Dreampopper’s Tribute: Exploration of Words

by Raegan Densmore

Image reference: https://archive.org/services/img/rumskib-st/full/pct:500/0/default.jpg 

My recent learnings from school have molded my brain into one eager to dive into meanings both in narratives, but also in the structure of works. Don’t get me wrong, I have always loved exploring meanings, but I have been developing a deeper understanding on how to perform a more critical analysis. For years now, I have been drawn to a certain song, but only recently have I actually grown super curious about it. The song is a mystery; the lyrics are not fully known and quite distorted. The music itself has a captivating sound, like an intense dream state, bouncy and circular. This song is special to me because I have never felt the urge to skip it when it starts to play. Dreampopper’s Tribute by the band Rumskib is a beautiful piece which lures me in as I wonder; what is the meaning it portrays?

Beginning with the title alone, a dreampopper is someone that discourages someone, someone who deflates a dream. So why is the title called dreampopper’s tribute? Is it about showing deep gratitude through an act or is it the other definition where payment is made to someone else as a sign of dependence? 

Due to the distortion and reverb, it is hard to make out the lyrics. However, multiple songs by the band Cocteau Twins are referenced such as “Oil of Angels”, “Pink Orange Red”, “My Love Paramour” and “Lazy Calm”. This discovery led me to find that this song was actually inspired by the band. Cocteau Twins are one of the bands who influenced the creation of the genre “dreampop”. So the “dreampopper” in the title of this song is Cocteau Twins and “Dreampopper’s Tribute” is essentially a tribute to Cocteau Twins. 

This still left me curious as there is plenty more to discover about this song; why did they choose these song titles specifically? And did Rumskib realize the double meaning of the term “dreampopper”? The first thing to note about Cocteau Twins is how they write their songs; the lead singer, Elizabeth Fraser uses her voice as an instrument instead of producing literal meaning, which has often been referred to as glossolalia; sound imitating speech yet speaking in tongues. Glossola has religious roots relating with divinity, beyond ordinary language, however it has been explored by modernist writers as well. Fraser has stated that she found words in other languages from dictionaries and used them as lyrics because she liked the sound of them. All of the songs referenced in “Dreampopper’s Tribute” are older ones in which Fraser explores language using this technique. 

For Rumskib, the sound is also highly emphasized, not so much the narrative. I interpret the message as having these desires that may only remain as such, or in other words, dreams. Tying with the song titles, as well as “Float away in a dream”, as is sung. The original meaning of “dreampopper” can be seen in this sense also. But as a dreampop song, the lyrics are most likely not as important in the narrative as they are the sound. The song plays like a dream, and the hardly recognizable lyrics emphasize on the sound, to enforce the dream-like state even further, producing emotion through sound instead of story. Although cryptic words invoke questions, perhaps the chains of literal interpretation are meant to be broken for the listener. Musical genres such as dreampop make you feel through music without linguistic constraints. As a fuller tribute to Cocteau Twins the “dreampopper”, Rumskib seems to be exploring this creativity as well.