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.
The over Under
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's no way of knowing
If we're coming or going
There's no way to know
We walk through the door
Are we in, are we out now?
Do we twist, do we shout, now?
Your guess, I guess
Is as good as mine
We could pool together
And be half right all of the time
My guess, I guess
It's all, it's all the same to me
I'll just put this out there
If you might care to tag along
Now that I'm no longer chasing certainty
What's the over
What's the over under?
We've nowhere to be
We need to get going
The old ways of knowing
There's no way to know
We drive through the night
To be there in the morning
To be where in the morning?
There's no need to know
And Mama Bear says
"Papa Bear
Are you lying there
All afternoon?"
Your guess, I guess
Is as good as mine
We could pool together
And be half right all of the time
My guess, I guess
It's all, it's all the same to me
I'll just throw this out there
If you might care to tag along
What's the over
What's the over under?
Lloyd Cole's "The Over Under" is a song about uncertainty and the unknown. The lyrics express the idea that there is no way of knowing things for sure and that we are all just guessing to some degree. The opening lines, "There’s nothing to see / There’s no way of knowing / If we’re coming or going / There’s no way to know," set the stage for the theme of the song. The lyrics go on to describe the feeling of being in between two worlds, without a clear sense of direction or purpose.
The chorus of the song emphasizes this idea of ambiguity, with the lines "Your guess, I guess / Is as good as mine / We could pool together / And be half right all of the time / My guess, I guess / It's all, it's all the same to me." These lyrics suggest that none of us really know what we're doing or where we're going, and that we're all just making it up as we go along.
Overall, "The Over Under" is a poignant reflection on the human experience, reminding us that uncertainty is a fundamental part of life and that we should embrace it rather than fear it.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nothing to see
There is no concrete information to observe
There's no way of knowing
It's impossible to determine with certainty
If we're coming or going
We don't know whether we're arriving or leaving
There's no way to know
The situation does not have a discernible outcome
We walk through the door
We enter an uncertain situation
Are we in, are we out now?
We don't know whether we belong there or not
Do we twist, do we shout, now?
We are confused about how to act
There's no way to know
The situation does not have a discernible outcome
Your guess, I guess
Your assumption is as valid as mine
Is as good as mine
Both of our guesses are equally uncertain
We could pool together
We could combine our guesses
And be half right all of the time
Our combined information would only be somewhat accurate
My guess, I guess
My assumption is as valid as yours
It's all, it's all the same to me
Either outcome would be equally acceptable to me
I'll just put this out there
I'll make this suggestion
If you might care to tag along
If you would like to accompany me
Now that I'm no longer chasing certainty
Since I have stopped seeking definite answers
We've nowhere to be
We don't have a specific destination to reach
We need to get going
We must depart soon
The old ways of knowing
Past methods for obtaining information
There's no way to know
The situation does not have a discernible outcome
We drive through the night
We spend the night traveling by car
To be there in the morning
We are traveling to arrive at our destination by morning
To be where in the morning?
We are uncertain where exactly we will end up
There's no need to know
It's not important to discover this information
And Mama Bear says
The motherly figure asks
"Papa Bear
"Fatherly figure
Are you lying there
Are you resting there
All afternoon?"
For the entire afternoon?
Your guess, I guess
Your assumption is as valid as mine
Is as good as mine
Both of our guesses are equally uncertain
We could pool together
We could combine our guesses
And be half right all of the time
Our combined information would only be somewhat accurate
My guess, I guess
My assumption is as valid as yours
It's all, it's all the same to me
Either outcome would be equally acceptable to me
I'll just throw this out there
I'll make this suggestion
If you might care to tag along
If you would like to accompany me
What's the over
What's the likelihood
What's the over under?
What are the chances of success or failure?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lloyd Cole
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
strooomy
He has talent , of a certain kind.
Rick Jangle
Lloyd is just such a beautiful person, down to earth. I contacted him through his website about 15 years ago and asked him about guitars he used on the “ Easy Pieces “ album with the Commotions back in the 80’s. Not only did he reply to my questions, but he even took the time to sort through some photos he had of the guitars used, and posted them. They say “ never meet your idols”, I’d take a risk on Lloyd Cole. He really is a genuine person. Not much of a story, but I’ll always treasure that contact with him. His music has made an impact on my life in all the right ways. And the songs just keep coming.
shiznicks74
Beautiful. Lloyd is no phony, he's legit and I've loved his music since the early 90s. Great voice. Great guitarist. Great songwriter. And humble at the same time......
Mike Rivers
Good for you. Look after them photos. I’ve got two sons, one is really into his vinyl (he’s in his early 30’s) and my youngest don’t get it as more into his gaming. Shame really but at least I have someone to look after my records eventually. I often think we’re just custodians of everything we collect. Nice story Rick Jangle.
Rohith Rao Srinivasan
Was this through his Macromedia flash website?
Newell bate
So what a great writer. Now the meaning of over under is for me personally. I have success but it doesn't feel like it. I still have the worry, hurt, love.
wobble108
One of the greatest song writers and lyricist's. Gorgeous, moving music that touches every part of your soul.
Diego Elkin
Me encanta la música de Lloyd Cole
Pickle Surprise, available on Criterion Collection
Utterly charmless, and no flash player in sight
Ana Campos
Thanks Lloyd to continue making these precious pleasures!