Music and British Identity: Cocteau Twins


Primary members: Robin Guthrie, Elizabeth Fraser, Simon Raymonde, Will Heggie
Band Biography
Albums of focus: Garlands (1982) and selected singles
Songs for study:

"Especially for a Scottish person, it's always remarkable to know that this most poetic music emerged, and began its journey round the globe, from Grangemouth, a town dominated by what seems to be an endless series of enormous oil refineries and chemical plants; out among the estuaries, gas burn-offs throw shadows up into the low cloud base, countless gangway lights maze on themselves and the night is a density of arc lamps. The sets of Bladerunner have existed there for years."

-- Alan Warner, journalist

"We seemed to have come out with a style of music that, you know, gave people a lot of room to think."


-- Robin Guthrie, guitarist/songwriter

Liz Fraser on her singing and lyrics:

[From Lime Lizard Magazine, 1993]:
"See, I find that my lyrics don't have any meanings. They're not proper. Although I've got a great dictionary of them. It's like the Cockney rhyming slang or something....they don't mean anything, though, that's the thing. You know all the transcendent sounds. It's all sound all the way through."

"A lot of the stuff I was singing about [in the early 1980's] was all metaphorical. I wasn't talking like I am now. I guess it's back to how much personal power you feel that you have. Like, if I'm 17 and I don't even know when I'm hungry, am I tired, have I had any sleep - if you don't even know that, then how can you talk about lyrics that come from such an unconscious place? I always said 'I don't' know', and I didn't."

"That was the point this time [Four-Calendar Café], to make them mean something. I can see that now in retrospect. Back then [Blue Bell Knoll], with the sounds, I thought I was being really honest, but now I think I'm being a lot more honest by writing things down and then singing it."

[From Raygun Magazine, 1993]:
"I've just recently realized that I'm a very secretive person, that I'm constantly covering up for myself. I'm only just realizing how much. I don't really know what's happening. I hope it doesn't mean that I won't allow myself to do more things like Blue Bell Knoll. I'd like to be able to do everything. You see, on that album, I was still expressing the same things. I was still feeling the same feelings, but I wasn't getting caught up in them. I was just feeling into a fucking microphone. I really was getting caught up in them on this album [Four-Calendar Café]. It was very painful. And the lyrics aren't even that explicit."

"What I've got to do is get honest, to stop doing what I was doing. Unfortunately, and this is typical of me, I tend to go from one extreme to the other. To go from an album like Blue Bell Knoll, which is so heavily disguised and removed from reality, to Heaven or Las Vegas, or even more to this one, where everything on it is in English and it's all audible...it is extreme, I think. But it seems important for me to do that."

[From NPR Interview, 1993]:
"It's amazing though, yeah, I mean that's...I mean really the records are...a representation of our coping skills...and I think...I was very much in denial...and I think that you can hear that on the album [Blue Bell Knoll]...you know, not one word can you grasp...giving anything away...it just wasn't allowed..."

"What they are [pre-Four-Calendar Café lyrics], are words that I've taken from...maybe seen written down...in a language that I don't understand, and liking them...and maybe...making new words as well out of them. I mean I've got reams and reams of words that I don't have a clue what they mean, but...I wanted them because, I knew I'd be able to express myself without giving anything away."

"The catch is I can barely talk English, isn't it? I quite like that. Combining words in different languages that I couldn't understand just meant that I could concentrate on the sound and not get caught up in the meaning."

 

"Blind Dumb Deaf" - from Garlands (1982)
Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it
Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it
At the bosom
Or the breast
Or the forehead
Or the fist

Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it
Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it
My mouthing at you
My tongue the stake
I should welt should I hold you
I should gash should I kiss you

Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it

Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it

Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it

Blind dumb deafen offends
I was never a part of it

 

 

 

"Alas Dies Laughing"

Flaxen, the dress is born
Crush a crushing stone
Tie a starching walls
Wake takes a mumbling form
Wake takes a mumbling form

Flaxen, the dress is old
Fingers, this dress is tied
Tie a starching walls
Wake takes a mumbling form

Wake takes a mumbling form (6x)

Wake takes a (10x)

"Wax and Wane"

Carrion grows
More foul we find
The devil bites dirty,
we wax and we wane

The devil bites dirty,
we wax and wane (x4)

Licking our wounds
The devil bites dirty
Reckoning we'll taste
We wax and we wane

The devil bites dirty,
we wax and wane (x4)

And I guess we got gin drunk
The devil bites dirty
Up 'til we realize
We're laughing as they say it

The devil bites dirty,
we wax and wane (x8)

 

"Wax and Wane" - Live Amsterdam, Netherlands (29 Jan. 1983)

 

