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.
Pictures In My Head
MJ Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Calling home a sofa bed
Lying wide awake at night
'Cause I'm hooked on what you said
When you hold me I'm slowly being mesmerised
Am I mesmerised?
Lying wide awake at night
With you I leave the lights on
Ooh a different point of view
Yeah, love, I'ma leave the lights on
I'm shining when I'm with you
I'm shining when I'm with you
Ooh, you, I'm shining when I'm with you
We ain't playing hide and seek
Got a different game instead
Building cities out of sheets
Reminiscing about when
You told me you only want to wake up in my arms
Wake up in my arms
Building cities out of sheets
Seeing pictures in my head, oh
With you I leave the lights on
Ooh, a different point of view
Yeah, love, I'ma leave the lights on
I'm shining when I'm with you
I'm shining when I'm with you
Ooh, you, I'm shining when I'm with you
You're my gold
You're my diamonds
I feel alive
When you look in my eyes
Oh, I come to life
You're my gold
You're my diamonds
I feel alive
When you look in my eyes
Oh, I come to life
Ooh hoo
With you I leave the lights on
Ooh, a different point of view
Yeah, love, I'ma leave the lights on
I'm shining when I'm with you
I'm shining when I'm with you
Ooh, you, I'm shining when I'm with you
Shining when I'm with you
In Pictures In My Head, MJ Cole sings about being in love, feeling mesmerized by his partnerβs words, and the joy of being with them. He opens the song with the lines "It's not exactly what I like, calling home a sofa bed, lying wide awake at night, 'cause I'm hooked on what you said." Here, he expresses how he would never choose a sofa bed for himself but, because his partner is with him, he is still happy. When he is with his partner, he feels alive and happy, and even though he can't sleep, he doesn't mind.
The chorus of the song, with the lines "With you I leave the lights on, ooh a different point of view, yeah love, I'ma leave the lights on, I'm shining when I'm with you" emphasizes how MJ Cole feels when he is with his partner. He feels loved, alive, and he is shining when he is with them. They bring a different point of view to his life, make him see life in a different way, and he is grateful for that.
The second verse of the song, with the lines "We ain't playing hide and seek, got a different game instead. Building cities out of sheets, reminiscing about when," indicates the couple is comfortable in each other's company, and they have their own unique way of expressing their love for each other. They build cities out of sheets and reminisce about when they first met. This is what keeps them interested and their love alive.
Line by Line Meaning
It's not exactly what I like
I'm not completely satisfied with things
Calling home a sofa bed
My living arrangements are not ideal
Lying wide awake at night
I can't sleep, my mind is active
'Cause I'm hooked on what you said
Something you said has captured my attention and thoughts
When you hold me I'm slowly being mesmerised
Your touch is captivating me
Am I mesmerised?
I'm wondering if I'm under your spell
Seeing pictures in my head
I'm imagining things, visualizing scenarios
With you I leave the lights on
I'm open to new experiences with you
Ooh a different point of view
Your perspective is unique
Yeah, love, I'ma leave the lights on
I want to stay awake, be present with you
I'm shining when I'm with you
I feel radiant and alive in your company
We ain't playing hide and seek
Our relationship is straightforward and honest
Got a different game instead
We're doing things differently than the norm
Building cities out of sheets
We're being playful and creative together
Reminiscing about when
We're remembering past moments together
You told me you only want to wake up in my arms
You expressed your strong desire to be close to me
Seeing pictures in my head, oh
I'm still imagining and dreaming about us
You're my gold
You are valuable and precious to me
You're my diamonds
You are rare and beautiful to me
I feel alive
You give me energy and vitality
When you look in my eyes
I feel seen and understood by you
Oh, I come to life
You bring me to life, make me feel more alive than ever
Ooh hoo
I'm shining when I'm with you
I feel my best and brightest when I'm with you
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GRACE ELIZABETH BARKER, MATTHEW JAMES FIRTH COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ramonluque1850
It's not exactly what I like
Calling home a sofa bed
Lying wide awake at night
'Cause I'm hooked on what you said
When you hold me I'm slowly being mesmerised
Am I mesmerised?
Lying wide awake at night
Seeing pictures in my head
With you I leave the lights on
Ooh a different point of view
Yeah, love, I'ma leave the lights on
I'm shining when I'm with you
I'm shining when I'm with you
Ooh, you, I'm shining when I'm with you
You're my gold
You're my diamonds
I feel alive
When you look in my eyes
Oh, I come to life
You're my gold
You're my diamonds
I feel alive
When you look in my eyes
Oh, I come to life
Ooh hoo
With you I leave the lights on
Ooh, a different point of view
Yeah, love, I'ma leave the lights on
I'm shining when I'm with you
I'm shining when I'm with you
Ooh, you, I'm shining when I'm with you
Shining when I'm with you
@jadesangster5272
This song brings me so much joy and yet so much pain at the same time, my partner of 17 years passed away in a motorbike accident last year, this was one of our favourite songs, it was his funeral song and I have the lyrics 'I'm shining when I'm with you' tattooed on my arm ππΌπ§‘
@carldollery4227
Bless ya sweetheart π
@andreasr.3038
RIP to your love
@frankmccarl2556
Slope with ur wonderful memories everytime u hear it π€ he'll be listening with u everytime
@robm4599
I lost my brother from a motorcycle accident in 2005.
@shaunrogers9225
β€οΈ
@Bobbyholmesclubstep
Anyone else still bumping this? I still gotta get it in at least once a day haha. Track is pure π₯π₯π₯
@chelseaannemayte
Always willllll
@andyroo8uk685
It's in my liquid D&b playlist so gets played at least once a week haha π
@Mr_Rabbit
Still going