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.
Forest Fire
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She has promised once before not to live this way
If she don't calm down she will burn herself out
Like a forest fire, well doesn't that make you smile
If you don't slow down, I swear that I'll come round
And mess up your place, let's go for a spin
They say we shouldn't even know each other
And that we'll be undone
I believe in love, I'll believe in anything
That's gonna get me what I want and get me off my knees
Then we'll burn your house down, don't it feel so good
There's a forest fire every time we get together
Doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo doo doo
Hey pick you up, put you down
Rip you up and spin you round
Just like we said we would
'cause we're a forest fire
Believe you me, we'll tear this place down
If we get caught in this wind then we could burn the ocean
If we get caught in this scene we're gonna be undone
It's just a simple metaphor, it's for a burning love
Don't it make you smile like a forest fire
The lyrics of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions' song Forest Fire speak of a passionate and destructive love that threatens to consume and destroy everything in its path. The opening lines describe a woman getting ready to leave in a hurry, crossing herself in a gesture of desperation. It seems that she has made a promise not to live this way before, but is unable to resist the temptation of the relationship that she has with the singer. The singer warns her that if she doesn't calm down, she'll burn herself out like a forest fire, a metaphor for the intensity and destructiveness of their relationship.
The chorus repeats the metaphor of the forest fire, with the singer warning that they will come round and mess up the woman's place if she doesn't slow down. They both know that they shouldn't be together and that their relationship is unsustainable, but they can't help themselves. The line "I believe in love, I'll believe in anything" suggests a kind of desperation and willingness to believe in anything that will get them what they want.
Overall, the lyrics of Forest Fire capture the intensity, passion, and destructiveness of a love that is doomed to fail. The metaphor of the forest fire is used to convey both the beauty and danger of their relationship, as well as the inevitability of its destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
She crossed herself as she put on her things
She feels guilty about what's going to happen next
She has promised once before not to live this way
She knows the risks of her current lifestyle
If she don't calm down she will burn herself out
If she doesn't change, she'll self-destruct
Like a forest fire, well doesn't that make you smile
The chaos and destruction are enjoyable
If you don't slow down, i swear that i'll come round
If you don't change, I'll intervene
And mess up your place, let's go for a spin
I'll force you to take a wild ride
They say we shouldn't even know each other
Society disapproves of our connection
And that we'll be undone
Our relationship is doomed
Don't it make you smile like a forest fire
The destructive nature of our relationship is exciting
I believe in love, i'll believe in anything
Love is worth believing in, no matter what
That's gonna get me what i want and get me off my knees
Love will provide me with the power and freedom I desire
Then we'll burn your house down, don't it feel so good
We'll destroy what's in our way, and it'll feel satisfying
There's a forest fire every time we get together
Our relationship always escalates into chaos
Hey pick you up, put you down
I'll control and manipulate you
Rip you up and spin you round
I'll cause you pain and confusion
Just like we said we would
We predicted this would happen
'cause we're a forest fire
Our relationship is like a destructive blaze
Believe you me, we'll tear this place down
Our destructive tendencies will ruin everything
If we get caught in this wind then we could burn the ocean
If our chaos persists, we could cause even greater destruction
If we get caught in this scene we're gonna be undone
Our lifestyle will inevitably lead to our downfall
It's just a simple metaphor, it's for a burning love
Our love is like a burning flame
Don't it make you smile like a forest fire
The chaos and destruction of our love is thrilling
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LLOYD COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ClueVios
She crossed herself as she put on her things
She has promised once before not to live this way
If she don't calm down she will burn herself out
Like a forest fire, well doesn't that make you smile
If you don't slow down, I swear that I'll come round
And mess up your place, let's go for a spin
They say we shouldn't even know each other
And that we'll be undone
Don't it make you smile like a forest fire
I believe in love, I'll believe in anything
That's gonna get me what I want and get me off my knees
Then we'll burn your house down, don't it feel so good
There's a forest fire every time we get together
Hey pick you up, put you down
Rip you up and spin you round
Just like we said we would
'Cause we're a forest fire
Believe you me, we'll tear this place down
If we get caught in this wind, then we could burn the ocean
If we get caught in this scene, we're gonna be undone
It's just a simple metaphor
It's for a burning love
Don't it make you smile like a forest fire
@ilselangley
I remember listening to this album while I was in rehab.. (did not beat it back then. it took me a few years more but I finally did it on my own and that was 23 years ago.) Still love this album.
@achn2b
What a friggin' solo at the end. Just brilliant.
@thestranger11
dun dun duuuuun dun dun duuuun duoooooouuuun!
@tonybaloni2286
one of my favorite tunes of all time fantastic distinctive voice brilliant lyrics.
@MrLeeJoe
A timeless song, even the guitar feedback at the end makes the hairs on me neck stand up!...Thanks
@bartdaems4233
after all this time it is still a great song
@stunman1000
Still a fabulous record ,loved it from the day I saw it on The Tube tv show 🙌
@christophemeasson5190
I remember singing this song in front of a mirror in 84 or 85 I was 14 -15 and thinking about a girl at school I wanted to go out with maybe if I memorized the song I could sing it to her but that was in my mind I was way too shy
@bertFX
Brilliant tune. I love the guitar break in it.
@notoroiousaardvark5973
Just got home from watching Lloyd Cole. Finished with this. It was a set of pure genius. My love holds no bounds. We even got Prince, Leonard Cohen and Brand New Friend merged with Heroes. William Cole is a major talent too. Stunning evening.