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.

What's Wrong With This Picture?
Lloyd Cole Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Smile, she said and if you want
I′ll look the other way
Until you regain your melancholy disposition
Or until you get over yourself

You're such a European S-O-B
Could you exist without your irony?
I guess that you′re afraid to alone or be alive

Or be a boy without a girl

Monday morning, feeling alright
What's wrong with this picture? Nothing at all
Open your eyes, there's nothing but blue skies
What′s wrong with this picture? Nothing at all

Could you believe in anything?
Could I believe in you? She said
And maybe I don′t want to be you mother
And could you bear to be sincere for just one day?

Smile, she said and if you want
I'll look the other way
And you can go back to your "Five Leaves Left"
And you can call me when you get over yourself

Monday morning, feeling alright
What′s wrong with this picture? Nothing at all
Open your eyes, there's nothing but blue skies
What′s wrong with this picture? Nothing at all

Monday morning, feeling alright
What's wrong with this picture? Nothing at all
Open your eyes, there′s nothing but blue skies
What's wrong with this picture? Nothing at all

Monday morning, feeling alright
What's wrong with this picture? Nothing at all

Open your eyes, there′s nothing but blue skies
What′s wrong with this picture? Nothing at all

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Lloyd Cole's song "What's Wrong With This Picture?" seem to explore themes of self-awareness, irony, and the fear of being alone or being true to oneself. The opening lines suggest that the singer's melancholic disposition is being challenged by someone who encourages them to smile and look at things from a different perspective. The mention of "European S-O-B" and irony suggests that the singer is being criticized for their detached and ironic demeanor, possibly implying that they use irony as a defense mechanism to avoid true emotional connection.

The chorus repetition of "What's wrong with this picture? Nothing at all" juxtaposes the singer's melancholy disposition previously mentioned with the seemingly cheerful and positive atmosphere portrayed by the "blue skies." This contrast challenges the singer's perception of reality and hints at the possibility that they may be inhibiting themselves from experiencing genuine happiness by staying stuck in their melancholy state.

The second verse introduces a new perspective, possibly that of someone the singer is in a relationship with. They question if the singer can believe in anything and express a desire for sincerity. The request for the singer to "smile" and go back to their "Five Leaves Left," which might refer to a Nick Drake album, suggests a return to a more introspective and reflective state, possibly away from the influence of the relationship. The closing lines express a longing for the singer to reach a point of self-awareness and maturity, indicated by the phrase "get over yourself."

Overall, the song appears to be a contemplation of the singer's tendency towards melancholy and irony, reflecting on their fear of being alone and their struggle to be sincere. It explores the possibility of breaking free from these inhibitions and finding genuine happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

Smile, she said and if you want
She told me to smile, and if I wanted, she would pretend not to notice my sadness or self-absorption.

I′ll look the other way
She's willing to turn a blind eye to my emotions and give me space.

Until you regain your melancholy disposition
She will wait until I regain my usual melancholic nature.

Or until you get over yourself
Or until I overcome my self-centeredness and arrogance.

You're such a European S-O-B
She's pointing out that I have a certain arrogance and pretentiousness as a European.

Could you exist without your irony?
She questions whether I can exist without relying on my tendency to be ironic.

I guess that you're afraid to be alone or be alive
She speculates that I am fearful of being alone and truly experiencing life.

Or be a boy without a girl
She suggests that I struggle with my identity as an independent person without relying on a romantic relationship.

Monday morning, feeling alright
On a Monday morning, I'm feeling fine.

What's wrong with this picture? Nothing at all
She questions if there is anything wrong with the current situation, and concludes that there is nothing wrong at all.

Open your eyes, there's nothing but blue skies
She encourages me to see the positive aspects of life, where everything seems perfect and optimistic.

Could you believe in anything?
She wonders if I am capable of having faith or believing in anything.

Could I believe in you? She said
She expresses her doubts about whether she can trust or have faith in me.

And maybe I don't want to be your mother
She implies that she doesn't want to fulfill the role of a nurturing figure in my life.

And could you bear to be sincere for just one day?
She questions if I am capable of being genuinely honest and sincere for a single day.

And you can go back to your 'Five Leaves Left'
She allows me to retreat back to my preferred state of emotional depth and introspection.

And you can call me when you get over yourself
She suggests that I should contact her once I have overcome my self-centeredness and ego.