Drums: