Lowe began his recording career in 1966 as a member of psychedelic rock group Kippington Lodge, founded with his friend Brinsley Schwarz. That band released a few singles on Parlophone. Three years later, Kippington Lodge had changed its name to Brinsley Schwarz and its musical focus to country and blues rock.
After leaving Brinsley Schwarz in the mid-1970s, Lowe began playing in Rockpile with Dave Edmunds. In August 1976 Lowe released "So It Goes" b/w "Heart of the City", the first single on the Stiff Records label where he was in-house producer (the label's first EP was Lowe's 1977 four-track release Bowi, apparently named in response to David Bowie's contemporary LP Low) . On this and other labels, Lowe would go on to produce The Damned's Damned Damned Damned and many albums by Elvis Costello. Upon moving from Stiff to Jake Riviera's Radar and F-Beat labels, Lowe became extremely selective in his choice of production tasks.
Because the two main writers in Rockpile had contracts with different record labels and managers, albums were always credited to either Lowe or Edmunds, so there is only one official Rockpile album, from the very end of the collaboration - 1980's Seconds of Pleasure, featuring the Lowe songs "When I Write the Book" and "Teacher Teacher" - but all of Lowe's and Edmunds' solo albums from the period were effectively Rockpile albums. Rockpile's demise was hastened by a number of conflicts, not between the group, but their management.
Lowe's best-known song from this era is probably "I Knew the Bride When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll" (a reworking of Chuck Berry's "You Never Can Tell", a.k.a. "Teenage Wedding"). On the 1977 Live Stiffs compilation with a pickup band called Last Chicken in the Shop, he virtually sneers out his contempt for all concerned; in 1985, fronting Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit on the album The Rose of England, he hasn't changed the words, but the tone is entirely different, even affectionate. The latter recording featured Huey Lewis & the News as his backing band.
In 1979, Lowe married country singer Carlene Carter, daughter of country singers Carl Smith and June Carter Cash and step-daughter of Johnny Cash. He adopted her daughter, Tiffany Anastasia Lowe. The marriage with Lowe lasted until the mid-1980s, but they remained friends, and Lowe remained close to the Carter/Cash family; he and Johnny Cash played and recorded together, and Cash recorded several of his songs.
After the demise of Rockpile, Lowe toured for a period with his band Noise to Go and later with The Cowboy Outfit, which also included the noted keyboard player Paul Carrack. Lowe was also a member of the short-lived mainly studio project Little Village with John Hiatt, Ry Cooder, and Jim Keltner.
In 1992, "(What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" was covered by Curtis Stigers on the soundtrack album to The Bodyguard, an album that sold over fifteen million copies. Because Lowe received royalties from these sales, he suddenly found himself a millionaire. Freed from commercial constraints, Lowe has recorded more solo albums in his own very individual style to critical acclaim.
Lowe played Glastonbury 2011, performing a short solo set of Brinsley Schwarz tracks on The Spirit Of 71 stage, where they played back in 1971, before heading to the Acoustic Stage for a full band show.
Lowe performed as an opening act for Wilco in their North American tour, September 2011. He performed solo with acoustic guitar.
His more recent albums include
At My Age (2007)
The Old Magic (2011)
Cruel to Be Kind
Nick Lowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though you say you're my friend, I'm at my wit's end
You say your love is bonafide, but that don't coincide
With the things that you do
And when I ask you to be nice, you say
You've gotta be cruel to be kind, in the right measure
Cruel to be kind, it's a very good sign
(You've gotta be cruel)
You gotta be cruel to be kind
Well I do my best to understand dear
But you still mystify and I want to know why
I pick myself up off the ground
To have you knock me back down, again and again
And when I ask you to explain, you say
You've gotta be cruel to be kind, in the right measure
Cruel to be kind, it's a very good sign
Cruel to be kind, means that I love you, baby
(You've gotta be cruel)
You gotta be cruel to be kind
Well I do my best to understand dear
But you still mystify and I want to know why
I pick myself up off the ground
To have you knock me back down, again and again
And when I ask you to explain, you say
You've gotta be cruel to be kind, in the right measure
Cruel to be kind, it's a very good sign
Cruel to be kind, means that I love you baby
(You've gotta be cruel)
You gotta be cruel to be kind
(Cruel to be kind), oh in the right measure
(Cruel to be kind), it's a very very very good sign
(Cruel to be kind), it means that I love you, baby
(You've gotta be cruel)
You gotta be cruel to be kind
(Cruel to be kind), oh in the right measure
(Cruel to be kind), yes it's a very very very good sign
(Cruel to be kind), it means that I love you, baby
(You've gotta be cruel)
You gotta be cruel to be kind
(Cruel to be kind), oh in the right measure
(Cruel to be kind), yes it's a very very very good sign
(Cruel to be kind), it means that I love you
In "Cruel to Be Kind," Nick Lowe expresses his frustration with someone he cares deeply about, but who constantly hurts him emotionally. Despite claiming to love him, this person's actions are contradictory, leading him to question their intentions. He pleads with them to be kinder to him, but they respond that sometimes it's necessary to be cruel to be kind - that a tough love approach is the best way to help someone flourish, even if it is painful in the short term.
