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".
Love’s Easy Tears
Cocteau Twins Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She ought to know he owns himself
Love, without him
She ought to know
Gee, how many loved her man
How he could have done that he lived so loved
The phone rang
Yea, man, joys of love said them
Love, without him
She ought to know he owns himself
Love, without him
She ought to know
Gee, how many loved her man
How he could have done that he lived so loved
The phone rang
Die, so long, so love
Yea, man, joys of love said them
Joys of love had the cat on the couch these days
Don't go leave me out
Every stuffy day I go home
Plus you don't know love
Gee, how many loved her man
How he could have done that?
He lived so loved
The phone rang
Die, so long, so love
Yea, man, joys of love said them
(Please, please, please)
The lyrics of Cocteau Twins' Love's Easy Tears are deeply sentimental, even if they are not easily interpreted. The song seems to be about a woman who has lost her lover, and is struggling to piece together her life without him. The opening lines of "Love, without him / She ought to know he owns himself" suggest that the woman is trying to understand how she can live without her partner, even though he is no longer a part of her life. The repetition of this line throughout the song underscores her difficulty in coming to terms with the reality of her situation.
The second stanza is less clear, but it seems to describe the woman's confusion and sadness following the loss of her partner. The lines "Gee, how many loved her man / How he could have done that he lived so loved" suggest that the woman is reflecting on how beloved her partner was, and how much he cared for her. The refrain of "Die, so long, so love / Yea, man, joys of love said them" is cryptic, but may be a reference to the idea that love is transcendent, even beyond death.
The final stanza of the song introduces a new perspective, that of a cat on a couch. This image is evocative, but it's not entirely clear what it signifies. Perhaps the cat represents the woman, who is observing the world around her but struggling to connect with it. The lines "Don't go leave me out / Every stuffy day I go home / Plus you don't know love" suggest a longing for connection, but also a frustration that the woman feels misunderstood.
Overall, Love's Easy Tears is a deeply emotional song that speaks to the universal experience of loss and grief. While the lyrics are somewhat obscure, they are filled with evocative images that convey the sense of disorientation and confusion that often accompanies the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Love, without him
Love, but not with him
She ought to know he owns himself
She should realize that he is independent and in control of his own life
Gee, how many loved her man
Wow, so many people loved her man
How he could have done that he lived so loved
How was he able to do what he did while being so loved?
The phone rang
The telephone rang
Die, so long, so love
Goodbye, for so long, love
Yea, man, joys of love said them
Yes, man, the joys of love made them say it
Joys of love had the cat on the couch these days
The pleasure of love has made the cat lie down on the couch lately
Don't go leave me out
Don't exclude me, don't leave me behind
Every stuffy day I go home
Every oppressive day, I go home
Plus you don't know love
And besides, you don't understand love
He lived so loved
He lived his life full of love
(Please, please, please)
(Request for something, possibly love)
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ELIZABETH FRASER, ROBIN A. GUTHRIE, SIMON PHILIP RAYMONDE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Milo Čestmír
Cocteau twins will never die. One of the best bands ive heard in my life.
Gregory Bryant
@Sabra Zafarano but I very happy that they seem to be discovering them!
G M
He will never die because in one way or another he has been and will be influenced by bands to come. Long live cocteau twins 🦋
caliman99
36 years of loving cocteau twins and they are still timeless. utterly unique in the history of popular music. few can make that claim.
Robert Klausch
its actually THE best band, i've ever heard...i love them for thirty years now...
Michael Rivera
No, some of know how great they are
Polyfusia
Liz Fraser is almost magical in her delivery. She's some kind of great human specimen, but she has been ignored because of the obscure nature of the Cocteau Twins, and because she is reasonably social and normal. If she was odd, people would call her a savant genius. She is a genius. She's the best female singer on Earth.
Andy Pitchless
Does anyone else get goosebumps when her voice comes in?
mistery-ed
Crazy. I was just listening to another Cocteau Twins piece and commented about getting goosebumps. Amazing.
Micah Newman
And about 20 other times during the song.