Lloyd Cole (born in Buxton on 31 January 1961) is an English-born singer an… Read Full Bio ↴Lloyd Cole (born in Buxton on 31 January 1961) is an English-born singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989 and for his subsequent solo work.

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.

To The Lions
Lloyd Cole Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I lost my girl on Monday
Looking for some sympathy
I went to church directly
The lord was not there for me
Didn't go to work on Tuesday
Got to drinking around noon
I lost my heart to a mean bartender
She knocked me off my stool

Now the world's spinning 'round too fast, lord
Won't you let me off on the corner?
You know a man could take to sinning
All he needs is a little push in that direction
I lost my job on Friday
Said a lack of discipline
I went to church directly
Peter said he was not in
I hit the bar on Sunday
Looking for some discipline
I sold my soul to the mean bartender
She said I'm born again
Now the world's spinning 'round too fast, lord
Won't you let me off on the corner?
You know a man could take to sinning
All he needs is a little pushing

You time it just right
You could send me to the lions tonight

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "To The Lions" by Lloyd Cole depict a story of a man who has lost everything in his life - his girl, his job, and even his faith. He seeks solace in the church, but he does not receive any comfort from the Lord. The man turns to alcohol to numb his pain, and he ends up falling for a bartender. She represents the evil that is leading him astray. The repetition of going to the church depicts the irony that the man is searching for salvation but fails to find it.

The lyrics are quite powerful as they showcase how one can lose their faith in a matter of days, and how easy it is for a person to become engulfed in the darkness. The line, "Now the world's spinning 'round too fast, lord, Won't you let me off on the corner?" portrays a sense of desperation for help. The last line, "You time it just right, You could send me to the lions tonight" conveys that the man believes that he is at rock bottom and that the only way out is to face the worst.

Overall, the song is a gut-wrenching depiction of a man's journey from faith to hopelessness, how easy it is to fall into despair, and the desperate need for help.

Line by Line Meaning

I lost my girl on Monday
I broke up with my girlfriend on Monday

Looking for some sympathy
I was searching for comfort and support

I went to church directly
I went straight to church

The lord was not there for me
I did not feel any spiritual connection at church

Didn't go to work on Tuesday
I did not go to work on Tuesday

Got to drinking around noon
I started drinking at around noon

I lost my heart to a mean bartender
I fell in love with a rude bartender

She knocked me off my stool
She made me fall in love with her

Now the world's spinning 'round too fast, lord
I feel overwhelmed and out of control

Won't you let me off on the corner?
I am asking God to give me a break

You know a man could take to sinning
I feel tempted to do something wrong