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.
Alright People
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got the lock on the low
I'm going back to New Mexico
Cold comfort and kerosene
Plain solitude
Guess I lost my touch
Those little things that used to mean so much
In the cold, cold light
Well, how wrong can you be?
And how long must it take to see
That your world
Can spin fine, without me
Now, there's nothing more to say
It's alright
People change
Well, you can paint me blue
And I could lay the whole thing on you
Or hold on ala Hollywood
O'Neil and McGraw
But the trouble with me
is that it took me so long to see
That the rain is pouring without you
And I've got nothing left to say
It's alright
People change
You can take my love
And bury it deep
And I'll take your love
And I'll bury it deep
I'll bury it deep
Well, how wrong can you be?
And how long must it take to see
That your world
Is turning, without me
Now, there's nothing more to say
It's alright
People change
The lyrics to Lloyd Cole's song Alright People are an introspective meditation on change and the end of a relationship. The song's narrator finds himself isolated and alone, retreating to New Mexico for solace in cold comfort and kerosene. He acknowledges that he has lost his touch and the little things that used to mean so much to him are now insignificant. He reflects on his mistakes in the cold, cold light of day and realizes how wrong he was about the relationship. He wonders how long it will take for him to see that the world can go on without him.
The singer contemplates the different ways he could react to the end of the relationship, but ultimately he understands that it's alright, that people change and move on. He acknowledges that he can't force the other person to stay with him, and he can't change who he is. He accepts that they must bury their love for each other deep, and move on with their lives. The song's final lines emphasize this acceptance and resignation, stating that there's nothing more to say - people change.
Overall, the lyrics to Alright People convey a sense of sadness and regret, but also of acceptance and resilience in the face of change.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got the lock on the low
I am feeling low and depressed.
I'm going back to New Mexico
I am leaving my current situation to go somewhere else, possibly to get a fresh start.
Cold comfort and kerosene
The comfort I am seeking is hard to come by, and things are tough and likely uncomfortable.
Plain solitude
I am lonely and isolated.
Guess I lost my touch
I no longer have the skills or abilities I used to have.
Those little things that used to mean so much
Things that were once important to me are now insignificant and unimportant.
seem so insignificant
Things that were once meaningful have lost their importance and are now insignificant.
In the cold, cold light
In the harsh and unforgiving light of reality.
Well, how wrong can you be?
I realized I was mistaken or deceived about something.
And how long must it take to see
It took me a long time to realize something that should have been obvious.
That your world
Can spin fine, without me
I come to the realization that the world doesn't revolve around me, and life goes on without my involvement.
Now, there's nothing more to say
It's alright
People change
I have come to accept that people change, and sometimes things don't work out.
You can take my love
And bury it deep
And I'll take your love
And I'll bury it deep
I'll bury it deep
We are parting ways and giving up on each other's love.
But the trouble with me
is that it took me so long to see
That the rain is pouring without you
And I've got nothing left to say
It took me a long time to realize that I was better off without you, and there's no point in saying anymore.
It's alright
People change
Sometimes things change, and it's okay to move on.
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.