Carrion grows
More foul we find
The devil bites dirty,
we wax and we wane

The devil bites dirty,
we wax and wane (x4)

Licking our wounds
The devil bites dirty
Reckoning we'll taste
We wax and we wane

The devil bites dirty,
we wax and wane (x4)

And I guess we got gin drunk
The devil bites dirty
Up 'til we realize
We're laughing as they say it

The devil bites dirty,
we wax and wane (x8)

"Garlands" - from Garlands (1982)

Garlands evergreen
Forget-me-not wreaths
Chaplets see me drugged
I could die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary

Well, with these brave garlands
They never find out for her
They never find I'm lying
Well, with these etchings
Cravings convince
My cravings commence

Garlands evergreen
Forget-me-not wreaths
Chaplets see me drugged
I could die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary

Well, with these scarve's scars
Cravings convince
My cravings commence
Well, with these splint's scars
I'm all that to you
I'm all that's who

Garlands evergreen
Forget-me-not wreaths
Chaplets see me drugged
I could die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary
Die in a rosary

Well, with these scarve's scars
Cravings convince
My cravings commence
Well, with these splint's scars
I'm all that to you
I'm all that's who

"Blood Bitch" - from Garlands (1982)

Blood Bitch

Blood woman
Blood bitch
There is a corona
A corona swelling

Pressing hands
Against this scar
There's no warmth
There's no warmth to be felt

Sometimes it's called water
Sometimes it's called flame
(Neither) one or the other
Has much form or shape

Cold burns powerful
Has powerful needs
Holds back
Whispered words of fire

I'll paint the blood bitch
The blood bitch black
Lift up your heels
You'll see burnt soles

"Shallow Then Halo" - from Garlands (1982)
Winged water
Feathered river
Dirty rich soil
Strong and fertile

The then shallow she
Earth as we know it
The then hallow she
A sky for the sacred

Stars in my eyes
Stars in my face
Womb in the belly
Capitol place

(x2)

The then shallow she
Earth as we know it
The then hallow she
A sky for the sacred

In my(x6)

Winged water
Feathered river
Dirty rich soil
Strong and fertile

(x2)

Stars in my eyes
Stars in my face
Womb in the belly
Capitol place

(x2)

In my eyes
At my
Stars in my eyes
In my eyes

At my feet
At my
In my eyes
At my feet

I have stars in my eyes
Stars in my eyes
I have stars in my face
Stars in my face

Stars in my eyes
I have stars in my face
Stars in my face
Stars in my eyes

Stars at my feet
Stars at my arms, Stars at my feet (x3)

"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" - Live at Restaurang Continental, Örebro, Sweden (1984)

 

We'll be sold to Roddy
Comes for pearly dewdrop's drops
Weeks in our company
Buys the pearly dewdrop's drops

We'll be soaked and ruddy
Comes for pearly dewdrop's drops
Weeks in our company
Buys the pearly dewdrop's drops

We'll be soaked when Roddy comes
Rows of pearly dewdrop's drops
Tis the lucky lucky penny penny penny
Buys the pearly dew drips soaks

We'll be soaked when around he comes
Rows of pearly dewdrop's drops
Tis the lucky lucky penny penny penny
Buys the pearly dew drips soaks

 

Taciturn to fellow
So try to turn to loan him these
Bruised your eye on her staff
So when he turned around he saw

Taciturn to fellow
So try to turn to loan him these
Bruised your eye on her staff
So if we send the Roddy, soaks

We'll be soaked when Roddy comes
Rows of pearly dewdrop's drops
Tis the lucky lucky penny penny penny
Buys the pearly dew drips soaks
(x4)

(We'll be sold to Roddy, sold to Roddy)
Rows of pearly dewdrop's drops
(We'll be sold to Roddy, sold to Roddy)
Tis the lucky lucky penny penny penny
Buys the pearly dew drips soaks

 

"Pink Orange Red" - Live, British TV, (December 1985)

 

Endrosis - osis
Lotella - ella
Endrosis - osis
Vivigeossa - ossa

Meliteae phoebus hyala phoebus hyala cloeyessa

Meliteae phoebus hyala phoebus hyala nossinussa

Sesia - ia
Sultitan - itan
Sesia - ia
Totella - ella

Hymeae saturnia hymeae nossinussa

Vacua venessula vacua nekitella

Tuphia vanessa venessa enovalla

Sacyare oponalla oponalla hyniassa

Ho

Fa - manofilla - ho

Fa - manofilla - ho

Fa - manofilla - do

Nosialla - do

Nosialla - do

Nosialla - ho

Manofilla

Donosialla

 

 

 

"Millimillenary" - Live at Restaurang Continental, Örebro, Sweden (1984)

 

