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.
Unhappy Song
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was gone before the leaves were even turning
She said "well, I knew he was a fool, but I
Somehow thought my welfare concerned him"
Must the one always have to change
Whilst the other must always remain
Must the cards all be dealt facing down?
Now, when it comes to September
I`ve got my own unhappy song
October, November, December,
And still she is gone;
Unhappy song
He was torn between the romance and the mundane
He was torn every morning
He was surprised or was he horrified to find
The mundane the more rewarding
She was upon him before he even knew it
And anyone who had a hat would surely know:
It only rains when you leave it at home,
And all the umbrellas are broke,
Oh, save yourself a fiver, you`re already soaking
Come on, September
And sing me that old unhappy song
October, November, December,
And still she is gone;
Unhappy song
Well, there was ice beneath the snow
And everywhere else was closed,
But the locks had been changed
Sure, the neighbors were the same, they said
"You never should treat someone so bad"
The song "Unhappy Song" by Lloyd Cole tells the story of someone who married young and thought that their partner would care for them, but they soon realized that this was not the case. The lyrics reveal that the woman left the man before the leaves turned, which indicates a short-lived union. The woman acknowledges that she knew he was foolish, but she thought he would care about her in some sense. The song seems to be questioning whether one person always has to change while the other remains the same in a relationship. It's a sad song that reflects the loss and pain of relationships failing.
The lyrics also mention September, October, November, and December, suggesting that the man may have been pining for his lost love for many months. The reference to the "old unhappy song" could imply that he has been feeling this way for a long time. The song touches on the idea that mundane routines can be comforting when dealing with heartbreak, but they never really fill the void.
Overall, "Unhappy Song" paints a picture of a failed relationship, the bitterness of break-ups, and the resulting sadness.
Line by Line Meaning
They were married in June
A couple got married in June.
She was gone before the leaves were even turning
The wife left soon after their marriage.
She said "well, I knew he was a fool, but I Somehow thought my welfare concerned him"
The wife knew her husband was foolish but thought he cared about her well-being.
Must the one always have to change
Is it always necessary for one person to change.
Whilst the other must always remain
While the other person always stays the same.
Must the cards all be dealt facing down?
Why do things always have to be so negative?
Turn away, turn away, turn your blue skies to grey
Don't look at the bright side of things.
Now, when it comes to September
When September arrives.
I`ve got my own unhappy song
The singer has his own sad song to sing.
October, November, December,
The following three months.
And still she is gone;
The wife is still missing.
Unhappy song
The song is sad and depressing.
He was torn between the romance and the mundane
The husband was conflicted between love and ordinary life.
He was torn every morning
He struggled with this conflict every day.
He was surprised or was he horrified to find
He was shocked to realize.
The mundane the more rewarding
Ordinary life was proving more satisfying.
She was upon him before he even knew it
The wife left before he could react.
And anyone who had a hat would surely know: It only rains when you leave it at home, And all the umbrellas are broke, Oh, save yourself a fiver, you`re already soaking
When you need something, it's nowhere to be found.
Come on, September
The singer asks September to arrive soon.
And sing me that old unhappy song
He wants to listen to his sad song.
October, November, December,
The following three months.
And still she is gone;
The wife is still missing.
Unhappy song
The song is sad and depressing.
Well, there was ice beneath the snow
There was an unpleasant reality beneath the surface.
And everywhere else was closed,
All other options were unavailable.
But the locks had been changed
Things had changed without his knowledge.
Sure, the neighbors were the same, they said
The neighbors remained the same.
"You never should treat someone so bad"
The neighbors criticized the husband's behavior towards the wife.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LLOYD COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kjartan Saevarsson
A great song for sure
OkraJoe
This is my favorite unhappy song.
M W
Is there better music than this? Doubtful.
Wendy Smith
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Miguel Gómez Villarino
No words for this