Are you ready to be heartbroken?

It's Lloyd singing about a young adult (maybe an earlier version of himself) unscarred by life, full of untrammelled hope, optimism and joy; and telling them that failed love will come to them at some point, it will hit them hard and change their outlook forever. Another slice of joy from a great songwriter! :)

Are you ready to be heartbroken is a coming-of-age song about crossing the threshold into the “real world”. The song is full of references to ‘pop’ culture surrounding an idealised young adult life, with the main conceit being this ‘warning’ about how the subject will face heartbreak over something soon.

The entire album is full of rhetorical questions, literary references and foreboding narratives/conversations. On account of Lloyd Cole being 23 when the song came out, this seems quite fitting.

I think this song is about a young person worrying about how long their naive and carefree life will go on for, posing as a cynical voice to warn/prepare themselves for the real world.

And we only need to listen to the rest of the album to realise that the friend who is feeling guilty about their cynicism is Lloyd. I also read that Lloyd also said that everyone in Glasgow at the time was listening to arthur lee records, that line seems to be about cliques and the inner debate between joining them or ignoring them.

beautiful song. typical literate song from Lloyd.
Someone that appears to wallow in being depressed

subject of a recent 'retort' song with camera obscura's 'hey lloyd, i'm ready to be heartbroken'

i think it's more about someone who is pissed off at those around them seemingly being very happy with themselves and their lives, whereas he's still stuck in a rut not knowing where to go so his friends being happy is really annoying him

i should add that he believes all his friends happiness will eventually end, and they should be prepared for heartbreak, as it's iminent

His ex, she'smoved on.