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.
Wild Mushrooms
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You put mushrooms in my tea
You rolled me, took advantage of me
You tied me up
I see blisters on my wrists
Do I recall you doing the wild thing on me
Do you know what
I think that I liked it
I think I'd like to do it again
You tripped me right up
You put mushrooms in my tea
You rolled me, took advantage of me
You tied me up
I see blisters on my wrists
Do I recall you doing the wild thing on me
Do you know what
I think that I liked it
Do you know what
I think I'd like to do it again
The lyrics of Lloyd Cole's song "Wild Mushrooms" are open to interpretation, but some people believe the song is about a drug-induced sexual encounter. The song's narrator talks about being given mushrooms in his tea, and it's hinted that someone took sexual advantage of him while he was under the influence. He describes being tied up and seeing blisters on his wrists, suggesting he may have been restrained. Despite this, he claims he enjoyed the experience and would like to do it again. The singer's feelings towards the encounter are complicated and ambiguous, leaving the listener to decide what happened and how they feel about it.
Some people have also interpreted the song as being about a relationship that has turned toxic. The singer implies that someone betrayed his trust and took advantage of him, but he is also attracted to this person and wants to repeat the experience. The line "Do you know what, I think that I liked it" could suggest that the singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he enjoyed something that was potentially harmful or traumatic.
Line by Line Meaning
You tripped me up
You intentionally caused me to stumble or fall
You put mushrooms in my tea
You drugged me with mushrooms without my consent
You rolled me, took advantage of me
You exploited my vulnerability for your own benefit
You tied me up
You restrained me physically against my will
I see blisters on my wrists
I have physical injuries on my wrists from being tied up
Do I recall you doing the wild thing on me
Do I remember you engaging in sexual activity with me without my consent?
Do you know what
Do you understand?
I think that I liked it
I enjoyed the experience despite it being non-consensual
Do you know what
Do you understand?
I think I'd like to do it again
I am considering engaging in non-consensual activity again
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LLOYD COLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind