Born in Buxton, Derbyshire, Cole grew up in nearby Chapel en le Frith and went to New Mills Grammar School. After failing in law at University College London, he later attended (but did not graduate from) the University of Glasgow where he studied philosophy and English and met the other members of band that would become The Commotions. Their 1984 debut, Rattlesnakes, contained numerous literary and pop culture references to figures like Norman Mailer, Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint, Truman Capote and Joan Didion. The group produced two more albums, Easy Pieces and Mainstream, before disbanding in 1989, when Cole re-located to New York to record with legendary musicians like Fred Maher and Robert Quine (as well as a then largely unknown Matthew Sweet).
This solo setting produced two acclaimed albums, Lloyd Cole in 1990 and 1991's Don't Get Weird on Me Babe. The latter was recorded in two parts: one side continued the New York rock mastered on his first solo album, while the other side featured a session orchestra, much in the style of Burt Bacharach or Scott Walker. Although some reviewers have claimed Don't Get Weird on Me Babe (the title being a quote from the American neo-realism poet Raymond Carver) to be a creative peak, it produced significantly lesser record sales, and the contract with Capitol Records ended.
Subsequently signed by Rykodisc, Cole continued redefining his sound with Bad Vibes (1993), a collaboration with producer/remixer Adam Peters using a harder, grunge and psychedelica inspired sound. Love Story (1995) established stripped-down, largely acoustic sound landscapes with the help of Stephen Street (famous for his work with Blur and The Smiths) and former Commotions Neil Clark and Blair Cowan; the album produced a minor hit with the song "Like Lovers Do".
In 2000, after years without a contract, Cole recorded a disc with the New York band The Negatives, featuring Jill Sobule and Dave Derby of the Dambuilders. He has since released solo albums on smaller independent labels. Sanctuary Records, the company responsible for the revival of Morrissey, released Music in a Foreign Language (2003) in the U.K. Recorded largely by Cole himself (including tracks recorded directly into a Mac), the songs had a stark, folk-inspired singer-songwriter style. One Little Indian, home of Björk, released Music in a Foreign Language in the U.S.; they also collected a number of outtakes (recorded from 1996 to 2000) on 2004's Etc. and released an instrumental ambient electronica album, Plastic Wood, the same year.
Cole continued to tour, playing intimate club venues in a one-man acoustic setting. In 2004, to mark the 20th anniversary of the release of Rattlesnakes, Lloyd Cole and the Commotions reformed to perform a one-off, sell-out tour in the U.K. and Ireland. An avid golfer, he is also known for playing concerts in towns suspiciously close to famous golf courses. He also shares a passion for this sport with Alice Cooper who is said to introduce the song "Only Women Bleed" claiming "not even Lloyd Cole has written a song about menstruation" when playing live.
Cole's album "Antidepressant" was released in 2006 featuring the former Commotions guitarist Neil Clark on some tracks.
The follow-up Broken Record, released in September 2010, marked a departure from his solo recordings, as it was performed by a band of longstanding friends and working partners, including Fred Maher, Joan Wasser, Rainy Orteca, Dave Derby and Blair Cowan – as well as two musicians, Matt Cullen (guitar; banjo) and Mark Schwaber (guitar; mandolin).
An album co-funded by fans, Standards, was released in June 2013.
A studio album – Guesswork – was released on July 26, 2019 by earMUSIC.
4 Train
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm falling in love with her again
She's looking for a change of pace,she says
I can see that old look on her face
She says it takes an open mind
I think she means an open relationship
She says I can be so unkind
Don't think twice
If you gotta go, Mary it's alright
How much love can one man need?
Don't change your mind
Because true love is hard to find
But I'll find another lover
She says it isn't wrong or right
And me, I'm emotionally colourblind
She's waking me at half past four
I'm sleeping on the bathroom floor again
She's fallen for his new age verse
I'm holding back a level of consciousness
I know it isn't wrong or right
But all I said was
Don't think twice
If you gotta go, Mary it's alright
How much love can one man need?
Don't change your mind
Because true love is hard to find
But I'll find anotherlover
I ran into an old girlfriend
On the corner of Varrick and VanDam
She said she had to change her address
What a strange coincidence
The lyrics of Lloyd Cole's song "4 Train" are a reflection of a complex romantic relationship that is falling apart. The singer seems to be head over heels in love with a woman who is calling up her old boyfriends, and is constantly looking for a change of pace. He perceives a certain look on her face that he is familiar with, which is the indication that she may be preparing to end the relationship. He suspects that she is looking for an open relationship and is willing to compromise on fidelity.
The singer of the song is emotionally conflicted because he is in love with this woman, but is unwilling to accept the possibility of sharing her. He believes that true love is hard to find, but is willing to let her go if she has to. He obsesses over the amount of love that one man needs and wonders if he is enough for her. He also seems to be struggling with personal issues that have made him emotionally "colorblind". Despite all this, he finds himself on the bathroom floor after an argument with her at 4 am.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Don't think twice" which implies that the singer is trying to convince himself and Mary to make a decision about their relationship once and for all.
Line by Line Meaning
She's calling up her old boyfriends
The woman is contacting her ex-partners.
I'm falling in love with her again
The singer is once again developing romantic feelings for the woman.
She's looking for a change of pace,she says
The woman wants to switch things up in her life.
I can see that old look on her face
The artist is familiar with the expression the woman is giving.
She says it takes an open mind
The woman insists that being open-minded is important.
I think she means an open relationship
The singer interprets the woman's request for openness as pertaining to a non-monogamous relationship.
She says I can be so unkind
The woman accuses the singer of being unkind.
All I said was Don't think twice
The artist urges the woman not to hesitate or overthink her decisions.
If you gotta go, Mary it's alright
The artist tells the woman that it's okay to leave if she needs to.
How much love can one man need?
The artist wonders how much love a person can require.
Don't change your mind
The singer implores the woman not to alter her decision.
Because true love is hard to find
The artist believes that finding genuine love is challenging.
But I'll find another lover
The singer will search for someone else to love.
She says it isn't wrong or right
The woman claims that her actions aren't right or wrong.
And me, I'm emotionally colourblind
The singer struggles to discern emotions.
She's waking me at half past four
The woman is waking the artist up very early in the morning.
I'm sleeping on the bathroom floor again
The artist is so upset or intoxicated that he is sleeping on the bathroom floor.
She's fallen for his new age verse
The woman is attracted to another man's spiritual or philosophical beliefs.
I'm holding back a level of consciousness
The singer is repressing his own spiritual or philosophical beliefs.
But all I said was Don't think twice
The artist reiterates his advice to the woman not to overthink things.
If you gotta go, Mary it's alright
The artist reassures the woman that leaving is acceptable if she feels the need to.
How much love can one man need?
The artist still wonders about how much love is necessary.
Don't change your mind
The singer repeats his desire that the woman stick to her decision.
Because true love is hard to find
The artist reasserts his belief that discovering true love is a difficult task.
But I'll find anotherlover
The singer remains motivated to seek another romantic partner.
I ran into an old girlfriend
The singer encountered one of his ex-partners.
On the corner of Varrick and VanDam
The location of the singer's meeting with his ex-partner.
She said she had to change her address
The ex-partner indicates that she needed to move to a different place.
What a strange coincidence
The artist reflects on the odd timing of this collision with an old partner.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lloyd Cole
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind