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.
You're A Big Girl Now
Lloyd Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Our conversation was short and sweet
It nearly swept me off-a my feet
And I'm back in the rain, oh and you are on dry land
You made it there somehow, you're a big girl now.
Bird on the horizon sitting on the fence
And I'm just like that bird, oh singing just for you
I hope that you can hear, hear me singing through these tears.
Time is a jet plane, it moves too fast
Oh, but what a shame if all we've shared can't last
I can change I swear, oh see what you can do
I can make it through, you can make it too.
Love is so simple, to quote a phrase
You've known it all the time, I'm learning it these days
Oh, I know where I can find you, oh in somebody's room
It's a price I had to pay, you're a big girl all the way.
A change in the weather is known to be extreme
But what's the sense of changing horses in midstream ?
And I'm going out of my mind, oh with a pain that stops and starts
Like a corkscrew to my heart ever since we've been apart.
The song "You're A Big Girl Now" by Lloyd Cole is actually a cover of a Bob Dylan song, hence the reference to "Dylan" in the lyrics. The song is about heartbreak and moving on, with the singer struggling to come to terms with the end of a relationship. In the opening verse, the singer describes how a brief conversation with the ex-lover has left him feeling overwhelmed and emotional, while she seems to have moved on and is now living a happier life without him. The second stanza compares the singer's feelings to those of a bird singing on a fence, hoping that his ex-lover can hear his sadness and regret. The chorus reflects on the fleeting nature of time and love, lamenting that their relationship couldn't last and expressing a desire to change and make things work. The final verse references the extreme emotions of heartbreak, comparing it to a change in the weather and likening the pain to a corkscrew in his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Our conversation was short and sweet
Our conversation was brief and pleasurable
It nearly swept me off-a my feet
It was almost overwhelming in a positive way
And I'm back in the rain, oh and you are on dry land
I'm struggling and you're doing fine
You made it there somehow, you're a big girl now
You managed to succeed on your own, you're an adult
Bird on the horizon sitting on the fence
A bird is perched in the distance
He's singing his song for me at his own expense
The bird is singing for me despite potential danger
And I'm just like that bird, oh singing just for you
I'm also singing for you, despite the potential for pain
I hope that you can hear, hear me singing through these tears
I hope you can hear me singing despite my emotions
Time is a jet plane, it moves too fast
Time goes by too quickly
Oh, but what a shame if all we've shared can't last
It would be unfortunate if what we had didn't last
I can change I swear, oh see what you can do
I promise I can change, let's work together
I can make it through, you can make it too
We can both survive
Love is so simple, to quote a phrase
Love is easy
You've known it all the time, I'm learning it these days
You've always understood love, I'm just realizing it now
Oh, I know where I can find you, oh in somebody's room
I know you're with someone else
It's a price I had to pay, you're a big girl all the way
I accept the consequences, you can handle yourself
A change in the weather is known to be extreme
Weather changes can be drastic
But what's the sense of changing horses in midstream ?
Why switch strategies halfway through?
And I'm going out of my mind, oh with a pain that stops and starts
I'm struggling with on-and-off emotional pain
Like a corkscrew to my heart ever since we've been apart
It's been very painful since we split up
Contributed by Evan D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.