Cocteau Twins were a Scottish band active from 1979 to 1997. They were form… Read Full Bio ↴Cocteau Twins were a Scottish band active from 1979 to 1997. They were formed in Grangemouth by Robin Guthrie (guitars, drum machine) and Will Heggie (bass), adding Elizabeth Fraser (vocals) in 1981 and replacing Heggie with multi-instrumentalist Simon Raymonde in 1983. The group earned critical praise for their ethereal, effects-laden sound and the soprano vocals of Fraser, whose lyrics often eschew any recognisable language. They pioneered the 1980s alternative rock subgenre of dream pop.

The band's early work drew influence from Siouxsie and the Banshees and Joy Division. After signing with the British record label 4AD in 1982, they released their debut album Garlands later that year. The addition of Raymonde in 1983 solidified their final lineup, which produced their biggest hit in the UK, "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops", peaking at No. 29 on the UK Singles Chart. In 1988, Cocteau Twins signed with Capitol Records in the United States, distributing their fifth album, Blue Bell Knoll, through a major label in the country. After the 1990 release of their most critically acclaimed album, Heaven or Las Vegas, the band left 4AD for Fontana Records, where they released their final two albums.

After nearly 20 years together, the band disbanded in 1997 in part due to issues stemming from the disintegration of Fraser and Guthrie's romantic relationship. In 2005, the band announced that they would reunite to headline Coachella and embark on a world tour but the reunion was cancelled a month later after Fraser refused to perform on stage with Guthrie. In a 2021 interview, Raymonde confirmed that Cocteau Twins "will never reform".

Frou-frou foxes in midsummers
Cocteau Twins Lyrics

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I buckle and rosed
As god and the rest(wrist)
How mere riches be
A war or we lose
Close into symbols
A fly drinks the ignitions(indications)
They turn infant's breath my
Milk and wrap to her baby

In day
And night to come
And night to come

Their little hands
Smooth all things
Ad nauseum
Singed by it, pulled around of my blazening
(Pulled round)
Eyes on the usually science of cherry-colored
(Trousers)
Limelight not the music it's plain as as can be so
(Tighter)
All of the time I improvise by making sure
(Tighter)
It's to wait for you
Rounder
Pulled rounder
Pulled rounder
Pulled rounder

Pulled round
Trousers
Tighter
Tighter
Their fan I tickle
From serpents to dragons
I'd immerse you in flame
Your milk and your passion
Lead weight for his from his old turn
The young, I was eagerest
On using the stairs I
How nested to find you
I buckle and rosed
As god and the rest(wrist)
How mere riches be
A war all we lose
Close into symbols
A fly drinks the ignitions
They turn infant's breath my
Milk and wrap to her baby
In day
And night to come
Their little hands
Smooth all things
Ad nauseum
Things old
And young
Very young
Rise here comes our reason
New skies are a young escape to find you
Singed by it, pulled around of my blazening
(Pulled round)
Eyes on the usually science of cherry-coloursed
(Trousers)
Limelight not the music, it's plain as as can be so
(Tighter)
All of the time I improvise by making sure
(Tighter)
It's to wait for you
Pulled round of
Pulled round of

Pulled round of
Pulled round of

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cocteau Twins' "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires" convey a sense of mystery with elusive and poetic lines. The opening line "I buckle and rosed as god and the wrist," suggests a sense of surrender to a higher power. The following line, "How mere riches be a war or we lose," may imply the notion that wealth can corrupt and allow greed to manifest itself as a destructive force. The next few lines, "Close into symbols a fly drinks the ignitions/they turn infant's breath my milk and wrap to her baby in day/and night to come," create a sense of abstract imagery, suggesting that there is a transformative process taking place.

The lyrics continue with references to the hands of the young, which "smooth all things ad nauseum," and the idea of being "singed" by something, perhaps passion or desire, which pulls the character around in a "blazing" state. The lines"limelight not the music it's plain as can be so/all of the time I improvise by making sure it's to wait for you," suggest an unyielding need for someone or something, with a sense of improvisation needed to maintain this connection. The closing lines, "Things old and young/very young/rise here comes our reason/new skies are a young escape to find you," create a sense of hope and looking to the future. Overall, the lyrics of "Frou-frou Foxes in Midsummer Fires" create a dream-like state, where the listener is not quite sure what is happening, but it feels as if something is happening.

Line by Line Meaning

I buckle and rosed
I become weak and overwhelmed

As god and the rest(wrist)
Like a divine force controlling me

How mere riches be
How insignificant wealth can be

A war all we lose
A battle we cannot win

Close into symbols
Transforming into abstract images

A fly drinks the ignitions(indications)
Small details can be significant

They turn infant's breath my
They transform into something delicate and pure

Milk and wrap to her baby
Nurturing and protecting someone vulnerable

In day
During the light

And night to come
And also during the darkness

Their little hands Smooth all things
Small actions can have a big impact