Ad

Cocteau TwinsLullabies

Genre:

Rock

Style:

Post-Punk, Indie Rock

Year:

Tracklist

Feathers - Oar - Blades4:30
Alas Dies Laughing3:38
It's All But An Ark Lark8:06

Credits (9)

Notes

Released October 1982 (later than first album).

Versions

Filter by
    4 versions
    Image, In Your Collection, Wantlist, or Inventory
    Version DetailsData Quality
    Cover of Lullabies, 1982-10-00, VinylLullabies
    12", 45 RPM, EP
    4AD – BAD 213, 4AD – bad 213UK1982UK1982
    Cover of Lullabies, 1982, VinylLullabies
    12", 45 RPM, EP, Maxi-Single
    4AD – 151.089Netherlands1982Netherlands1982
    New Submission
    Cover of Lullabies, 1982-09-03, VinylLullabies
    12", 45 RPM, EP, Test Pressing
    4AD – BAD 213UK1982UK1982
    Cover of Lullabies, 1991-11-04, CDLullabies
    CD, EP, Reissue
    4AD – BAD 213CDUK1991UK1991
    Recently Edited

    Recommendations

    • Cocteau Twins - Garlands
      Garlands
      1982 UK
      Vinyl —
      LP, Album
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Aikea-Guinea
      Aikea-Guinea
      1985 UK
      Vinyl —
      12", 45 RPM, EP, Single
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Peppermint Pig
      Peppermint Pig
      1983 UK
      Vinyl —
      12", 45 RPM, EP
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Treasure
      Treasure
      1984 UK
      Vinyl —
      LP, Album
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Tiny Dynamine
      Tiny Dynamine
      1985 UK
      Vinyl —
      12", 45 RPM, EP
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Victorialand
      Victorialand
      1986 UK
      Vinyl —
      LP, 45 RPM, Album
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Echoes In A Shallow Bay
      Echoes In A Shallow Bay
      1985 UK
      Vinyl —
      12", 45 RPM, EP
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Sunburst And Snowblind
      Sunburst And Snowblind
      1983 UK
      Vinyl —
      12", 45 RPM, EP
      Shop
    • Cocteau Twins - Head Over Heels
      Head Over Heels
      1983 UK
      Vinyl —
      LP, Album
      Shop
    • This Mortal Coil - Sixteen Days - Gathering Dust
      Sixteen Days - Gathering Dust
      1983 UK
      Vinyl —
      12", 45 RPM, Single
      Shop

    Reviews

    • maxal's avatar
      maxal
      “If ya got a box, you gotta open it.” – A Pan Door

      It’s all but an ark lark.

      Lullabies is a remarkable 4ad 12” EP. The sound emerged from nowhere, hardly giving hint of what Cocteau Twins would bring. The cover image, the dancer and the lily; this the soil, the roots of it all.

      The three songs are sort of litanies, chants, complex repetitions, musically and vocally interweaving, on and on. With Heggie’s resounding bass, thrashing drums, scratching harps (?) and twanging strings. I can’t help but imagine the songs are entreaties to something. Calling something, weaving into creation.

      The first 40 seconds of Alas Dies Laughing is intoxicating string work, sour notes entwine, create something strange, then Liz sings . . .

      It’s All but an Ark Lark is the track I played the most (I wonder what that says of me). It doesn’t have the immediate beauty of Alas’s intro, its power is more relentless, it goes on for ever. It still has me mesmerised as I listen to it now. Liz trilling, the drum beating and whipping, the strings twanging and screeching.

      Below are what I found of the lyrics. I can hear some of it (and understand a bit), but I also hear other things. Such as: instead of, “All for my” [repeated], I would always hear “Open my, open my open my . . . “ as in illuminated eyes (in Ark Lark).

      Alas Dies Laughing
      Flaxen, the dress is born
      Crush a crushing stone
      Tie a starching walls
      Wake takes a mumbling form
      Wake takes a mumbling form

      Flaxen, the dress is old
      Fingers, this dress is tied
      Tie a starching walls
      Wake takes a mumbling form

      It's All But An Ark
      Heel to toe to hair and hoof
      And it’s head over heels
      And it’s all but an ark-lark
      Kicked all from my curtsies
      This mockingbird
      My lullabies

      It's all for my
      All for my
      All of my
      All of my
      Charisma
      Charisma
      Charisma
      Charisma

      It's all for my
      All for my
      All of my
      All of my
      Charisma
      Charisma
      Charisma
      Charisma

      Barking, biting amongst ourselves...

      It's all but an, all but an ark lark [All but a Catholic joke?]
      • harken23's avatar
        harken23
        My copy has the A side listed as "It's All But An Ark Lark" on the disc label, and "All But An Ark Lark" on the sleeve.
        And "Feathers - Oar - Blades" on the sleeve, unlike the note (no dashes on the disc label).

        Master Release

        For sale on Discogs

        Sell a copy

        76 copies from $8.67

        Statistics

        • Avg Rating:4.27 / 5
        • Ratings:411
        Ad

        Videos (3)

        Edit
        Ad
        Ad