How to Format Lyrics:

  • Type out all lyrics, even repeating song parts like the chorus
  • Lyrics should be broken down into individual lines
  • Use section headers above different song parts like [Verse], [Chorus], etc.
  • Use italics (<i>lyric</i>) and bold (<b>lyric</b>) to distinguish between different vocalists in the same song part
  • If you don’t understand a lyric, use [?]

To learn more, check out our transcription guide or visit our transcribers forum

About

Genius Annotation

“Cool” is a song by American singer Gwen Stefani from her debut solo studio album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby., released as the fourth single from the album.

Lyrically, the song is about a broken up couple that has come to peaceful terms about their relationship and are just happy for one another having found happiness in their current relationships. The song takes us through some of the memories they shared as a couple while together.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Gwen Stefani say about "Cool"?
Genius Answer

I wrote that with Dallas Austin. He was one of the dopest songwriters at the time – he’d done some really big stuff with TLC. It was all so outside my genre of music. I thought, “What am I doing?” You have to understand, I lived at my parents' house until I was 26. My boyfriend and best friend [Kanal] was in my band, so he took care of me. So I was very sheltered. So for me to fly to Atlanta by myself and go to this gigantic hip-hop guy’s studio was a big deal for me, and it was scary. Dallas was a really sweet guy. He took me to his mansion that was like a spaceship, this crazy bachelor pad. This was around the time Usher’s “Yeah!” came out. Atlanta was super hot and so different from what I experienced in Anaheim. Dallas already had the chords written, and it just said something about “being cool” on it. I loved the song because it reminded me of early Madonna and that time period of my youth. For me, it’s very hard to finish something that’s already been started. But I’m really proud of that song. Lyrically, it has a different perspective on love. Typically you don’t talk about still being friends with somebody that you loved so much who broke your heart. It made so much sense at the time. Not only did I have a lot of guilt doing the record outside of No Doubt because it felt like I was cheating on them, but I also knew I needed to do it. It was always so weird to have been in a band with the person I was pretty much obsessed with and worshipped. Then he broke up with me and we became friends. It was a very complicated situation with Tony. At that point, I just got married, too, so there was a lot of stuff in my brain."

– Via Billboard (2019)

Where did the inspiration from the song come from?
Genius Answer

Stefani originally teamed up with Dallas Austin, one of her producers for Love, Angel, Music, Baby and he told her about a song he was trying to write that would be his version of No Doubt’s “Simple Kind of Life.”

He said he loved that song, and when he heard it, he wrote this other song, but he never finished it. He asked, ‘Maybe you can help me finish this track?’ Because he never could make ‘Cool’ sound cool"

Soon after, the song was written:

Wow, this is my song. Within the next 15 minutes, the lyrics just poured out. When he told me about the track and where it came from for him, it just triggered something in me."

What certifications has this track received?
Genius Answer

On July 28, 2023, “Cool” was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Comments