In 1983, she travelled to Toronto to seek a musical career. In 1986, she founded a trio with bassist David Piltch and pianist Aaron Davis. Offered a record deal in 1989, the Holly Cole Trio released an EP, Christmas Blues, that year, which featured a version of The Pretenders' "2,000 Miles". This was followed by their first full album, Girl Talk, in 1990.
A succession of releases followed through the early 1990s. For example, 1991's Blame It On My Youth, covered songs by Tom Waits ("Purple Avenue", aka "Empty Pockets"), Lyle Lovett ("God Will"), includes show tunes such as "If I Were a Bell" (from Guys and Dolls) and "On the Street Where You Live" (from My Fair Lady), and even remakes "Trust In Me", from Disney's The Jungle Book, into a strikingly sultry and sinister song of seduction and death. Also recorded in this period was "Alison", a reinterpretation of Elvis Costello's original.
Following 1993's Don't Smoke in Bed, the trio released a CD entirely of songs by Tom Waits, called Temptation. With this 1995 release, the "Trio" was dropped from the group's name.
Cole next went into a two-album flirtation with pop music, perhaps keeping with the "diva" fad of the late 90s. These albums, Dark Dear Heart (1997) and Romantically Helpless (2000) veered further from jazz by introducing pop elements to Cole's sound.
In 2001, she returned to the Christmas jazz roots of her first CD with Baby It's Cold Outside, which included such should-be classics as "Christmas Time is Here" (from A Charlie Brown Christmas), "Santa Baby", and the title track. Swapping cold for hot, she moved to a Summer theme in 2003's Shade, this time reinterpreting Cole Porter ("Too Darn Hot"), Irving Berlin ("Heatwave"), and The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson ("God Only Knows").
Cole's latest album, Holly Cole (originally entitled This House Is Haunted) was released in Canada in March 2007. It was released in the US in January 2008 and was followed by a US tour.
Cole tours frequently, particularly around the holiday season, in Canada. She was also a part of the 1999 Lilith Fair tour.
God Only Knows
Holly Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it
God only knows what I'd be without you
If you should ever leave me
The world would show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I'd be without you (2x)
If you should ever leave me
Well life would still go on believe me
The world could show nothing to me
So what good would living do me
God only knows what I'd be without you (2x)
God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you (2x)
God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you (2x)
God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you (2x)
God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you (2x)
God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you (2x)
God only knows
God only knows what I'd be without you
Holly Cole's version of "God Only Knows" is a beautiful expression of undying love and the fear of losing the one you love. The opening lines articulate that the singer may not always love the person they're addressing, but as long as there are stars shining overhead, they'll guarantee their love. The chorus, with the repetition of the phrase "God only knows what I'd be without you," emphasizes the singer's awareness of how crucial their partner is to their well-being. The fear of being alone and forgetting how to live without the other is expressed when the singer wonders what the point of living is, should their partner ever leave them.
The singer conveys that they are fully aware of the impact their partner has on their lives in "God Only Knows." The connection between the words and music is beautiful as they work together to draw out the song's emotive elements. It is as though the lyrics mirror the pain and appreciation the singer feels within, while the music reflects the nostalgic warmth and beauty of the melody. The song offers an intensely personal and honest reflection of what love can accomplish, all the while acknowledging that it can be challenging and scary to lose the person you love.
Line by Line Meaning
I may not always love you
Although my love for you may falter at times, I am still committed to you
But long as there are stars above you
My love for you is eternal and unyielding
You never need to doubt it
You can have complete faith in my love for you
I'll make you so sure about it
I will do everything in my power to prove my love to you
God only knows what I'd be without you
You are so integral to my life that I cannot imagine living without you
If you should ever leave me
The mere thought of you leaving me is unbearable
Though life would still go on believe me
The world would continue to spin, but it would never be the same without you
The world would show nothing to me
The world would lose its shine and beauty without you by my side
So what good would living do me
Life without you is meaningless and futile
God only knows what I'd be without you
You are the light of my life and the reason for my happiness
Well life would still go on believe me
The world would keep turning, but my heart would be forever broken
The world could show nothing to me
Without your love, the world loses all of its luster
So what good would living do me
Life without you would be an endless abyss of emptiness and despair
God only knows what I'd be without you
You are the glue that holds my life together and the missing piece of my soul
God only knows
Only God truly understands the depth of my love for you
God only knows what I'd be without you
Without you, my existence would be reduced to mere survival
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Brian Douglas Wilson, Tony Asher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind