In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Julio Gonzales was drinking alone thinking about what he should do
He found his wife Maria with a bottle of tequila and a man in a motel room
It came as a surprise as he psychoanalysed his wife’s decision to cheat
He thought he was a lover, they’d never be another with whom he must compete
But while he was working his fingers to the bone
Maria went and found a bone of her own...
(Julio, Julio, much the (?))
The days came and went, the anger was spend along with 300 dollars on booze
When he returned home, he found himself alone, Mario had returned to Santa Cruz
Night after night Julio stared at the picture of his beautiful wife
How could you do this? And leave me so loveless, picking up the pieces of my life
Never felt so bad, never felt so blue
Without you what am I to do? Oh!
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
‘Cause your wife is messing around
Put on your zoot suit, roll into town
Drink some beer go fooling around
You can’t keep a good man down
(Maria, Maria, she drank too much tequila)
At a time when he thought things couldn’t get worse, Julio lost his job
Heavy drinking had taken its toll. The boss said, “Julio, you’re out of control!”
Without money coming in Julio was getting thin on a diet of chili pepper soup
So he worked as a cleaner in the cantina for a guy from Guadeloupe
And little by little he rose from the ground
And that friendly old smile he suddenly found...Oh!
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
‘Cause your wife is messing around
Put on your zoot suit, roll into town
Drink some beer go fooling around
You can’t keep a good man down
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
It was a famous night in old El Paso on the banks of the Rio Grande
Julio a hero and the beautiful senorita made love for the very first time
Six months ago Julio had applied to an ad for the Lonely Hearts Club
It was there he met Fachita (?), the beautiful Senorita with whom he’d fall in love
It just goes to show even when you feel low
Love will grab hold of you and not let go! Oh!
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
‘Cause you found your one true love
Put on your zoot suit, take her to town
Kiss that girl ‘til your head spins round
I said,
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep a good man down! Oh!
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep a good man down!
Hey! Hey!
Ah Julio! Ya!
Wo!
He found his wife Maria with a bottle of tequila and a man in a motel room
It came as a surprise as he psychoanalysed his wife’s decision to cheat
He thought he was a lover, they’d never be another with whom he must compete
But while he was working his fingers to the bone
Maria went and found a bone of her own...
(Julio, Julio, much the (?))
The days came and went, the anger was spend along with 300 dollars on booze
When he returned home, he found himself alone, Mario had returned to Santa Cruz
Night after night Julio stared at the picture of his beautiful wife
How could you do this? And leave me so loveless, picking up the pieces of my life
Never felt so bad, never felt so blue
Without you what am I to do? Oh!
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
‘Cause your wife is messing around
Put on your zoot suit, roll into town
Drink some beer go fooling around
You can’t keep a good man down
(Maria, Maria, she drank too much tequila)
At a time when he thought things couldn’t get worse, Julio lost his job
Heavy drinking had taken its toll. The boss said, “Julio, you’re out of control!”
Without money coming in Julio was getting thin on a diet of chili pepper soup
So he worked as a cleaner in the cantina for a guy from Guadeloupe
And little by little he rose from the ground
And that friendly old smile he suddenly found...Oh!
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
‘Cause your wife is messing around
Put on your zoot suit, roll into town
Drink some beer go fooling around
You can’t keep a good man down
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
It was a famous night in old El Paso on the banks of the Rio Grande
Julio a hero and the beautiful senorita made love for the very first time
Six months ago Julio had applied to an ad for the Lonely Hearts Club
It was there he met Fachita (?), the beautiful Senorita with whom he’d fall in love
It just goes to show even when you feel low
Love will grab hold of you and not let go! Oh!
Julio, Julio, don’t you lose your coolio
‘Cause you found your one true love
Put on your zoot suit, take her to town
Kiss that girl ‘til your head spins round
I said,
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep a good man down! Oh!
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep
You can’t keep a good man down!
Hey! Hey!
Ah Julio! Ya!
Wo!
Lyrics submitted by CrazyFool
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