by Amanda London·
It has been generally concluded, even by fans of Cocteau Twins, that “Cherry-Coloured Funk”doesn’t have any distinguishable meaning, and who are we to argue?It has also been put forth by at least oneof such analyststhat when putting this song together, lead singer Elizabeth Fraser may have been heavily under the influence of drugs.
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You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Cocteau Twins's Cherry-Coloured Funk at Lyrics.org.
And yes, by her own admittance (later down the line), such activities were indeed an inseparable part of the band’s lifestyle.
The Lyrics of “Cherry-Coloured Funk”
So with that in mind, that the lyrics may have been formulated while the band was thoroughly smashed, perhaps believing that this song doesn’t have any meaning at all would be a hasty conclusion. More accurately, it can be said that it doesn’t possess a discernible meaning.
The way the lyrics are put together is almost like – for lack of a better analogy – a baby trying to speak.Like you know she’s actually trying to say something, but she’s currently not in a position to do so in words.
So then what does the baby do?She relies on sentiment instead – crying, if you will.And under such circ*mstances, as with“Cherry-Coloured Funk”, we, the listeners, may also be compelled to rely more on implicit sentiment than what is actually being said.
For example, it can be discerned, premise-wise, that the singer is dealing with some type of persecution or mockery.And other parts of the song seem to suggest that she has now reached a point where she will no longer quietly give in to such treatment.
But again, other sections are far from understandable, and we don’t want to open a can of worms here. So let’s close by saying that the one thing which is logically obvious via the lyrics is that the vocalist is desiring some type of change in her life.But that said, the title itself reveals that understanding what Elizabeth is saying isn’t actually the priority with this track.
Cocteau Twins and “Cherry-Coloured Funk”
Cocteau Twins weren’t literally twins but rather, when this song was released on 17 September 1990, a trio of musicians consisting of the below:
- vocalist Elizabeth Fraser
- guitarist Robin Guthrie
- bassist Simon Raymonde
The act was extant from the early 1980s into late 1990s. They impressively put out eight studio albums in a 14 year timespan. Throughout that time, they experienced their most notable success on the UK Indie Chart.
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Their sixth studio album,“Heaven or Las Vegas”, marks the highest the Scottish band ever reached on the UK Albums Chart proper. It made it to seventh place on the list. And it is from this project, which London-based label 4AD dropped in 1990, that“Cherry-Coloured Funk”is derived.This song is also the first of 10 tracks featured on the playlist of the album.
The writing and production of the entirety of“Heaven or Las Vegas”is credited to Cocteau Twins.
The “Heaven or Las Vegas” Album
“Heaven or Las Vegas” was released on 17th of September, 1990. It was released as the 6th studio album of Scottish rock band, Cocteau Twins.
The album was produced by the band and released through a London based record label, A4D, owned by Beggars Group. According to Ivo Watts-Russell (one of the founders of the label), “Heaven or Las Vegas” was one of the best albums released by the label. It however became the final album from the band to be released throughA4D. The band’s contract with the record label was abrogated due to fallout with Ivo.
The album produced the band’s hit single of the same name, “Heaven or Las Vegas”.
It earned several accolades and has been widely regarded as the band’s most commercially successful project. It was included in the book, “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die” published by Universe Publishing in 2005.
It was placed at No. 245 of Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list published in 2020. According to Pitchfork, it was the 90th best album of the 90s.
“Heaven or Las Vegas” peaked at No. 7 in the UK. In the US, it reached No. 99 on the Billboard 200. As of 2022, it had sold about a quarter of a million copies in America.
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