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.
Cutting Out
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Beside the coffee stained torn envelope
We took your facsimile and we pinned it to the wall
Here on the other side of the world
You call here when it's 3 AM and we hear music playing
You call here and you don't have time to talk
You call in on your cell phone but you're cutting out
You send in electronic mail transmissions
Dispatches from your colonies - your Commonwealth
But your syntax is distracted and your sideways happy face
Is not on the other side of the world
from the girl
with the starry eyes
and the easy smile
she's just sitting there
Could I stay a while?
Lying here between your progeny and your Visa card statement
Beside the coffee stained torn envelope
We took your facsimile and we pinned it to the wall
Here on the other side of the world
The lyrics of the song Cutting Out by Lloyd Cole reflect the emotional distance between two people who are physically far away from each other. The use of "progeny" and "Visa card statement" suggests that one person is living a mundane life with responsibilities, like raising children and paying bills, while the other is living a life of adventure and excitement, but is not able to fully connect with their loved ones because of the distance.
The reference to receiving a facsimile and pinning it to the wall is a symbol of how the physicality of the paper can serve as a reminder of a connection to a world on the other side. The fact that the person calling is "cutting out" on their cell phone further emphasizes the technological and physical barriers that exist in their communication.
The line "from the girl with the starry eyes and the easy smile, she's just sitting there, could I stay a while?" adds an element of longing, suggesting that perhaps the person on the other end of the line is yearning for someone else, possibly someone they left behind in their travels.
Overall, the lyrics evoke a sense of isolation, longing, and the harsh reality of distance in a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Lying here between your progeny and your Visa card statement
I am lying next to your children and a record of your financial debts.
Beside the coffee stained torn envelope
Next to me is a torn envelope that has been stained by coffee.
We took your facsimile and we pinned it to the wall
We took the copy of your document and put it up on the wall.
Here on the other side of the world
We are on the opposite side of the planet.
You call here when it's 3 AM and we hear music playing
You call us in the middle of the night with music in the background.
You call here and you don't have time to talk
You call us but don't have much time to speak.
You call in on your cell phone but you're cutting out
You call on your mobile but the connection is poor.
Here on the other side of the world
We are still on the opposite side of the planet.
You send in electronic mail transmissions
You send emails.
Dispatches from your colonies - your Commonwealth
You send messages from your various territories.
But your syntax is distracted and your sideways happy face
Your writing style is disorganised and your emojis are out of place.
Is not on the other side of the world
However, you are not physically present on the other side of the planet.
from the girl with the starry eyes and the easy smile
This is likely a reference to a specific person that we know.
she's just sitting there
She is present and doing nothing in particular.
Could I stay a while?
The singer would like to stay and spend more time with this person.
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Edgardo Gregorini
Music in a foreign language , One of my fav albums
S Smith
Agree, for me it's his best album.
claseolsson
nice music