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.
My Bag
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through a 20 storey non stop snow storm
Pirrelli calendar girls wrestling in body lotion
My head's swimming with poetry and prose
Excuse me one moment whilst I powder my nose
Me and my good thing are just about as close as can be
We gave up sleep at the age of 17
My world's getting bigger as my eyesight gets worse
What about love?
I don't let that stuff in my house
This is the glamorous life there's no time for fooling around
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
Hundred million dollar jam
Got some traffic yessir in my nose
Motorcycle speed cops burning up my dust roads
My baby left me heck ain`t that a shame
She's over in the corner with my new best friend
I'm doing fine with my whisky and wine
And meet me in the john john meet me in the john john
Lord have mercy
...What's your bag?
Spin spin whisky and gin I suffer for my art
Bartender I got wild mushrooms growing in my yard
Fix me a quart of petrol clams on the half shell
Feels like prohibition baby give me the hard sell
More give me more give me more more more
I'm your yes man yes ma'am I'm your yes man
Lord have mercy...
The song "My Bag" by Lloyd Cole is a reflection of a fast-paced, wild lifestyle filled with drugs, sex, and excitement. The opening line "Hey I was walking my bag" refers to carrying a bag of drugs around, and the subsequent line "Through a 20 storey non stop snow storm" references the cocaine use. The line "Pirrelli calendar girls wrestling in body lotion" implies sexual excess and luxury. The singer's mind is a whirlwind of thoughts and ideas, indicated by the line "My head's swimming with poetry and prose". The phrase "Excuse me one moment whilst I powder my nose" removes any ambiguity around the drug use.
The song continues on this theme, with references to the singer's close relationship with his partner ("Me and my good thing are just about as close as can be"), his growing success ("My world's getting bigger as my eyesight gets worse"), and a lack of interest in love ("What about love? I don't let that stuff in my house"). The chorus, "This is the glamorous life there's no time for fooling around / Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing", suggests that the singer is confident in his choices and lifestyle, even if it is potentially dangerous.
Overall, "My Bag" is a vivid portrait of a hedonistic lifestyle that few could sustain for long.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey I was walking my bag
I was carrying my baggage.
Through a 20 storey non stop snow storm
I was walking through a snowstorm that refused to stop, as though it had 20 stories.
Pirrelli calendar girls wrestling in body lotion
I saw some attractive women wrestling in body lotions, perhaps referring to the well-known Pirelli Calendar.
My head's swimming with poetry and prose
My thoughts are filled with creative writing such as poems and prose.
Excuse me one moment whilst I powder my nose
I need to go to the bathroom, probably to use cocaine.
Me and my good thing are just about as close as can be
My partner and I are as close as we can possibly be.
We gave up sleep at the age of 17
We have not slept a lot since we were 17 years old.
My world's getting bigger as my eyesight gets worse
As I am getting older, I am experiencing more in life, even though my eyesight is going bad.
I can't see the lines on my idiot board
I am struggling to see the creases on my drug dealer's cutting board, where he divides drugs.
What about love?
I don't think about love or I don't give it priority in my life.
I don't let that stuff in my house
I intentionally avoid any romantic notions or connections in my life.
This is the glamorous life there's no time for fooling around
My life is glamorous and I do not have any time to waste on foolish things.
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I am confident in the choices I make, despite its questionable image.
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
I don't have time for excuses but I need a way out of this place, maybe by a fire escape or window.
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I can handle whatever goes wrong in my life or whatever problems may arise.
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
I'm not running after anything significant; I'm just taking it slow.
What's your bag?
What are you carrying around in your luggage or what are you interested in?
Hundred million dollar jam
Something that is extremely valuable or perhaps a successful hit - like jamming music.
Got some traffic yessir in my nose
My nose is congested, probably from snorting drugs.
Motorcycle speed cops burning up my dust roads
Cops on motorcycles are patrolling the dusty roads, looking for speeders.
My baby left me heck ain't that a shame
My lover left me, which is unfortunate.
She's over in the corner with my new best friend
My ex-lover is now in the corner talking to another man, apparently my new best friend.
I'm doing fine with my whisky and wine
I am content with my alcohols, using them to get through life's difficulties.
And meet me in the john john meet me in the john john
Let's meet up in the restroom, likely to do drugs.
Lord have mercy
An exclamation to show surprise or awe.
