Mulder and Scully (song) - Lyrics and Composition

Lyrics and Composition

The song makes direct reference to FBI special agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), the two main characters of the popular sci-fi TV series The X-Files who work on cases linked to the paranormal, called X-Files. Although the title and refrain reference the popular show, the song has little to do with the two characters. The use of Mulder and Scully are used to represent a metaphor for a relationship "turning pear-shaped"; that is to say a relationship becoming so "strange" that it could be "a case for Mulder and Scully", a reference to the paranormal cases—the titular X-Files—the two investigate on the show. Cerys Matthews, the co-writer of the song, explained that the conceit of the song was "about asking Mulder and Scully to figure out this thing called love. I like the idea of two people going round the planet investigating odd phenomena, in this case love."

Matthews later admitted that she was not a serious fan of the show, but that she only used the line because it adequately described the type of relationship she was singing about. In an interview with the Daily Record, she explained, "I'm not a big fan of but I got the line about things getting strange for Mulder and Scully from watching the odd episode." After questioning, she later said that she would "prefer to go out for a night on the town with Gazza and Chris Evans than meet stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny." Matthews also related that "I'm sure loads of people bought the record by mistake, but who cares? They should be flattered we wrote a song about anyway."