It was later included on Morning Glory: The Tim Buckley Anthology, featuring a performance of the song from the final episode of The Monkees.
The song has become one of Buckley's most well-known works due to numerous covers by various artists following his death in 1975, most notably by This Mortal Coil in 1983.
[3] In 1968, Buckley first performed the song solo in its original folk style as a guest on the series finale of The Monkees.
This alteration reportedly occurred after Buckley played the song for Judy Henske, wife of producer Jerry Yester, who laughed at the original line.
Its lyrical style reflects Larry Beckett's literary influences, contrasting with Buckley’s more personal songwriting approach.
[6] Beckett wrote the lyrics to "Song to the Siren" as part of his ongoing collaboration and friendship with Buckley during their high school years.
[7] The live version of the song featured a spoken word segment by Beckett, in which he explained the origin of the lyrics, a narrative previously included in documentary footage about the author.
[8][9] Additionally, the song was performed live by Stuart Anthony aboard the Odysseia, a replica of an ancient Greek ship, setting sail from Lefkada.
This Mortal Coil was a musical collective led by producer Ivo Watts-Russell, featuring musicians from the 4AD label.
Singer Elizabeth Fraser and guitarist Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins, both signed to 4AD at the time, performed on this version.
"[citation needed] This Mortal Coil's version prominently appeared in David Lynch's 1997 film Lost Highway.
A version of the song, arranged and produced by Paul Charlier and performed by Paula Arundell, was featured in the 2006 film Candy.
George Michael performed the song during his 25 Live and Symphonica tours and released a cover on the "White Light" single on August 11, 2012.
The 2021 director's cut Zack Snyder's Justice League features a rendition of "Song to the Siren" by British singer-songwriter Rose Betts.