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.
Intro
Cheryl Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's suppose, I do this often in vocational guidance of students,
They come to me and say, well,
"We're getting out of college and we have the faintest idea what we want to do".
So I always ask the question,
"What would you like to do if money were no object?
How would you really enjoy spending your life?"
Well, it's so amazing as a result of our kind of educational system,
Crowds of students say well, we'd like to be painters, we'd like to be poets,
We'd like to be writers, but as everybody knows you can't earn any money that way.
Or another person says well, I'd like to live an out-of-doors life and ride horses.
I said you want to teach in a riding school? Let's go through with it.
What do you want to do?
When we finally got down to something, which the individual says he really wants to do,
I will say to him, you do that and forget the money,
Because, if you say that getting the money is the most important thing,
You will spend your life completely wasting your time.
You'll be doing things you don't like doing in order to go on living,
That is to go on doing things you don't like doing, which is stupid
And so, therefore, it's so important to consider this question: What do I desire?
Cheryl's song Intro begins with a quote from Alan Watts, a philosopher who lectures about the importance of determining a sense of purpose in one's life. The lyrics ask, "What makes you itch? What sort of situation would you like?" These questions are meant to inspire listeners to consider their own desires and aspirations, free from the limitations of societal expectations and financial pressures.
Watts is known for his critiques of the traditional education system and the ways in which it can limit students' creativity and sense of purpose. The lyrics reference this critique by noting that many students want to be painters or poets, but believe that these careers are not financially viable. Watts argues that living a fulfilling life means pursuing one's passions, regardless of financial gain.
The song's message is ultimately about individual fulfillment and the importance of finding one's own path. Rather than striving solely for financial success or societal expectations, the lyrics encourage listeners to consider their own desires and passions, and to pursue them without fear of judgement or failure.
Line by Line Meaning
What makes you itch? What sort of a situation would you like?
What are your ultimate desires and passion? If you could choose any situation for yourself, what would it be?
Let's suppose, I do this often in vocational guidance of students,
As someone who guides students towards a career path, I often ask them to dream beyond the practical limitations of society.
They come to me and say, well, "We're getting out of college and we have the faintest idea what we want to do".
Many students express uncertainty about their post-college career prospects.
So I always ask the question, "What would you like to do if money were no object? How would you really enjoy spending your life?"
To help students discover their true aspirations, I ask them to envision their ideal lives without the influence of financial considerations.
Well, it's so amazing as a result of our kind of educational system, Crowds of students say well, we'd like to be painters, we'd like to be poets, We'd like to be writers, but as everybody knows you can't earn any money that way.
Sadly, many students feel discouraged from pursuing creative careers because of societal norms and the notion that these careers are not financially stable.
Or another person says well, I'd like to live an out-of-doors life and ride horses. I said you want to teach in a riding school? Let's go through with it. What do you want to do?
Others may express more unconventional desires, such as living a rustic lifestyle or working with animals, which I encourage them to thoroughly explore.
When we finally got down to something, which the individual says he really wants to do, I will say to him, you do that and forget the money, Because, if you say that getting the money is the most important thing, You will spend your life completely wasting your time. You'll be doing things you don't like doing in order to go on living, That is to go on doing things you don't like doing, which is stupid
Once someone discovers their true passion, I advise them to pursue it wholeheartedly, regardless of the financial rewards, because chasing money exclusively will inevitably lead to a dissatisfactory, frustrating life.
And so, therefore, it's so important to consider this question: What do I desire?
Ultimately, the most important question to ask oneself is, 'What do I truly desire in life?'
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Henry Tizzard, Richard James Parkhouse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind