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.
Brand New Baby Blues
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He took all your pills it gave him x-ray vision
He says everybody here is naked
Told me I should warn you not to leave me too fast
I got that you been checking in the corner and all that he's cracked
You're too damn tall with your fat shoes on
Believe me I get the message and I do feel small
Ninety five percent of the fruit ain't gonna get you conviction
Flew in on the red eyed virgin mother Mary
Brand new baby pre-contacts and I'm a ..... visionary
Forty five opinions get a consensus to cry
There's most... different races uh uh
Ah come on Jane we're not so crazy as we'd like to think
Come on walk me home
You know my place and I'm only limping
And you know my place and I'm only limping
Ah come on Jane
Jimmy's in the bathroom
He took all your pills it gave him x-ray vision
He says everybody here is naked
Told me I should warn you not to leave me too fast
I got that you been checking in the corner and all that he's cracked
You're too damn tall with your flat shoes on
Believe me I get the message yes I do feel small
Ah come on Jane we're not so crazy as we'd like to think
Come on walk me home
You know my place and I'm only limping
And you know my place and I'm only limping
Ah come on Jane
Ah come on Jane
Ah come on now baby
Walk me home
The lyrics of "Brand New Baby Blues" by Lloyd Cole are quite enigmatic and open to interpretation. The song appears to be about a group of people who are taking drugs and experiencing a hallucinogenic state. The first stanza describes Jimmy, who has taken pills and believes that he has x-ray vision. He sees everyone as naked and warns the singer not to leave him too fast. The second stanza includes the line "Swore i`d eat the whole fruit nothing but the feat juice," which could be interpreted as a reference to taking a risk and living life to the fullest.
The third stanza includes the line "Flew in on the red eyed virgin mother Mary, brand new baby pre-contacts, and I'm a ..... visionary," which is particularly puzzling. It is unclear what "pre-contacts" means in this context, but it could indicate a feeling of connection with humanity or a sense of arriving at a new level of understanding. Finally, the song closes with the singer asking Jane to walk him home. Despite the surreal and confusing imagery in the lyrics, the song could be interpreted as a commentary on the search for connection and meaning in a confusing and fragmented world.
Line by Line Meaning
Jimmy's in the bathroom
Someone is in the bathroom.
He took all your pills it gave him x-ray vision
This person took pills and claims to have x-ray vision.
He says everybody here is naked
This person claims to see everyone naked.
Told me I should warn you not to leave me too fast
This person is warning someone not to leave too quickly.
I got that you been checking in the corner and all that he's cracked
I know you've been checking on the situation and he's not reliable.
You're too damn tall with your fat shoes on
You are too tall and your shoes are making you look wider.
Believe me I get the message and I do feel small
I understand the point being made and feel small because of it.
Swore i`d eat the whole fruit nothing but the feat juice
I promised to consume the entire fruit, only drinking the pure juice.
Ninety five percent of the fruit ain't gonna get you conviction
Most of the fruit won't be strong enough to give you a sense of purpose.
Flew in on the red eyed virgin mother Mary
Travelled in late at night in a difficult situation.
Brand new baby pre-contacts and I'm a ..... visionary
A new baby is about to be born and I feel like I can see the future.
Forty five opinions get a consensus to cry
There are many different opinions and they all lead to sadness.
There's most... different races uh uh
There's a lot of people from different ethnic backgrounds.
Ah come on Jane we're not so crazy as we'd like to think
Let's not act like we're crazier than we really are, Jane.
Come on walk me home
Please walk me home.
You know my place and I'm only limping
You know where I live and I have a slight injury.
And you know my place and I'm only limping
You also know where I live and I still have a slight injury.
Ah come on Jane
Come on, Jane.
Jimmy's in the bathroom
Someone is still in the bathroom.
He took all your pills it gave him x-ray vision
Again, this person claims to have x-ray vision after taking pills.
He says everybody here is naked
And once again, this person claims to see everyone naked.
Told me I should warn you not to leave me too fast
This person is still warning someone not to leave too quickly.
I got that you been checking in the corner and all that he's cracked
Reiterating that I know you've been checking on the situation and he's not reliable.
You're too damn tall with your flat shoes on
Again, pointing out that you are too tall and your shoes make you look wider.
Believe me I get the message yes I do feel small
Re-emphasizing that I do understand and feel small because of it.
Ah come on Jane we're not so crazy as we'd like to think
Repeating a previous line - let's not act like we're crazier than we really are, Jane.
Come on walk me home
Repeating a previous line - please walk me home.
You know my place and I'm only limping
Repeating a previous line - you know where I live and I have a slight injury.
And you know my place and I'm only limping
Repeating a previous line - once again, you also know where I live and I still have a slight injury.
Ah come on Jane
Repeating a previous line - come on, Jane.
Ah come on Jane
Repeating a previous line - come on, Jane.
Ah come on now baby
Come on, let's go.
Walk me home
Repeating a previous line - please walk me home.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LLOYD COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind