| Taking the Veil | |
| Cover: | David Sylvian - Taking the Veil.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | David Sylvian |
| Album: | Gone to Earth |
| B-Side: | "Taking the Veil" (remix)/"Answered Prayers"/"A Bird of Prey Vanishes Into a Bright Blue Cloudless Sky" |
| Released: | [1] |
| Recorded: | 1985–1986 in London and Oxfordshire |
| Genre: | Art rock |
| Length: | 4:40 |
| Label: | Virgin |
| Producer: | Steve Nye, David Sylvian |
| Prev Title: | Words With the Shaman |
| Prev Year: | 1985 |
| Next Title: | Silver Moon |
| Next Year: | 1986 |
"Taking the Veil" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Sylvian. It is the first single released in support of his album Gone to Earth.
The song's title was inspired by Sylvian's encounter with the Max Ernst collage novel A Little Girl Dreams of Taking the Veil. However, whereas Ernst's volume deals with various forms of angst undergone by its main character, the lyrics to Sylvian's song are much more positive.
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Irish Singles Chart[2] | 28 |
| UK Singles Chart[3] | 53 |