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.
Mercy Killing
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And on and on and never to stop
The way I see it it's sad to say it but it's true
You're gonna be all that I need
So sad to see her looking so rusted
There must be more to life than this
Or we'd be mercy killing us
Yeah, killing us baby
'Cept to confess to love and happiness
The way I see it it's sad to say it but it's true
You're gonna be all that I need
So sad, sad to see her looking so rusted
There must be more to life than this
Or we'd be mercy killing us
Oh yeah, killing us baby
We'll slip past a graveyard
Love me do
In Lloyd Cole's song Mercy Killing, the singer expresses his deep love for a woman named Shirley, and how he will continue loving her until he is drunk and unable to stop. He sees Shirley as the only thing he needs in life, as he reflects on the sadness in her eyes and the feeling that there must be more to life than what they currently have. Despite this, the singer is still hopeful that they can find value in their love and continue moving forward.
The lyrics reveal a sense of melancholy as the couple recognizes the limits of their current situation and the desire for something more. The idea of "mercy killing" suggests a need for release or escape from the difficulties of their current situation. The last train leaving and slipping past a graveyard intensifies these feelings of finality and the urgency to be brave enough to confess their love and pursue happiness.
Overall, Lloyd Cole's "Mercy Killing" is a poignant song that speaks to the bittersweet emotions of holding onto love while acknowledging its limitations.
Line by Line Meaning
Shirley I love you 'til I'm drunk
I love Shirley very much and will continue to do so even when I'm inebriated
And on and on and never to stop
I will love Shirley endlessly without any intention of stopping
The way I see it it's sad to say it but it's true
It's unfortunate but true that Shirley is going to be the only thing I need in life
You're gonna be all that I need
Shirley will fulfill all of my needs in life
So sad to see her looking so rusted
It's saddening to see Shirley aging and damaged
There must be more to life than this
Life must have greater purpose than only loving Shirley
Or we'd be mercy killing us
If life only consists of loving each other, we'd rather end it (mercy killing) ourselves
Yeah, killing us baby
If we continue to live only to love each other, it will lead to our own demise
The last train's leaving, there's nothing left
We have reached the end and there's nothing left to do
'Cept to confess to love and happiness
The only thing left for us is to declare our love and find joy in it
We'll slip past a graveyard
We will metaphorically cheat death
Love me do
Love me and nothing else matters
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LLOYD COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Briana B
Nice! Haven't heard this in years. Thank you so much for posting this.
Alexandre Ribeiro
finally! try this sound for years thanks!!
Dog5000
"...there must be more to live than this, or we be mercy killing us baby...." Considering the current state of affairs....it maybe apropos
Duncan Lindsay
pitch this guy against mr morrisey only one winner in my opinion
Teddy Dog
Duncan Lindsay He's a much less insecure person than Morrissey. I saw a recent interview with him where Morrissey was so defensive, rude, and arrogant that the damn interviewer should have walked out. By contrast Lloyd Cole puts on about as many airs as Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols. He's funny and relaxed and self deprecating and gives off zero 'star' vibe. It's even more sad when the so called celebrity is past it. Like Morrissey for example. But he wrote the lyric "There's more to life than books you know but not much more." which I think may be the funniest rock lyric I ever heard.