Millimillenary

Milli- milli- millenary
Just waits for you to hurt her
Pandora missed her shot

While you did, she was aimed and did
Pandora missed her shot
Just waits for you to hurt her

Milli- milli- millenary
She's wearing shades of brown
Pandora masked her shard of

 

"Lorelei" - from Treasure (1984)
Can't look out
Can't look in
You just might
Get yourself
Get right out of the doors
In the light
We'll make love
And then we can go
And we can go
And we can go
And we can go
And we can go

We're covered by the sacred fire
Then you cut me to
You cut me to the bone

Can't look out
Can't look in
You just might
Get yourself
Get right out of the doors
In the light
We'll make love
And then we can go
And we can go
And we can go
And we can go
And we can go

And we're covered by the sacred fire
Then you cut me to
You cut me to the bone

Without a doubt

We're covered by the sacred fire
Then you cut me to
You cut me to the bone

Can't look in
Guilty boy
Guilty girl
'Cause you're both cursed

Out of the doors
In the light
We'll make love
And then we can go

Can't look in
Guilty boy
Guilty girl
'Cause you're both cursed

Out of the doors
In the light
We'll make love
And then we can go

 

 

"Bluebeard" - from Four-Calendar Café (1993)
Aliveness, exploration
Aliveness, energy

Are you the right man for me?
Are you safe? Are you my friend?
Are you the right man for me?
Are you safe? Are you my friend?

Aliveness, exploration
Fulfillment, creativity

Are you the right man for me?
Are you safe? Are you my friend?
Or are you toxic for me?
Will you betray my confidence?
Are you the right man for me?
Are you safe? Are you my friend?
Or are you toxic for me?
Will you betray my confidence?

Naming things is empowering
I balance, walk and coordinate myself
I'm alive Aliveness energy
(Healthy dependence)
Are you the right man for me?
Are you safe? Are you my friend?

(And healthy independence)
Or are you toxic for me?
Will you mistreat me or betray my confidence?

(And healthy assurances)
Are you the right man for me?
Are you safe? Are you my friend?

(This was a nameless dream)
Or are you toxic for me?
Will you mistreat me or betray my confidence?

(And healthy boundaries)
Are you the right man for me?
Are you safe? Are you my friend?

(And how long would you miss me?)
Or are you toxic for me?
Would you mistreat me or betray my confidence?

 

"Theft, and Wandering Around Lost" - from Four-Calendar Café (1993)
The man is an offender
He took my value
And I give back his shame
And I take back my power

My body is my own
My body is mine alone
And I deserve protection
And I can create it from you

Is this what my body said?
"Use me, drain me, overwhelm me"
Is this what my body said?
"Engulf me;
I'm already dead"

I'll perfectly bluff it
Crying shakes it away from you
And I am moving to poison love
And trying to starve my body

My body is my own
My body is mine alone
And I deserve protection
And I can create it from you

Is this what my body said?
"Use me, drain me, overwhelm me"
Is this what my body said?
"Engulf me;
I'm already dead"

Keep cutting myself on the edges of reality, reality
Keep cutting myself on the edges of reality, reality
Keep cutting myself on the edges of reality, reality
Keep cutting myself on the edges of reality, reality

Is this what my body said?
"Use me, drain me, overwhelm me"
Is this what my body said?
"Engulf me;
I'm already dead"

 

 

 

 

 
GRAFFITI STUDY WALL: MUSIC & VIDEOS
SEX PISTOLS
KRAFTWERK
THE CLASH
PUBLIC IMAGE LTD.
JOY DIVISION
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES
AU PAIRS
COCTEAU TWINS
ARTERY
HUMAN LEAGUE
HEAVEN 17
THE SPECIALS
CABARET VOLTAIRE
TEARS FOR FEARS
DEPECHE MODE
THE SOUND
THE GLOVE
THE CURE
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN
A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS
GANG OF FOUR
NEW ORDER
U2
THE POLICE
CRASS
NEW MODEL ARMY
ELVIS COSTELLO
SPLIT ENZ
THE THE
XTC
THE EXPLOITED
DISCHARGE
THE SMITHS
THE HOUSEMARTINS
RADIOHEAD
PORTISHEAD
PET SHOP BOYS
M Y BLOODY VALENTINE
SLOWDIVE
CRASH MUSIC
MUSIC OF THE TROUBLES

VIDEOS:

SEX PISTOLS
SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES (LIVE)
THE CURE (LIVE)
COCTEAU TWINS (LIVE)
NEW ORDER (LIVE)
PORTISHEAD (LIVE)
JOY DIVISION MINI-DOCUMENTARY
NUCLEAR WAR PREPAREDNESS: PROTECT & SURVIVE MANUAL