The first swirls of what would become Lucky Soul took place in Glasgow in the imagination of a sound engineering student called Andrew Laidlaw. Inspired by the classic Sixties soul playing at a tiny night club called Papa Cool, he began sneaking into the studios at night, plotting to take a seemingly lost kind of pop music and update it for the 21st century. When the course finished, he moved to London, recruited a few friends and put out a classified ad for a singer. A heartfelt request for “no divas, no faux-American accents” seemed to have little effect, but alongside 300 Aguilera-clones emerged a honey-haired woman by the name of Ali Howard with a voice perfectly poised between power and vulnerability and a look that seemed tailor-made for Laidlaw’s music.
The first Lucky Soul album followed in April 2007. Released on the band’s own label Ruffa Lane (set up with the financial help and know-how of a couple of close friends) The Great Unwanted was a massive critical and commercial success: greeted with 4 and 5 stars – “an immediate classic”, “pop at its most glorious and heartbreaking” – across the board and sold 50,000 records worldwide, picking up a top 10 hit in Japan along the way.
Laidlaw’s pop vision had been vindicated, but the band had also thrown everything at that first record. Once the touring was done and with no financial safety net to fall back on while the royalties came through, Lucky Soul returned to their normal lives. Not for the first time, Laidlaw found himself stone broke and south of the river. This time he had no choice but to live inside the band’s studio, then in a draught-ridden converted fire station on the gloomier side of Greenwich. He played piano til the early hours and showered in the local swimming pool, and put his heart and soul into creating a second album, going by his own admission a bit crazy along the way.
Turning down an offer from legendary Bowie producer Tony Visconti, the band opted to retain complete creative control. Laidlaw produced the record himself, only turning to outside help for the mixing sessions, handled in New York by Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Sons & Daughters, Kirsty Macoll, PJ Harvey). Howard, Laidlaw and mercurial guitarist Ivor Sims were all that remained from the original lineup. Russell ‘Rusty’ Grooms and kiwi maverick Paul Atkins took the bass and drum briefs, and a new keyboardist was found in the form of Art Terry, a former protégé of Arthur Lee from Love who had initially just turned up to tune Laidlaw’s piano…
Months were spent in the studio, as Laidlaw – a synaesthetic to whom music appears in the form of vivid visuals that look “like an avant-garde Russian cartoon” – heaved his vision into awesome life. The result is a record with the gloves off, as trumpeted in the form of two advance singles Woah Billy! and White Russian Doll. The first album’s shameless love for pure melody remains, but any hint of knowing pastiche has been replaced with big, confident, lean production; it’s a soaring album of modern pop – music for a new decade.
Ain't Never Been Cool
Lucky Soul Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ain’t never been cool.
Won’t get in your gang, (ain’t getting in, I’m)
Won’t fit in your clique (not unique.)
Won’t tap you on the shoulder,
Or kiss you on the cheek.
I heard you do want to, do what you want to.
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
I ain’t never been cool,
I ain’t never been cool.
Won’t get in your club, (ain’t getting in, I’m)
Not quite up your street (not your scene.)
It’s terribly exciting…
I’m practically asleep.
I heard you say what you want, say what you want to.
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
I ain’t never been cool.
I ain’t never been cool.
I ain’t never been cool!
I ain’t never been cool!
Won’t get in your gang, (ain’t getting in, I’m)
Won’t fit in your clique (not unique.)
Won’t tap you on the shoulder,
Or kiss you on the cheek.
Ooh I heard you.
Do what you want, do what you want to.
Say what you want, to who you want to.
Be what you want, be what you want to.
Love what you want, love who you want to.
Do what you want, do what you want to.
Say what you want, to who you want to.
Be who you want, be what you want to.
Do what you want, do what you want to!
I ain’t never been cool.
The lyrics to Lucky Soul's song "Ain't Never Been Cool" express the singer's discomfort at not being able to fit in with a certain group of people. The song highlights the singer's lack of coolness and their inability to join the club or clique that they desire. The singer is resigned to not being able to fit in and is content to simply observe from the sidelines. They are aware that the people they desire to be friends with do what they want and say what they want, but the singer realizes that they themselves do not possess the same confidence or coolness that would allow them to do so.
The lyrics convey a sense of resignation and longing for acceptance. The singer is torn between wanting to fit in and realizing that they never will. The repetition of the lines "I ain't never been cool" emphasizes the singer's sense of isolation and reinforces the theme of the song. The final repetition of "do what you want" serves as a message of empowerment, urging the listener to be who they want to be regardless of their perceived coolness or acceptance by others.
Line by Line Meaning
I ain’t never been cool,
I've never fit in or been accepted by the popular crowd.
I ain’t never been cool.
I've always been on the outside looking in.
Won’t get in your gang,
I won't try to join your clique or group.
Won’t fit in your clique,
I don't conform to your social norms or standards.
Won’t tap you on the shoulder,
I won't actively pursue your attention.
Or kiss you on the cheek.
I won't engage in false or superficial displays of affection.
I heard you do want to,
I am aware that you desire something more authentic.
do what you want to.
You should feel free to express your true self.
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
But you are still unsure of who that is.
Won’t get in your club,
I won't try to conform to your style or preferences.
Not quite up your street,
My interests and personality are not compatible with yours.
It’s terribly exciting…
But I find my own path and passions just as fulfilling.
I’m practically asleep.
Your excitement doesn't interest me at all.
I heard you say what you want, say what you want to.
I know you are considering expressing yourself authentically.
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
But you are scared and uncertain.
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
You need to find your own voice and identity.
Oh, but you don’t know do you?
Only then will you really understand yourself and others.
Won’t get in your gang,
I won't try to fit in with the popular crowd.
Won’t fit in your clique,
I won't compromise who I am to be accepted.
Won’t tap you on the shoulder,
I won't seek your approval or validation.
Or kiss you on the cheek.
I won't engage in false or counterfeit displays of affection.
Ooh I heard you.
I understand your desire for authenticity and connection.
Do what you want, do what you want to.
You should be true to yourself and follow your heart.
Say what you want, to who you want to.
Express your thoughts and feelings to those who will appreciate and accept you.
Be what you want, be what you want to.
Pursue your own dreams and passions without fear or hesitation.
Love what you want, love who you want to.
Explore your own identity and find love in whatever form it takes.
Do what you want, do what you want to!
Live your life authentically and never compromise who you are.
I ain’t never been cool.
I may not be cool in the eyes of society, but I am true to myself.
Contributed by Anna F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.