After recording the band's fourth album "How Dare You!" the pair started work on a new instrument they called The Gizmo. In 1977 they created a concept album "Consequences" to showcase it, which also had the voice talents of comedian Peter Cook.
In the late seventies and early eighties they released three albums "L", "Freeze Frame" and "Ismism" (released under the name "Snack Attack" in the USA).
Their greatest successes, however, came in the field of music video production in the early 80s. Working with bands like Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Police, Duran Duran, Herbie Hancock and Sting.
Their last album "Goodbye Blue Sky" was released in 1988 but they fell out during production. To-date (2006) they have not worked together again since then.
Out In The Cold
Godley & Creme Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until you came my way
And then you left me on that cold December day
You said there'd never be another man
But you never planned to stay
The night you left me out in the cold
The night you left me out in the cold
That no one wants to play
Someone has taken all the music away
Where did the meaning of our love get lost in pointless cabaret
The night you left me out in the cold
The night you left me out in the cold
The night, the night, the night, the night, the night...
The night you left me out in the cold
The night you left me out in the cold
So if I meet you in a bar one night
I'd be polite and stay
And we'd laugh about that cold December day
But if you ask me to speak my mind
I'm more inclined to say
that
Godley & Creme's song Out in the Cold is a poignant reflection on lost love and abandonment. The singer didn't know what they were missing until they met their partner and then lost them on a cold December day. The partner promised there would never be another man, but they didn't plan on staying. The singer is left feeling like a broken piano with no one to play them, and they wonder where the meaning of their love got lost. The pointlessness of life is compared to a cabaret, suggesting it's all a performance without any real meaning.
The repetition of "the night you left me out in the cold" emphasizes the feeling of isolation and abandonment. The singer is left with a sense of loss and longing for something that cannot be regained. Yet, despite everything, they still hold onto a tiny hope that they might see their former partner again, and they could laugh about the past. However, the singer knows deep down that they are more inclined to speak their mind and express their true feelings, which may not be pleasant. Overall, the lyrics are a beautifully expressive portrayal of heartbreak and the struggle to move on from a lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't know what I was waiting for
I was lost, unsure and didn't have any direction in life
Until you came my way
You brought light and purpose into my life
And then you left me on that cold December day
You abandoned me suddenly, leaving me lost once again
You said there'd never be another man
You promised to love only me and never share that love with anyone else
But you never planned to stay
Your words were empty, and you never intended to fulfill your promises
The night you left me out in the cold
I was alone and neglected, with no one to turn to for comfort
And now you're gone I'm like a broken piano
Without you, I am incomplete and useless, like a broken instrument
That no one wants to play
No one is interested in me without you
Someone has taken all the music away
You took away all the love, joy and happiness that we shared
Where did the meaning of our love get lost in pointless cabaret
Our love became meaningless and shallow, consumed by distractions and childish pursuits
The night, the night, the night, the night, the night...
Repetition emphasizing the night of the breakup
So if I meet you in a bar one night
Hypothetically meeting you again in the future
I'd be polite and stay
I would be civil and not burn any bridges between us
And we'd laugh about that cold December day
We might reminisce about our past, putting our differences aside
But if you ask me to speak my mind
If you want to know how I really feel
I'm more inclined to say
I would be honest and express my true emotions
Contributed by Jayce C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@stevenhighams4190
Kevin and Lol were my heroes. They did synth pop really well without ever sounding like they were jumping onto the bandwagon. This track and 'Twisted Nerve' were particularly dark.
@infanttyrone
Came here by way of a Moon Wiring Club mixtape and I’m glad I did. This song is just as eerie and sinister in the original as it is in the mix
@puppenbuhnebauchkribbeln1183
What a feeling listening to this tune again, after all those years... WOW...🙏🏼 THANK YOU sooo much!!!
@stefanlacny814
It's taken me 38 years to "get" this album. I suppose coming after the classics Consequences, L and Freeze Frame, I was probably expecting too much of Birds of Prey and was disappointed with it. But two months ago I started playing it again and somehow it just clicked. This is a fine song from, not a classic, but a very good album.
@andyschoenhofer6853
This Masquerade.
@lascheque
What an amazing song. I'd like to make a movie just so I could use this in the soundtrack. It'd be a moody sci-fi lovecrime drama set in a futuristic past.
@hausupostermarienbad
They've always had a dark side, but this is fucking terrifying.
@ilyazab
I didn't know what I was waiting for
Until you came my way
And then you left me on that cold December day
You said there'd never be another man
But you never planned to stay
(Chorus)
The night you left me out in the cold
The night you left me out in the cold
And now you're gone I'm like a broken piano
That no one wants to play
Someone has taken all the music away
Where did the meaning of our love get lost in pointless cabaret
(Chorus)
The night you left me out in the cold
The night you left me out in the cold
The night, the night, the night, the night, the night.....
The night you left me out in the cold
The night you left me out in the cold
So if I meet you in a bar one night
I'd be polite and stay
And we'd laugh about that cold December day
But if you ask me to speak my mind
I'm more inclined to say
(Chorus)
@TheTheresa165
My favorite album, would it kill ya to upload the rest? My son ate the needle, so I let a record store owner hold onto it for me and enjoy it.
@electromaniac1
Ism Ism is an ok album, but this album is a favorite. Freeze Frame is another.