Frou Frou created an impressive brand of vocal-driven, electronic pop. After the British duo had been collaborating for years without a record deal, the group's debut, Details, was completed for American release on MCA Records in 2002.
Heap and Sigsworth first worked together on Getting Scared from Heap's 1998 solo record, I Megaphone. After completing the promotion for that splendid debut, Heap was ready to begin work on a new project and the two hooked up again as Sigsworth had privately been compiling music specifically for Heap while producing other projects. The first track, conceived by the new, more formal (but as yet unnamed) pairing, eventually turned into Flicks from Details, which is perhaps Frou Frou's most Björk-reminiscent number.
Sigsworth grew up listening to eclectic female artists like Kate Bush, and along with Heap, developed an appreciation for classical music. He has specifically worked with Björk (Homogenic, Vespertine) and Madonna (What It Feels Like For A Girl) among many other significant '90s pop and electronic artists. Far from being the kind of campy moniker one might expect from a more sugary pop outfit, the name Frou Frou was decided upon when Francophile Sigsworth noticed the phrase in a Baudelaire poem. Apparently, when uttered in French, the phrase is meant to approximate the swishing of skirts as they swirl about the legs of comely dancing women, as in a burlesque performance.
Born composers, multi-instrumentalist Heap and studio/sound/producer/musician Sigsworth are credited with many side appearances in support of other artists, especially Sigsworth, who was often used as a bit of a song-fixer. While those aren't bad jobs to have, artists of Frou Frou's caliber need to step out on their own, and while Heap worked as a solo artist for a majority of her career, Sigsworth had never been so strongly identified with any previous project. Instead of relegating the male producer/writer to a barely credited back seat, as often happens with a female-fronted team effort, Frou Frou was conceived and honestly portrayed as a true collaboration, making it significant for its marketing truthfulness if nothing else.
Details has some relatively conventional pop moments like "It's Good to Be in Love", but more experimental cuts like "Only Got One" display a more definitive quality. The true accomplishment of Frou Frou (which is in evidence on just about every track the "band" created) is their uncanny ability to infuse highly manipulated, digitally crafted music with a warmth quite rare in pop and almost unheard of in music so technologically progressive. In the studio, Frou Frou achieved unique sounding beats for Heap's luscious voice via more-than-would-be-expected acoustic and natural instruments. These actual instrumental performances were recorded first, then heavily manipulated in an editing stage, giving the duo their own process and thus, their own sound. This approach made their music lush, dynamic, and more earthy when compared to typical electronic/dance and canned pop.
In November 2017, it was announced that Heap and Sigsworth would be reuniting to tour as Frou Frou in conjunction with an Imogen Heap solo tour in 2018. The duo released a live recording of "Guitar Song" on April 19, 2019. "Guitar Song" is one of two singles not released at the time of the band's initial break-up.
Shh
Frou Frou Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pull that door shut quietly
Darling, what are you doing?
We don't have time for this
Mmm dey mmm da mmm daaeeoo
Mmm dey mmm da mmm daaeeoo
Give me an hour and I'll give you your dreams
Don't make a sound
Shh and listen
Keep your head down
We're not safe yet
Don't make a sound
And be good for me
Cause I know the way to somewhere out here
Leave it I won't go back
We have to do it 'cause it's not been left here
Don't care what do they know
I've seen them, baby, and I know it's real
Sure, in time, I knew they'd come
Oh, are we having fun or what?
Yeah
Don't make a sound
Shh and listen
Keep your head down
We're not safe yet
Don't make a sound
And be good for me
Cause I know they're waiting somewhere out here
I feel good all over
I feel good all over
I feel good all over
Even inside out
The opening lines of Frou Frou’s song “Shh” reveal a sense of urgency that propels the narrative forward throughout the track. Sunbeam, stop tugging me, pull that door shut quietly, Darling, what are you doing? We don't have time for this. The urgency is palpable and suggests that the singers are on the run from something or someone.
The repetitive, nonsensical sounds that follow the opening ("Mmm dey mmm da mmm daaeeoo") disorient the listener and reinforce the idea of chaos and confusion. The lyrics "Crazy what are you then? Give me an hour and I'll give you your dreams" are intriguing, suggesting that the singers may have a scheme or something they are working towards in this desperate situation.
The refrain "Don't make a sound/Shh and listen/Keep your head down/We're not safe yet" builds momentum in the track and implies that the singers are in danger throughout. The final lines "Cause I know they're waiting somewhere out here" heighten this sense of danger and suggest that there is still more to come.
Overall, Frou Frou’s “Shh” is a mysterious and intense song that suggests a narrative of two individuals on the run from something or someone. The lyrics are evocative and open to interpretation, leaving the listener to imagine the details of the story.
Line by Line Meaning
Sunbeam, stop tugging me
Please, Sunbeam, stop bothering me
Pull that door shut quietly
Close the door slowly and without making a sound
Darling, what are you doing?
What are you doing, my love?
We don't have time for this
There is no time for what you're doing
Mmm dey mmm da mmm daaeeoo
Vocal sounds, no meaning
Crazy what are you then?
What kind of crazy person are you?
Give me an hour and I'll give you your dreams
If you give me an hour, I'll make your dreams come true
Don't make a sound
You must remain silent
Shh and listen
Be quiet and listen carefully
Keep your head down
Hide and don't let them see you
We're not safe yet
We're in danger
And be good for me
Do as I say and everything will be alright
Cause I know the way to somewhere out here
I know how to get us out of here
Leave it I won't go back
Don't worry, I won't go back (to wherever we came from)
We have to do it 'cause it's not been left here
We have to do it because it hasn't been left here (for us to find)
Don't care what do they know
I don't care about what they know
I've seen them, baby, and I know it's real
I've seen them, and I know it's real
Sure, in time, I knew they'd come
I was sure they would come eventually
Oh, are we having fun or what?
A rhetorical question about whether they're having fun or not
Yeah
Vocal sound, no meaning
I feel good all over
I feel great
Even inside out
I feel great both physically and emotionally
Lyrics © WARP MUSIC LIMITED, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GUY SIGSWORTH, IMOGEN JENNIFER HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind