Maybe you'll understand this too

Whatever happened to Cocteau Twins? Elizabeth Fraser did some great stuff with FSOL and Massive Attack, renewing her street-cred. Lending her vocals talents to LOTR ost widen her appeal. Kinda. But I don't think the Cocteau Twins are gonna release anything for years to come. A pity.

Their earlier work bear some semblance to the sparse sound in Joy Division music. Not surprisingly so. They were very much influenced by JD and Sex Pistols...various other punk groups I don't know how many post-punk fans know them. Not post- enough and not -punk enough. Some M-pop and C-pop music lovers may recognise some tracks because Faye Wong, a fan, covered some of their songs and worked with them on a couple of new ones. Exciting times those were.

Recently I've been listening to the 4-disc set released by 4AD - Lullabies to Violaine. Revisiting an old favourite - Half-Gifts. Just want to share the acoustic version with you all. I much prefer the acoustic version to the album version, especially when Elizabeth Fraser's tender voice trembles towards the end.....

Half-Gifts

It's an old game, my love
When you can't have me, you want me
Because you know that you're not risking anything

Intimacy is when we're in the same place at the same time
Dealing honestly with how we feel, and who we really are

That's what grown-ups do
That is mature thinking

Well I'm still a junkie for it
It takes me out of my aloneness
But this relationship cannot sustain itself

Intimacy is when we're in the same place at the same time
Dealing honestly with how we feel, and who we really are

That's what grown-ups do
That is mature thinking

I just have to know how to be in the process
Of creating things in a better way
And it hurts but it's a lie that I can't handle it
I still have a world of me-ness to fulfill
I still have a life, and it's a rich one even with mourning
Even with grief and sadness

I still care about this planet
I am still connected to nature and to my dreams for myself

I have my friends, my family.
I have myself
I still have me

I have my friends, my family.
I have myself
I still have me



Cocteau Twins