After signing with the Karen record label, owned by McLaughlin, the group went on to record and release their first single in 1963, "Dog and Cat/The Kick." The record displayed the upbeat energy of their later work, however the juvenile nature and lyrics of the song couldn't find a substantial audience. In light of the disappointing performance of their debut single, the group dissolved and pursued other ventures.
The mid-60s saw many dance crazes; one of the most popular ones was a dance called "the jerk." It consisted of holding the arms out in different positions and making thrusting motions with the hips. Though controversial for lewdness at the time, a particularly sexual version of the dance had become popular in Detroit clubs, called the "pimp jerk."
Seeking to capitalize on the popularity of the dance, and dance songs in general, Storball wrote a song about the pimp jerk, renaming it to "cool jerk" in order to prevent possible banning by radio stations. Realizing that the song was a hit, the group re-formed and contacted McLaughlin in order to secure studio time to record the song.
The song was recorded at Golden World Studios in Detroit on March 14, 1966 with the legendary Motown house band The Funk Brothers. Though the song was meant to include a horn accompaniment, the contracted musicians failed to arrive to the recording, and the horns were omitted from the track. It was released on July 2, 1966 and was a smash hit, reaching as high as #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #2 on the Billboard R&B charts.
Attempting to exploit the success of their hit single, the Capitols released two albums in 1966, "Dance the Cool Jerk" and "We Got a Thing," both featuring mostly covers of popular Motown and soul songs. Both albums were somewhat of a commercial and critical failure, though "Dance the Cool Jerk" did spend one week in the Billboard Top 200 Albums at #95 in July 1966. The group released eight additional singles after "Cool Jerk", none of which made any of the Billboard charts, relegating the group to a One-Hit Wonder. In late 1969, the group broke up for the final time.
"We Got a Thing That's in the Groove" was the basis of the French yé-yé song "Les filles s'est fait pour faire l'amour," which was recorded by Charlotte Leslie and Mareva Galanter.
Storball went on to have a career in the Detroit Police Department, and still lives in Detroit to this day. Richard McDougall died on February 19, 1984 of unknown causes. Samuel George died March 17, 1982 of stabbing wounds.
Cool Jerk
The Capitols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cool jerk, cool jerk
We know a cat who can really do the cool jerk
We know a cat who can really do the cool jerk
Well, this cat they talkin' about, I wonder who could it be?
'Cause I know I'm the heaviest cat
The heaviest cat you ever did see
When they see me walkin' down the street (hey, hey, hey)
None of the fellas want to speak (hey, hey, hey)
On their faces they wear a silly smirk 'cause they know I'm the king of the cool jerk, whoo
(Cool jerk, cool jerk)
(Cool jerk, uh-huh!) Ha, ha, ha
Look at them guys lookin' at me like I'm a fool (cool jerk, uh-huh)
But, aww, deep down inside they know I'm cool (cool jerk, uh-huh)
I said, now, I said now, the moment of truth has finally come (cool jerk, uh-huh)
When I'ma to show you some, some of that cool jerk (cool jerk, uh-huh)
Now, give me a little bit of drums, by himself, there
Now, give me a little bit of bass, with those 88's
Aww, you're cookin' baby!
Hmm, you're smokin'!
Hmm-hmm-hmm!
Now everybody, I wanna hear you all
Aww, can you do it? (Can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do it?)
(Can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do the cool jerk?)
Come on, people(cool jerk)
Hey, hey
When they see me walkin' down the street (hey, hey, hey)
They think twice and then they speak (hey, hey, hey)
On their faces they don't wear their smirk
'Cause they know I'm a king of the cool jerk
(Cool jerk) come on people
(Cool jerk) can you do it now?
(Cool jerk)
(Come on people) can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do it?)
(Can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do the cool jerk?)
Come on people
(Cool jerk) can you do it now?
(Cool jerk)
Come on people
(Cool jerk) now you're doin' it
"Cool Jerk" by The Capitols is a song that celebrates a dance move called the "cool jerk." The song starts off by mentioning that there is a cat who can really do the cool jerk, and while others may try, the singer knows that he is the heaviest cat around. As he walks down the street, people may smirk, but deep down they know that he is indeed the king of the cool jerk. The song then invites everyone to join in and show off their cool jerk moves.
The lyrics are a lighthearted celebration of a particular dance move, one that was popular in the 1960s when the song was released. Musically, the song has a catchy beat and a repetitive chorus that encourages the listener to dance along. The song's playful lyrics and energetic music make it a fun and entertaining piece of music.
"Cool Jerk" has become a classic song, and it continues to be popular with audiences today. The song has been covered by many artists over the years, including The Go-Go's, The English Beat, and Joan Jett. It has also been featured in films like "Adventures in Babysitting" and "Baby Driver." The song's enduring popularity is a testament to its catchy melody and infectious lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Cool jerk, cool jerk
The singer is calling out to everyone to do the cool jerk dance
We know a cat who can really do the cool jerk
The singer knows someone who is really good at doing the cool jerk dance
Well, this cat they talkin' about, I wonder who could it be?
The singer wonders who the person they are talking about is
'Cause I know I'm the heaviest cat
The heaviest cat you ever did see
The singer is confident that they are the best at doing the cool jerk
When they see me walkin' down the street (hey, hey, hey)
None of the fellas want to speak (hey, hey, hey)
On their faces they wear a silly smirk 'cause they know I'm the king of the cool jerk, whoo
People are intimidated by the singer's confidence in their dancing abilities and know that they are good at doing the cool jerk
Look at them guys lookin' at me like I'm a fool (cool jerk, uh-huh)
But, aww, deep down inside they know I'm cool (cool jerk, uh-huh)
I said, now, I said now, the moment of truth has finally come (cool jerk, uh-huh)
When I'ma to show you some, some of that cool jerk (cool jerk, uh-huh)
Now, give me a little bit of drums, by himself, there
Now, give me a little bit of bass, with those 88's
Although people may doubt the singer's skills at dancing, the moment of truth has arrived and the singer is ready to show off their cool jerk moves. The singer also requests certain musical accompaniment to enhance their performance
Now everybody, I wanna hear you all
Aww, can you do it? (Can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do it?)
(Can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do the cool jerk?)
Come on, people(cool jerk)
Hey, hey
The singer wants everyone to join in and dance the cool jerk with them
When they see me walkin' down the street (hey, hey, hey)
They think twice and then they speak (hey, hey, hey)
On their faces they don't wear their smirk
'Cause they know I'm a king of the cool jerk
After seeing the singer perform the cool jerk, people no longer doubt their ability and acknowledge the singer as the king of the cool jerk
(Cool jerk) come on people
(Cool jerk) can you do it now?
(Cool jerk)
(Come on people) can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do it?)
(Can you do it, can you do it, can you do it, can you do the cool jerk?)
Come on people
(Cool jerk) can you do it now?
(Cool jerk)
Come on people
(Cool jerk) now you're doin' it
The song ends with the singer encouraging everyone to continue doing the cool jerk dance and applauding them for their efforts
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Donald Storball
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind