Rising to fame in late 2002, Cole was selected to become a member of girl group Girls Aloud on ITV's reality television programme Popstars The Rivals. Cole's first solo performance was on American rapper will.i.am's Heartbreaker in 2008. She was picked to appear as a dancer in the video after taking streetdancing classes during the filming of the ITV2 series The Passions of Girls Aloud, in which the members of the band achieve something they had always wanted to do, other than sing. She was later asked, by will.i.am, to sing additional vocals on the track.
In April 2009, Cole started working on solo material. Her debut album, 3 Words, was released in the UK on 26 October 2009. Cole was reunited with will.i.am for the album, in addition to collaborating with Fraser T. Smith, Syience, Danish production team Soulshock & Karlin, singer-songwriter Taio Cruz, Wayne Wilkins, and Steve Kipner. Recorded in Los Angeles and London, Cole mainly collaborated with will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, the executive producer of 3 Words. It crosses from contemporary R&B, dance pop, house and a more general pop sound.
3 Words spent two weeks at number one. On 6 November 2009, BPI certified the album Platinum, denoting shipments of over 300,000 units. It later tripled this feat. The first single from the album, Fight for This Love, was written by Andre Merritt, Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins, and produced by Steve Kipner and Wayne Wilkins. According to Cole, it was released as the lead single because she "connected with the song so well". Following a performance on The X Factor live results show, Fight for This Love became the fourth best-selling single of 2009 in the UK. It charted at number one on both the Irish and UK Singles Chart. In 2010, Fight For This Love went to number one in Denmark, Norway and Hungary. The single was later certified platinum in the UK. Cole's second single 3 Words, which features will.i.am, went to number 4 in the UK and seven in Ireland. In 2010, the single was released in Australia and charted at number 5 and was certified platinum. The third single, Parachute, charted in the top five in both the UK and Ireland. The single was certified silver in the UK. From May to July 2010, Cole was the opening act for The Black Eyed Peas at the British shows (as well as some European dates) of The E.N.D. World Tour. Chris Johnson of the Daily Mail wrote, "she was supposed to be the support act. But as it turned out, Cheryl Cole ended up being the main event".
In March 2010, Cole stated that she had begun working on a follow up album to 3 Words, which she hoped to release "later on in the year". Cole's second solo album, titled Messy Little Raindrops, was released on 1 November 2010. The album's first single, Promise This, was released on 24 October 2010 and became her second number-one hit in the UK. The album was largely produced by Wayne Wilkins, but Cole also reunited with will.i.am, with collaboration from J. R. Rotem, Starsmith, Al Shux, and Free School for the first time. The album also features guest vocals from August Rigo, Dizzee Rascal, Travie McCoy, and will.i.am. The album's lead single, Promise This, went straight to number 1 in the UK, selling 157,000 in its first week. A week later, Messy Little Raindrops was released, charting at number 1 in the UK, 2 in Ireland and 7 in Europe.
All Is Fair
Cheryl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Better run and hide, here they all come
With the hate in their eyes,
And lies on their tongues
So we stand and fight, an army of one
Everybody wants to rule the world it seems
If they fire first
You know what this means
This is war
They don't really care about us
Done playing by the rules
Got nothing left to lose
This is war
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
Skies so gray, we fight through the rain
We been hurt so long,
We can't feel the pain
Breaking down the walls,
With our bare hands
Every stone you threw at us
Becomes ammunition for us
No more turning back show them what we're
Made of yeah
So we fire first,
Ask questions later
This is war
They don't really care about us
Done playing by the rules
Got nothing left to lose
This is war
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
We don't care
Too much at stake
To be afraid we don't care
Put on your armor, let us pray
We'll live to fight another day
This is war
They don't really care about us
(They don't care)
Done playing by the rules
Got nothing left to lose
This is war (this is war)
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
The song "All is Fair" by Cheryl is a passionate anthem about standing up to those who oppress us. The lyrics paint a picture of a desperate situation, where the singer and her allies are trapped and surrounded by people who want to destroy them. "Close the blinds, turn down the sun" suggests that they are hiding, knowing that they are under threat. But they are not going to give in without a fight. "So we stand and fight, an army of one" suggests that they are united and determined, fighting for a cause bigger than themselves.
The chorus, "This is war, they don't really care about us," captures the desperation and frustration of the situation. The singer is saying that they have nothing left to lose and nothing to gain by playing by the rules. "All is fair, we don't care" suggests that they are willing to do whatever it takes to survive, even if that means playing dirty or breaking the rules themselves. The lines "Every stone you threw at us becomes ammunition for us" emphasizes the idea that the singer is turning the tables on her attackers, using their own weapons against them.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of solidarity and defiance. The lyrics are full of dynamic imagery, from the gray skies and rain to the armor that the singer urges us to put on. The song is a call to arms, urging people to stand up and fight for what they believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
Close the blinds, turn down the sun
Let's get out of the spotlight and hide
Better run and hide, here they all come
We need to protect ourselves because they're coming after us
With the hate in their eyes,
And lies on their tongues
They're spreading negativity about us with their dishonesty
So we stand and fight, an army of one
We are ready to fight alone if needed to defend ourselves
Everybody wants to rule the world it seems
If they fire first
You know what this means
Everyone is trying to overpower us and if they get the chance, they won't hesitate to take us down
This is war
They don't really care about us
Done playing by the rules
Got nothing left to lose
This is war
We are at war with them because they don't care about us and we no longer have anything to lose by fighting
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
We will do whatever it takes to win and we don't care about how it's done
Skies so gray, we fight through the rain
We been hurt so long,
We can't feel the pain
We've been through so much that our emotions are numb and we can fight even in the worst of times
Breaking down the walls,
With our bare hands
Every stone you threw at us
Becomes ammunition for us
We're using the attacks made against us to empower ourselves and break through obstacles
No more turning back
Show them what we're
Made of yeah
So we fire first,
Ask questions later
We are ready to show them what we're capable of and won't waste any time in taking action
Too much at stake
To be afraid we don't care
Put on your armor, let us pray
We'll live to fight another day
We have everything to lose, so we can't afford to be afraid. Let's get ready for battle and hope we survive to fight another day
This is war
They don't really care about us
(They don't care)
Done playing by the rules
Got nothing left to lose
This is war (this is war)
We are reminding ourselves that this is truly a war with merciless enemies who don't follow the rules and we are fighting only to win
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
All is fair, we don't care
We are prepared to do whatever it takes to win and these lyrics prove it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: CANDICE CLOTIEL NELSON, JAMES DAVID WASHINGTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind