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.
Can't Get Arrested
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lesson number one is change your attitude
People would like to help you
All you ever wanted was a picture with the queen
Ah, welcome to london
When you've arrived, well you stay or you leave
Don't you know you're quite certain
Could you entertain us with a song
With a very special melody
We could sing along
And you know you should be grateful
But I let it pass
'Cause you can't get arrested
But you could kiss my ass
In hollywood, yeah yeah, doo doo doo
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah
You've been talking in circles now for years man
Is your foot nailed to the floor or do you like it here
People would like to get to know you
All you ever wanted was a picture with the queen
Ah, welcome to london
When you've arrived, well you stay or you leave
Don't you know you're quite certain
If you decide boy you'll stay on your leash well
We'll reward you quite handsome
When you've arrived, well you stay or you leave
Don't you know you're quite certain
Nothing is so pretty as it used to be, no indeed
Could you entertain us with a song
With a very special melody
We could sing along
Well you know you should be grateful
But I let it pass
'Cause you can't get arrested
You could kiss my ass
You know my first instinct's
To kick you now you're down
And you come waltzing in
Think that you could push me around
Well you know you should be grateful
Should I let it pass
'Cause you can't get arrested
But you could kiss my ass
In hollywood, doo doo, doo doo
Doo doo, doo doo doo-
The lyrics of Lloyd Cole's song "Can't Get Arrested" tell a story of a person who is stuck in a cycle of talking in circles and not really making any progress. The singer is advised to change his attitude and know that people would like to help him. The lines "All you ever wanted was a picture with the Queen" and "Welcome to London" convey a sense of aspiration and desire to be successful and recognized, perhaps in the music industry. However, the lines "you're quite certain nothing is so pretty as it used to be" suggest a disillusionment with the reality of achieving success in the music world.
The song includes a section where the singer is asked to entertain the audience with a song, but the lyrics indicate that he is not entirely appreciated despite this request. The line "you know you should be grateful, but I let it pass" indicates that there is some tension or lack of respect between the singer and those around him. The final lines show a sense of defiance and confidence, as the singer says "you can't get arrested, but you could kiss my ass."
Overall, the song seems to be about the struggle to find success and recognition, but also about the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and pushing through the discouraging moments.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been talking in circles now for years man
You've been going around the same subject talking about it for a while
Lesson number one is change your attitude
You need to change your mindset and behavior
People would like to help you
There are others who want to assist you
All you ever wanted was a picture with the queen
Your aspiration was to have a photo opportunity with royalty
Ah, welcome to london
Welcome to London!
When you've arrived, well you stay or you leave
You can choose to be in London permanently or temporarily
Don't you know you're quite certain
You are definite about your decision
Nothing is so pretty as it used to be, no indeed
Things aren't as nice as they once were
Could you entertain us with a song
Can you perform a song for us?
With a very special melody
We want to hear a unique tune
We could sing along
We'll sing along with you
And you know you should be grateful
You ought to be thankful for the offer
But I let it pass
It's not worth acknowledging
'Cause you can't get arrested
Because no one pays enough attention to you to arrest you
But you could kiss my ass
But you can go away
In hollywood, yeah yeah, doo doo doo
In Hollywood, yes yes, laa laa laa
You've been talking in circles now for years man
You're still discussing the same thing in the same way after all this time
Is your foot nailed to the floor or do you like it here
Do you feel stuck here or do you enjoy being here?
People would like to get to know you
There are folks who want to build a relationship with you
If you decide boy you'll stay on your leash well
If you choose to stay under their control
We'll reward you quite handsome
You'll receive a significantly rewarding compensation
Nothing is so pretty as it used to be, no indeed
Things aren't as visually appealing as they were in the past
You know my first instinct's
My automatic reaction is
To kick you now you're down
To take advantage of your vulnerability
And you come waltzing in
You enter with an air of confidence
Think that you could push me around
Believing you can bully me
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Queen's Hall
From Saturday night's show, here's Lloyd Cole playing a great solo acoustic version of the really-quite-bitter "Can't Get Arrested" http://youtu.be/2xoq4p2-IpQ
#musicvideo #lloydcole #edinburgh