"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" is a single by Scottish band Cocteau Twins, taken from their 1984 EP The Spangle Maker. The song was written by Cocteau Twins, and recorded at Rooster Studios in London.[1] It was their highest-charting single, peaking at No. 29 on the UK Singles Chart[2] and No. 1 on the UK Indie Chart.[3] The lyrics are "as nonsensical as they are indistinguishable" but "Elizabeth Fraser's reverb-heavy soprano" carries the song just the same.[4] The title may be a reference to A Midsummer Night's Dream, whose fairies announce their mission as, "I must go seek some dew-drops here And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear. Farewell, thou lob of spirits: I'll be gone; Our queen and all her elves come here anon."[5]
| "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Cocteau Twins | ||||
| from the album The Spangle Maker | ||||
| Released | 2 April 1984 | |||
| Recorded | Rooster Studios, London | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:12 | |||
| Label | 4AD - BAD405 | |||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Cocteau Twins singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Release and promotion
editDuring the song's early weeks of release, it quickly become a prominent feature on European radio stations.[6] In the United Kingdom, across all BBC radio stations and other broadcasters such as Capital Radio, "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" was the 12th most frequently played song on British radio stations.[7]
In the week of May 14, 1984, "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" debuted at No. 53 on the European Airplay Top 60 chart, a chart compiled across Europe based on information received from individual European countries relating to radio airplay.[8]
Music video
editA music video for the song, directed by John Scarlett-Davis, was filmed at The Chapel in Holloway Sanatorium in Virginia Water, and in nearby Virginia Waters Park.[9]
The music video was released and serviced to European television channels for broadcast. On the European continent itself, the music video received minimal airplay. However, in the United Kingdom, the music video for the song received considerable broadcast time.[10] On the European music channel Music Box, the video was ranked amongst the top ten videos to be played in May 1984.[11]
In popular culture
editCharts
edit| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (Official Charts)[13] | 29 |
| UK Indie (Official Charts)[14] | 1 |
| European Singles (European Hot 100 Singles)[15] | 68 |
References
edit- ↑ "Cocteau Twins - The Spangle Maker". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
- ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
- ↑ "Oldie of The Week: 'Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops', Cocteau Twins (1984)". The Oxford Student. 2017-11-11. Retrieved 2025-09-11.
- ↑ Shakespeare, William (n.d.). "A Midsummer Night's Dream (Act II, scene 1)". Folger Shakespeare Library. Washington, D.C. Retrieved 2026-05-26.
- ↑ "Music & Media" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 7 May 1984. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ↑ "Music & Media" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 7 May 1984. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ↑ "Music & Media" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 14 May 1984. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ↑ Lottie Brazier The Strange World Of… Cocteau Twins, The Quietus, 5 March 2018
- ↑ "Music & Media" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 21 May 1984. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ↑ "Music & Media" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 28 May 1984. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- ↑ "'Perks Of Being A Wallflower' Soundtrack Tracklist Revealed (EXCLUSIVE)". The Huffington Post. 17 August 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 29/4/1984 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ↑ "Official Independent Singles Chart on 29/4/1984 – Top 50". Official Charts Company.
- ↑ "Music & Media" (PDF). Worldradiohistory.com. 30 April 1984. Retrieved 16 July 2022.