MJ Cole (born Matthew James Firth Coleman, 1973) is a house and UK garage p… Read Full Bio ↴MJ Cole (born Matthew James Firth Coleman, 1973) is a house and UK garage producer and remixer. Born in London, England, his student days were spent studying classical music at LCU and the Royal College of Music, while his student nights were devoted to raving to hardcore and jungle at Telepathy and Raindance.

After starting his own label Prolific Recordings, Cole produced a song called "Sincere" in 1998 with a sampler and an Amiga. One of the twenty test pressings of "Sincere" was received by Pete Tong, who started playing the tune on his national BBC radio 1 show. Cole then signed on Gilles Peterson's Talkin' Loud label, where he recorded "Sincere", the album. The Mercury Music Prize nominated (2000) debut won him the accolade of Best Producer from the prestigious Muzik and Mobo magazine awards, sold over 60,000 copies in the UK alone and spawned two outstanding Top 15 singles.

He released a second long player "Cut to the chase" (2003) and he has collaborated on and remixed works by Jill Scott, Tom Jones and Mariah Carey.

If Only
MJ Cole Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Forever
I need to be with you
Forever
I need to be with you
If only
If only
If only
If only

If only
If only
If only
If only
If only
If only
If only
If only
Forever

I need to be with you
Forever

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of MJ Cole's song "If Only" express an intense yearning for closeness and permanence in a relationship. The repetition of "If only" reflects a sense of longing and regret for what could have been, or what might still be possible if the two people involved could be together. The repeated phrase "Forever, I need to be with you" reinforces this sense of desire and longing, while also conveying a sense of urgency and desperation.

The overall mood of the song is melancholy and wistful, with a slow, mournful melody that underscores the sense of longing in the lyrics. The spare instrumentation and simple chord progression also contribute to a feeling of vulnerability and emotional openness. Taken together, "If Only" is a powerful and moving expression of the complexity and intensity of human emotions around love and connection.

Line by Line Meaning

Forever
As long as time can measure, without any end in sight

I need to be with you
My heart aches for your presence and I cannot bear to be without you

If only
Expressing the desire to change a circumstance that has already passed

Forever
Eternal and unchanging, spanning across all of existence

I need to be with you
My soul yearns for your companionship and my being feels incomplete without you

Writer(s): Matthew James Coleman

Contributed by London F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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