While the phrase "cruel to be kind" might seem oxymoronic on the surface, the meaning behind it is that sometimes, the kindest thing to do is the most difficult. Lowe's lyrics suggest that this approach might be necessary for building resilience and character, but it's clear that he's struggling to accept this logic. He hopes that this person's harsh treatment of him is a sign of love, rather than the opposite.
Overall, "Cruel to Be Kind" is a powerful exploration of the complex nature of love and the difficulty of navigating those relationships that are both rewarding and painful. Lowe captures the ambivalence of loving someone who hurts you, and the difficulty of reconciling those conflicting emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I can't take another heartache
I'm tired of constantly getting hurt
Though you say you're my friend, I'm at my wit's end
Despite your claims of friendship, I'm fed up with the way you treat me
You say your love is bonafide, but that don't coincide
Your actions do not match your proclamation of genuine love
With the things that you do
Your behavior is contradictory to your words
And when I ask you to be nice, you say
Your response to my request for kindness is dismissive
You've gotta be cruel to be kind, in the right measure
Being harsh can sometimes be helpful, if done appropriately
Cruel to be kind, it's a very good sign
Showing tough love can be a positive thing
Cruel to be kind, means that I love you, baby
Treating you this way is my way of showing affection
(You've gotta be cruel)
This is a necessary part of my approach
You gotta be cruel to be kind
Sometimes being harsh is needed for your own good
Well I do my best to understand dear
I'm trying my hardest to comprehend your actions
But you still mystify and I want to know why
I'm having trouble comprehending your behavior and want an explanation
I pick myself up off the ground
Despite being knocked down, I persevere and regroup mentally
To have you knock me back down, again and again
Only to have you repeatedly cause me to falter
And when I ask you to explain, you say
Your response to my request to clarify is to resort to harshness
(Cruel to be kind), oh in the right measure
Being harsh can be helpful when done appropriately
(Cruel to be kind), it's a very very very good sign
Using this approach is a positive thing
(Cruel to be kind), it means that I love you, baby
I show my love by being tough with you
(You've gotta be cruel)
Being harsh is a necessary part of this approach
You gotta be cruel to be kind
Being harsh is sometimes necessary for your own well-being
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ian Robert Gomm, Nicholas Orain Lowe
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gbontempi7905
the beat is perfection...always been one of my top ten songs....
Cruel to be Kind
That's the Way of the World.
Fly Me To the Moon
Celebrate
Wild West Hero
God Only Knows
Strawberry Fields
Let's Stay Together
Sara Smile
Celluloid Heroes
@jacksquat4140
If it's true that you have to be cruel to be kind, my ex wife should be considered the kindest woman on Earth.
@statinskill
If you had been cruel and kind to her in the right measure, you would still have her where she belongs.
@jacksquat4140
@@statinskill: Nah...she was into fooling around and other things that are unbecoming of a wife and mother.
@seventiesgirl6449
I want to go back to 1979. Aww hell. Any year of the 70's would do.
@johnoksys7713
Better Music on Top 40 Radio
@raddadchad
I never noticed how “ Beatlesy” this is ; especially the backing vocals and guitar solo
@BADCAT303
I want to go back to mid 70s a d go to every Ramones concert I could
@DelMorgan-bk4vz
Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds...It doesn't get much better!
@peddley
Just the opening chords before the singing even starts triggers an emotion in me that i cant explain, but it takes me back to 1979, 17 years old and in love for the first time.
@sharonm.t.2492
Omg, as a 12 year old I bopped to this song!!!