Cool
Navigating Generational Coolness: Insights from John Michael Montgomery's 'Cool'
Lyrics
He really liked flannel with big bore arms
He had a strong preference for flannel shirts with large armholes.
If you looked in his closet, it was all that you saw
In his closet, flannel shirts dominated as his primary clothing.
He'd dress up on Sunday; a body looked neat
He would dress neatly on Sundays.
In a green leisure suit with wing tips on his feet
He wore a green leisure suit and wingtip shoes.
An' I hated the music he played in the car
The speaker disliked the music his father played in the car.
It was hard to believe he called those people stars
The speaker found it hard to believe that his father admired those musicians.
They'd sing through their noses like they all had colds
The singers sounded like they had nasal voices.
I guess it's hard to be cool when you're forty years old
It's difficult to maintain a sense of coolness at the age of forty.
An' I was fifteen and real hip with long hair
The speaker was fifteen and felt trendy with long hair.
An' I'd ask my Momma, "Why's Daddy so square?"
The speaker questioned why his father seemed old-fashioned.
An' I couldn't believe all that he didn't know
The speaker was surprised by how much his father didn't know.
I guess it's hard to be cool when you're forty years old
At forty, it's hard to maintain a sense of coolness.
The night I turned twenty, she came with the news
On the speaker's twentieth birthday, someone shared unexpected news.
Scared half to death, an' didn't know what to do
The speaker was frightened and unsure how to react.
I told her, "I'm sorry, but it's not too late
The speaker felt it might not be too late to address the situation.
There's a doctor I've heard of who fixes mistakes"
The speaker knew of a doctor who could potentially help.
An' I thought he was workin', an' I was alone
The speaker thought his father was working, but he was actually present.
But he was standin' behind me when I hung up the phone
The father confronted the situation and offered guidance.
He said, "Son, there's a few things you don't know about
The father implied there were crucial things the speaker was unaware of.
If you listen real close, we can figure this out"
The father encouraged the speaker to listen attentively to resolve the issue.
"Cause I was eighteen and as wild as they came
The father recounted a personal experience at eighteen.
When one night, a young girl told me the same thing
A girl revealed a life-altering truth to the father at that age.
An' you wouldn't be here if she hadn't said no
The father acknowledged that the speaker's existence depended on a 'no' from the girl.
You see, it's hard to be cool when you're twenty years old"
At twenty, it's challenging to maintain a sense of coolness.
These days I like flannel an' old Levi jeans
The speaker now prefers flannel and old Levi jeans.
An' I look at my young boy, who just turned fifteen
The speaker's son just turned fifteen.
An' I know what he's thinkin', but it's OK, you know
The speaker understands what his son might be thinking but is okay with it.
You see it's hard to be cool when you're fifteen years old
At fifteen, it's hard to maintain a sense of coolness.
Comment