Spin spin whisky and gin I suffer for my art
I drink a lot of whiskey and gin, perhaps in the name of artistry, regardless of the repercussions.
Bartender I got wild mushrooms growing in my yard
I have hallucinogenic mushrooms growing in my yard and I inform the bartender of this.
Fix me a quart of petrol clams on the half shell
I want a big serving of spicy clam soup and two half-shelled clams filled with gasoline for a buzz.
Feels like prohibition baby give me the hard sell
Drugs and/or alcohol feel illegal or forbidden, relying on the hard sell to tempt me into them.
More give me more give me more more more
I am demanding more of whatever substance or experience made me feel good before.
I'm your yes man yes ma'am I'm your yes man
I am quick to agree with whoever I am in the company of.
Lord have mercy...
Once again, an exclamation to show surprise or awe.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Muziekgenot
Hey I was walking my bag
Through a 20 storey non-stop snow storm
Pirrelli calender girls westling in body lotion
My head's swimming with poetry and prose
Excuse me one moment whilst I powder my nose
Me and my good thing are just about as close as can be
We gave up sleep at the age of 17
My world's getting bigger as my eyesight gets worse
I can't see the lines on my idiot board
What above love?
I don't let that stuff in my house
This is the glamorous life there's no time for fooling around
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
Hundred million dollar jam
Got some traffic yessir in my nose
Motorcycle speed cops burning up my dust roads
My baby left me heck ain't that a shame
She's over in the corner with my new best friend
I'm doing fine with my whisky and wine
And meet me in the john, John, meet me in the john, John
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
Spin spin whisky and gin I suffer for my art
Bartender I got wild mushrooms growing in my yard
Fix me a quart of petrol clams on the half shell
Feels like prohibition baby give me the hard sell
More give me more give me more more more
I'm your yes man yes ma'am I'm your yes man
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
@yuri04teixeira
This was a massive hit on dancefloors in Brazil, It played on all the cool nightclubs at that time. And I was a DJ from 1989 to 1994, and had the chance to play It as well. It's curious how it's kinda forgotten today. It's an amazing song, and I got myself singing throughout all the video - it was a nice surprise to notice that I still know how to Sing It all by heart.
@HildaKalap
me too - I remember the words too
@ThiloBauer
Interesting! 1987, at a hip club in Frankfurt, Germany (it still exists, but it isn't hip anymore (-: ) it was played also very often (they almost exclusively played house, acid, and Hip Hop). I thought to myself "This DJ likes Ljoyd Cole, for sure...
@edwardduarte7393
Brasil has great taste in music.
@ALLNAMESAREALLREADYT
@@HildaKalap I'm your yes man yes ma'am I'm your yes man
@djdarq6311
Who gets to decide it's "forgotten" lol
@karenknight6962
Work of absolute genius. Achingly clever. Searingly honest. What a tune.
@Muziekgenot
Hey I was walking my bag
Through a 20 storey non-stop snow storm
Pirrelli calender girls westling in body lotion
My head's swimming with poetry and prose
Excuse me one moment whilst I powder my nose
Me and my good thing are just about as close as can be
We gave up sleep at the age of 17
My world's getting bigger as my eyesight gets worse
I can't see the lines on my idiot board
What above love?
I don't let that stuff in my house
This is the glamorous life there's no time for fooling around
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
Hundred million dollar jam
Got some traffic yessir in my nose
Motorcycle speed cops burning up my dust roads
My baby left me heck ain't that a shame
She's over in the corner with my new best friend
I'm doing fine with my whisky and wine
And meet me in the john, John, meet me in the john, John
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
Spin spin whisky and gin I suffer for my art
Bartender I got wild mushrooms growing in my yard
Fix me a quart of petrol clams on the half shell
Feels like prohibition baby give me the hard sell
More give me more give me more more more
I'm your yes man yes ma'am I'm your yes man
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
Lord have mercy I know what I'm doing
I don't need an alibi I need a fire escape and an open window
It's my problem it's nothing I can't deal with
I'm not chasing anything just jogging baby
What's your bag?
@KrisGriffiths
Brilliant, underrated song. One of those that unjustly never gets played on the radio.
Lloyd looks a bit like a young Elvis crossed with Jimmy Carr in the video IMO.
@floriangeyer1
LOL. Perfect description!