Cool James
Recorded
Release history
Credits
- Written by Huffman/Lin/Nelson, © Song-Based Songs (ASCAP)
Lyrics
Can I have this? A perfect conversation
Or coast on silence, lowered expectations out the door
You’ve spend half your life talking
trying to get a pause in edgewise
Swallow poison tongues, oppose your thumbs
believe in nothingCan I have a nature change?
(one more time)
Can I have a nature change?
(’cause the bastard changes)Can I have this? See how so much time has wasted
Take a clenched fist, and see how quiet calm replaced it
You say you’ll never trust again (I’ll never trust again)
Who has time? You’ve given up
on ever finding the one you’ve been waiting for
but—Can I have a nature change?
(one more time)
Can I have a nature change?
(’cause the bastard changes)I’ve got no more time to spend on arguers
devil’s advocates, or nasty bits, or fits of desperation
Lawrence of Arabia, Sir Alec said to Peter
“What I owe you is beyond evaluation”Extend to me your hand,
I’ll nibble on your fingers
Bend to me your sweet ear,
I’ll gnaw it from its hingesCan I have a nature change?
(one last time)
That’s why ladies love Cool James1
(’cause the bastard changes)
The unabbreviated stage name of rapper LL Cool J. ↩
Quotes
AMH: Michael’s rhythmic contributions breathed new life into “Cool James” and “Moral Centralia,” two songs that have roots in the olden days. He pretty much pulled that stuff out of his hat minutes before they were recorded.10A
AMH: “Cool James” began life as a kind of stomping grunge pop anthem attempt in 1996 before we all became embarrassed by having written something that could be described thus; I love the nervous edge of the new version, the leanness, the harmonies, the Steve Fisk atmosphere, the bass solos (reliably my favorite part of any HD song if I don’t mention otherwise), and the Lawrence of Arabia line, maybe my favorite HD lyric of all; plus, that’s Debussy’s “La Mer” sampled (illegally) as the song ends, a little highbrow brushstroke by Mr. Fisk that never fails to delight.10A
SCN: I love this song. I can’t defend it, exactly, but this is the one that… Partly it’s because I think some of Aaron’s very best work is on it. There’s a little bass lead in that middle bit before the big ending, that do do do doooo do do, do do do dooooo. It comes into my mind all the time. It’s not virtuoso work, it’s just so him. He’s the only human being who would have come up with that part. And so, it’s like that. There’s little touches of him throughout this that really evokes him.AD