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.
Old Enough To Know Better
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the prime of your life
At a time when a crisis is common in men
Old enough to know better
In the middle of life
Equally distant from mother and maker and
My, old enough to know better
You're mutton dressed as lamb
Fancy yourself, very gentleman's quarterly
What in the world would a home county girl want with you?
Opportunity waits
In the window for men in a moment of weakness
Old enough to know better
And when it's too late, she smiles, takes your hand and says
Sorry I ruined your life
Old enough to know better
Look at you man, she says
You're mutton dressed as lamb
Fancy yourself, very gentleman's quarterly
What in the world would a home county girl want with you?
There's no release in your life
The lyrics of Lloyd Cole's song "Old Enough to Know Better" conveys a man in the middle of his life who is experiencing a crisis common in men. He is old enough to know better, but he finds himself in a situation that is not giving him any release in life. The use of the phrase "old enough to know better" signifies a sense of regret as he realizes that he should have made better choices. He is in a moment of weakness, and opportunities are waiting for him - whether it's to make things better or worse is up to him.
The chorus repeats the line "Look at you, man, she says/you're mutton dressed as lamb/fancy yourself, very gentleman's quarterly/what in the world would a home county girl want with you?" These lines express a sense of inadequacy and the feeling that he is not good enough for the woman he desires. The phrase "mutton dressed as lamb" refers to a middle-aged person who is trying to appear youthful, and the reference to "gentleman's quarterly" reinforces the idea that he is trying to live up to an ideal of a refined gentleman, despite not being from a higher class. The final lines of the song end with the woman taking his hand and apologizing for ruining his life, which may suggest a sense of resignation and the impossibility of finding any release or happiness in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
In the prime of your life
You are currently in the best years of your existence
At a time when a crisis is common in men
Usually men have mid-life crisis at this point
Old enough to know better
You should be wiser and more mature by now
In the middle of life
Halfway through your lifespan
Equally distant from mother and maker and
As you are equally far away from your mother who created you and the divine power which made you
My, old enough to know better
Seriously, why haven't you learnt anything by now?
Look at you man, she says
The lady is pointing out your flaws
You're mutton dressed as lamb
You're trying too hard to look young and attractiv you're failing badly
Fancy yourself, very gentleman's quarterly
You think you're the epitome of sophistication and style, like a model from a magazine
What in the world would a home county girl want with you?
There's no reason for a woman from the countryside to be interested in someone like you
Opportunity waits
There's an opportunity in front of you
In the window for men in a moment of weakness
It is visible to men when in a moment of weakness
Old enough to know better
Again, you should be more intelligent by now and see the truth
And when it's too late, she smiles, takes your hand and says
After it's too late, she shows no remorse and fakes a kind gesture.
Sorry I ruined your life
She's lying and not actually sorry for destroying your life
There's no release in your life
You feel trapped and see no way out of your current situation.
Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.