The duo consists of Alexander Gerlach (born January, 14th 1976 in Dresden) and Kai Michael Paul – formerly Kai Michael Fuchs (born November, 5th 1973 in Berlin). In 2001 they recieved the ECHO award for “Best National Newcomer Dance Act”.
Cool
Lexy & K. Paul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anger and no one can heal it
Shoves a little bump into the momentum
It's just a little lump
But you feel it
In the creases and the shadows
With a rattling deep emotion
The cool, cool river
Yes boss, the government handshake
Yes boss, the crusher of language
Yes boss, Mr. Stillwater
The face at the edge of the banquet
The cool, the cool river
The cool, the cool river
I believe in the future
I may live in my car
My radio tuned to
The voice of a star
Song dogs barking at the break of dawn
Lightning pushes the edge of a thunderstorm
And these old hopes and fears
Still at my side
Anger and no one can heal it
Slides through the metal detector
Lives like a mole in a motel
A slide in a slide projector
The cool, cool river
Sweeps the wild, white ocean
The rage of love turns inward
To prayers of devotion
And these prayers are
The constant road across the wilderness
These prayers are
These prayers are the memory of God
The memory of God
And I believe in the future
We shall suffer no more
Maybe not in my lifetime
But in yours I feel sure
Song dogs barking at the break of dawn
Lightning pushes the edges of a thunderstorm
And these streets
Quiet as a sleeping army
Send their battered dreams to heaven, to heaven
For the mother's restless son
Who is a witness to, who is a warrior
Who denies his urge to break and run
Who says: Hard times?
I'm used to them
The speeding planet burns
I'm used to that
My life's so common it disappears
And sometimes even music
Cannot substitute for tears
In the song "Cool", Lexy & K. Paul talks about the struggles of life that can be overwhelming and make one lose control of emotions. The lyrics depict this feeling of anger, frustration, and helplessness that one can experience when things go wrong in life. The first few lines of the song "Moves like a fist through traffic, Anger and no one can heal it" give the listener a sense of urgency and negativity that surrounds the persona. The use of "fist," "anger" and "traffic" creates an image of agitation and confusion, and the repetitive use of "cool" gives a sense of hope and stability that the persona tries to hold on to.
The lyrics also talk about the struggle of being in power, the feeling of being at the "edge of the banquet" and the constant pressure to conform to those in power. The line "Yes boss, the crusher of language" depicts the way authority can be oppressive and limiting. The persona struggles to keep control of their emotions and finds solace in the "cool, cool river" that takes them away from the chaos of everyday life.
Towards the end of the song, Lexy & K. Paul talks about their belief in the future and how they hope for a better world where there is no more suffering. The use of "song dogs barking at the break of dawn" and "lightning pushes the edge of a thunderstorm" gives a sense of urgency and impermanence to the world, and how everything is constantly changing.
Line by Line Meaning
Moves like a fist through traffic
Anger is potent and affects everyone around you
Anger and no one can heal it
Anger cannot be easily resolved
Shoves a little bump into the momentum
Small disturbances cause big problems
It's just a little lump
A problem that seems insignificant in the grand scheme of things
But you feel it
It still has an impact on you
In the creases and the shadows
Even in the hidden parts of our lives, problems have an impact
With a rattling deep emotion
The feeling is intense and difficult to shake
The cool, cool river
A metaphor for serenity, calmness
Sweeps the wild, white ocean
That calmness can have an impact on even the most tumultuous of situations
Yes boss, the government handshake
Acknowledgment of the rigged political system
Yes boss, the crusher of language
The government using language to their advantage in order to control the masses
Yes boss, Mr. Stillwater
A corrupt figure with a lot of power
The face at the edge of the banquet
The highest class of people, enjoying luxuries at the expense of others
I believe in the future
Hope for a better tomorrow
I may live in my car
Acknowledgment of the possibility of being homeless
My radio tuned to
The one source of comfort and familiar sound in a chaotic world
The voice of a star
The comfort of a famous or beloved musician's voice
Song dogs barking at the break of dawn
The sound of wild animals signaling the start of a new day
Lightning pushes the edge of a thunderstorm
An intense, unpredictable force of nature
And these old hopes and fears
Emphasizing the cyclical nature of life
Slides through the metal detector
An allusion to the restrictions of modern society
Lives like a mole in a motel
Feeling trapped and helpless in a transient and uncomfortable environment
A slide in a slide projector
Life moves on, changing constantly and quickly
The rage of love turns inward
The pain of love is often internalized
To prayers of devotion
Turning to religion for comfort and strength
And these prayers are
Faith is an important part of survival
The constant road across the wilderness
Faith is a journey, often through difficult and uncharted territory
These prayers are
The solace of religion is a comfort through dark times
These prayers are the memory of God
The belief in God often comes with a sense of comfort and peace
We shall suffer no more
Hope for a peaceful future, free from strife
Maybe not in my lifetime
Acknowledgment of the struggle for change to create a better world
But in yours I feel sure
Hope for the younger generations to see and create change
And these streets
The struggles of everyday life
Quiet as a sleeping army
The struggle for change is often met with silence and inactivity
Send their battered dreams to heaven, to heaven
The dreams of a better life are sent out into the universe in the hopes of being answered
For the mother's restless son
The struggle for a better future is often for the sake of the next generation
Who is a witness to, who is a warrior
The struggle for change requires strength and bravery
Who denies his urge to break and run
The perseverance required to create change, even when things seem impossible
Who says: Hard times?
Acknowledgment of the struggle of everyday life
I'm used to them
Adaptation to difficulty
The speeding planet burns
The earth's problems are becoming increasingly urgent and cannot be ignored
My life's so common it disappears
Emphasizes the feeling of insignificance in a large world with monumental problems
And sometimes even music
Music, often a source of comfort, cannot always ease pain
Cannot substitute for tears
Pain cannot always be alleviated and must be faced head-on
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Paul Simon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind