Maybe I didn't like to hear
But I still can't believe Speed Racer is dead
So then I thought I'd make some plans
But Fire thought she'd really rather be Water instead
And Peggy got a message for me from
Jesus
And I've heard every word that you have said
And I know I've been driven like the snow
But this is cooling
faster than I can
This is cooling
faster than I
But do I hate what she is
Or do I want to be her
And don't we love something fresh
Anything new, virgin
Woman you got too many brambles
hiding under these bushes
Woman you got too many brambles
But I always liked a good storm
And always good for a storm
So then Love walked up to Like
and said I know that she don't like me much
Let's go for a ride
This ocean is wrapped around that pineapple tree
And is your place in Heaven
worth giving up these kisses
these, yes, these kisses
And Peggy got a message for me from Jesus
And I've heard every word that you have said
And I know I've been driven like the snow
But this is cooling
faster than I can
Hey, yes
faster than I can
This is cooling
This is cooling
Tori Quotes
"'Cooling' is a song that was written for Boys for Pele and it didn't really fit in the album, so it came out as a B-side for 'Spark' in England; you can get it as an import. And I play it a lot now; I tried to put it on this record [Choirgirl] but it didn't really fit." [TV Guide Online chat - August 5, 1998]
"I wish she had been on Pele, cause I think it would have been kinda cool for a volcano to say, This is cooling faster than I can" [FNX, Boston - December 3, 1999]
So then Love walked up to Like/ And said "I know that you don't like me much, let's go for a ride" / This ocean is wrapped around that pineapple tree / And is your place in heaven worth giving up these kisses / These, yes, these kisses
"I usually try not to define my lyrics too much. I think it's really important that people find it in their own way. But when I wrote 'Cooling,' I had been in Hawaii, and I was really on a sensory level with pineapples -- the smell of them -- they had an effect on me while I was there. I sound like I'm talking a load of gibberish, but I don't want to start talking about who it is I'm referring to in that song. That's why I thought it was best to keep it in that metaphorical world." [Women Who Rock - January 2004]
B-sides used to very much be a big part of a release of a work. For me they were never an afterthought. There was a time when you would buy a commercial single before the release of the record, and B-sides would be included on these singles as bonus material. So in essence, besides the first single, the B-sides would be one of the first things you heard from the new record. Therefore, there was a lot of effort put into making these moments sparkle. With the change in how people get their music, B-sides have become a thing of the past. But some of them were my favorites.
"Cooling," in retrospect, probably should have been on Boys for Pele, but I think maybe it was one of those things I wasn't ready to put on an album. You can't get away from the fact that when you put a song on an album it's out there for everyone to judge and critique. There have been certain songs, and I can't tell you why, that I just haven't wanted to expose. Maybe it's a little too close to the bone. But for whatever reason, you just feel as if you don't want everybody making a comment on it. On this box set we've included "Cooling" in its original form, which was recorded at the church in Delgany, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
"Cooling" has remained one of my personal favorites to play live. Maybe that is why there are so many incarnations of it. When I'm playing "Cooling" in a show you know it's either because I'm having a really tough day and it's the only thing that's getting me through or I'm having the best time of my life and that's why I want to play "Cooling." [A Piano liner notes - 2006]
Live Versions
"Cooling"
November 14, 1998 - New York, New York Sessions at West 54th
"Cooling"
June 24, 2023 - Nashville, Tennessee
t o r i p h o r i a tori amos digital archive yessaid.com
