The Cool

## Song by Lupe Fiasco

"**The Cool**" is a song by Lupe Fiasco, released as the 10th track from his debut album *Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor* (2006).

It introduces the character named Michael Young History ("My Cool Young History"), a hustler who gets shot to death. He comes back to life only to get robbed by the same people who killed him. This expanded as a concept for part of his sophomore album, *Lupe Fiasco's The Cool*, on selected tracks; it explains Michael's life story with this track completing the saga.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

Yeah

Yeah

*"The Cool"*

Turn me up, uh-huh, yeah

[Verse 1]

He came back in the same suit that he was buried in

Similar to the one his grandfather was married in

Yes, he was still fresh-to-death

Bling, two earrings, a chain layin' on his chest

He still had it 'cause they couldn't find it

And the bullets from his enemies sat, like, two inches behind it

Smelled the Hennessy from when his n\*\*\*as got reminded

And poured out liquor in his memory; he didn't mind it, but—

He couldn't sip it fast enough

So, the liquor was just fillin' the casket up

Floatin' down by his feet was the letter from his sister

Second-grade handwriting simply read, "I miss ya"

Suit jacket pocket held his baby daughter's picture

Right next to it, one of his mans stuck a Swisher

He had a notion as he laid there soakin'

He saw that the latch was broken, he kicked his casket open

And he...

[Hook]

This life goes passing you by

It might go fast if you lie

You born, you live, then you die

Oh-oh-oh-oh

If life goes passing you by

Don't cry

If you're breaking the rules, making your moves (Yeah)

Paying your dues (Uh-huh), chasing the cool

[Verse 2]

Not at all nervous as he dug to the surface

Tarnished gold chain is what he loosened up the earth with

He used his mouth as a shovel to try and hollow it

And when he couldn't dirt-spit, he swallowed it

Working like a... hmm... reverse archaeologist

Except his buried treasure was sunshine

So when some shined through a hole that he had drove

It reflected off the gold and almost made son blind

He grabbed onto some grass and climbed

Pulled hisself up out of his own grave and looked at the time

On the watch that had stopped six months after the shots

That'd got him in the box; wringing Henny out his socks

Figured it was hours because he wasn't older

Used some flowers to brush the dirt up off his shoulder

So, with a right hand that was all bones

And no reason to stay, he decided to walk home

So he...

[Hook]

This life goes passing you by

It might go fast if you lie (Yeah)

You born, you live, then you die

Oh-oh-oh-oh

If life goes passing you by

Don't cry (Ugh)

If you're breaking the rules (Yeah), making your moves (Ugh)

Paying your dues (Ugh), chasing the cool

[Verse 3]

He begged for some change to get him on the train

"Damn, that n\*\*\*a stank" is what they complained

Tried to light the blunt, but it burst into flames

Caught the reflection in the window of what he became

A long look; wasn't shook, wasn't ashamed

Matter-fact, only thing on his brain was brains

Yeah, and gettin' back in his lane

Doin' his thing—first, he had to find somethin' to sling

Next stop was his block; it had the same cops

Walked right past the same spot where he was shot

Shocked that some lil' n\*\*\*as tried to sell him rocks

It just felt weird, being on the opposite

They figured that he wasn't from there, so they pulled out

And robbed him with the same gun they shot him with

Put it to his head and said, "You're scared, ain't you?"

He said, "Hustler for death, no heaven for a gangster"

And...

[Hook]

This life goes passing you by

It might go fast if you lie (Ugh)

You born, you live, then you die (Ugh)

Oh-oh-oh-oh

If life goes passing you by

Don't cry

If you're breaking the rules, making your moves

Paying your dues, chasing the cool

[Outro]

Yeah

Ugh

The Cool!

## References

1. ↑ Solarski, Matthew (November 30, 2007). "Lupe Fiasco Talks *The Cool*, Cheeseburgers, Retirement". *Pitchfork*. Archived from the original on December 13, 2007.