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Primer Coat Lyrics
The old man's out by the swimming pool, he goes there to think
He talks on the phone sometimes, hardly mentions a thing
Said he needed it for his knees, he used to swim back in school
Graduated in 84, quit drinking in 92
He used to call her a basket case for hanging on like she did
The only girl of a foreman's wife She'd never let him forget
It comes to women and they survive but when the same comes to men
Someone comes for their babies something dies there and then
Slinging gravel in parking lots and looking tough on the hood
A girl as plain as a primer coat leaves nothing misunderstood
Her mother and I through trembling lips, a steady hand on his own
The future of every rebel cause, when all the fight in him is gone
My sister's marrying in the spring and everything will be fine
Mama's planning the wedding, Daddy's planning on crying
She's slipping out of her apron strings, you best leave him be
He's staring through his own taillights and gathering speed
He talks on the phone sometimes, hardly mentions a thing
Said he needed it for his knees, he used to swim back in school
Graduated in 84, quit drinking in 92
The only girl of a foreman's wife She'd never let him forget
It comes to women and they survive but when the same comes to men
Someone comes for their babies something dies there and then
A girl as plain as a primer coat leaves nothing misunderstood
Her mother and I through trembling lips, a steady hand on his own
The future of every rebel cause, when all the fight in him is gone
Mama's planning the wedding, Daddy's planning on crying
She's slipping out of her apron strings, you best leave him be
He's staring through his own taillights and gathering speed
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This is great late-period Cooley. Many of his songs are mysteries, but in this case, I think this song is (initially) told from a son's perspective watching his dad get older.
The kid is reflecting on the old man's views of his mom, whom dad long ago divorced, dismissing her as a "basket case." But now it appears Dad may be losing it because Mom can "survive" under the present circumstances.
The narrative switches as the father reflects back to when he actually cared for her back when they were kids hanging out in parking lots.
The final verse is back in the son's frame of mind. His sister is about to wed. His mom is focused on planning the event, but his old man seems damaged by the years of dysfunction and distance. The best he can do is stare through his own taillights as he moves towards his inevitable demise.
(This from the perspective of a 58-year old single parent whose watching his kids turn into adults.)
Just heard Patterson mention in a podcast that this is the same guy from Zip City, later in life
I agree with Maxdembo that this is one of many great songs by this band. However I don't think the Dad is divorced; he loves his wife very much: She's not a beautiful woman, plain like primer coat, however just like primer coat she is the substance behind the flashier things in life. I think that he views his daughter as beautiful and that he'll lose her from his life when she gets married.