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".

Violaine
Cocteau Twins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ik does a dashik dozen
Ik does a yield gig does
Ik does alone cheyenne
Mad at them who tease him scrawling
(chorus 1)

And I knew deeper darlin
Idiom a deus is dos

Indeared look he loves it
Your elan new sub dearie

Says your supper should shout
As you eat up seisured
Evil oh it will
Evolve evil vamos a la

repeat chorus 1

He tear them off, he tear them off
(he tear them off and eat the meal too)
Oh eat off your toe
(as you eat up)
Slow eat that meal, slow eat that meal
(slow eat that meal, no way down)
No way down, you're close
(chew too slow, you're close)
And how can you mock me
(how can you be in the nude)
When you're my friend
(when you're my friend)
He tear them off, he tear them off
(ik does ...?)
Oh eat off your toe
(chorus 2)

I know I need to tell you
All I've seen, all i catch
Put in the poster girl
And shake like dogs of tiding scholar

repeat chorus 1

repeat chorus 2

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cocteau Twins' song, Violaine, are open to interpretation as with many of the band's tracks. The lyrics are somewhat mysterious, and could be interpreted in a few different ways. The mention of Ik and Cheyenne could refer to specific people, or they could be characters being used to represent a larger point. The first verse mentions Ik doing a dashik dozen and a yield gig, and doing things alone. This could be interpreted as someone who is working hard and trying to make a living, but feels isolated and alone because of it. They feel mad at those who tease them, as they are struggling to get by.

The chorus mentions that the singer knows something deeper and is using a specific idiom, "a deus is dos," to show their knowledge. They are talking to someone they care about, and this person is using a new elan, or a new approach to something they are doing. They encourage this person to shout during their meal, as they eat it up in a seisured way. The mention of evil evolving and vamos a la could relate to a belief that bad things will come if you don't speak up and do something about it.

The second verse mentions tearing something off and eating a meal, which could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be an act of desperation, or it could be a metaphor for tearing away something and starting anew. The final chorus mentions that the singer needs to tell someone all that they have seen and caught. They mention a "poster girl" and shaking like dogs of tiding scholar, which could relate to standing up for something and being afraid of the consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

Ik does a dashik dozen
He does a lot of things, like a dozen of dashik.

Ik does a yield gig does
He does a gig and he yields to others. He does this frequently.

Ik does alone cheyenne
He does it alone, like a lone ranger, like Cheyenne.

Mad at them who tease him scrawling
He's mad at those who tease him by writing things.

And I knew deeper darlin
I understood you better, darlin'.

Idiom a deus is dos
The language of a god, is to give.

Indeared look he loves it
He loves it, and it shows in his look.

Your elan new sub dearie
Your style is new and impressive, dearie.

Says your supper should shout
Your meal should be so good, it makes you shout.

As you eat up seisured
As you eat it up, you feel seized.

Evil oh it will
Evil, oh it will happen.