Iceblink Luck

Album: Heaven Or Las Vegas (1990)
Charted: 38
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • An uncharacteristically upbeat Cocteau Twins song, "Iceblink Luck" finds lead singer Elizabeth Fraser in a joyful mood. The lyrics are characteristically muddled (is it a "walnut safe" or a "wall, not safe"?), but there seem to be some references to motherhood: in 1989 she and her bandmate Robin Guthrie had a daughter, Lucy Belle.
  • The title never appears in the lyric. An iceblink is a reflection of light off of large masses of ice, which can cause optical illusions in the sky.
  • "Iceblink Luck" was the first Cocteau Twins single released in the United States, and their first to break the UK Singles Chart's Top 40. The song was much more accessible for the masses than the Twins' previous work, with Elizabeth Fraser exerting considerably more restraint over her voice and backing music far more hooky than the dream-smoke-sound that the band had previously surrounded itself with.

    Writing in Q in 1990, Martin Aston said it "proves how easily the Cocteaus have drifted closer to the mainstream without compromising an iota of what makes them so special."
  • The band released a music video or the song. Directed by Howard Greenhalgh, it's a vaguely psychedelic clip with odd-angled shots, haze, and blurred light trails, creating a suitably surreal visual platform for a band frequently labeled "dream pop."
  • Fans of the Cocteau Twins have been singing about the "magic of cherry cola" for years, but the lyric is actually "the march of Jericho" ("that will burn this whole madhouse down"). There are many towns and cities called Jericho throughout the world, but one of the most famous is located in the Palestinian territories near the Jordan River. In the Bible's Book of Joshua (6:1-27), the Israelites are preparing to invade the city by marching around its walls and blowing trumpets as per God's command. On the seventh day, the blasts send the barriers tumbling and the army invades, burning the city to the ground. We don't know if the Cocteau Twins had the biblical tale in mind when they wrote the song, but the lyric lines up with the chapter's fiery conclusion.

Comments: 2

  • Gez from EdinburghPearly-Dewdrops Drops reached UK top 40 in 1984
  • Don Mike from Los AngelesLiz never wrote lyrics to fit into typical lines and stanzas, so the second (and the final) verse always seemed more drawn out to me, reading as “You, yourself, and your father don’t know so, but in your own ways you’re really both bone setters. Thank you for mending me, babies.”
see more comments

Editor's Picks

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

Brenda Russell

Brenda RussellSongwriter Interviews

Brenda talks about the inspiration that drove her to write hit songs like "Get Here" and "Piano in the Dark," and why a lack of formal music training can be a songwriter's best asset.

Maria Muldaur

Maria MuldaurSongwriter Interviews

The "Midnight At The Oasis" singer is an Old Time gal. She talks about her jug band beginnings and shares a Dylan story.

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillian

Soul Train Stories with Stephen McMillianSong Writing

A Soul Train dancer takes us through a day on the show, and explains what you had to do to get camera time.

Gary Lewis

Gary LewisSongwriter Interviews

Gary Lewis and the Playboys had seven Top 10 hits despite competition from The Beatles. Gary talks about the hits, his famous father, and getting drafted.

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.