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.
If you don't treat me better
Baby I'll just run away
Baby I don't know what drives you
To play all these silly games
C'mon baby
I'm much stronger than you know
Sometimes
I'm not afraid
To let it show
When will you wake up
I want you more than the stars
And the sun
But I can take only so much
Cool on your island
Is it cool on your island
I got a brand new dress babe
Could it make you want to try
I guess I didn't want to notice
The stars gone
From your eyes
C'mon baby
I'm much stronger than you know
Sometimes
I'm not afraid
To let it show
Baby I'll just run away
Baby I don't know what drives you
To play all these silly games
C'mon baby
I'm much stronger than you know
Sometimes
I'm not afraid
To let it show
When will you wake up
I want you more than the stars
And the sun
But I can take only so much
Cool on your island
Is it cool on your island
I got a brand new dress babe
Could it make you want to try
I guess I didn't want to notice
The stars gone
From your eyes
C'mon baby
I'm much stronger than you know
Sometimes
I'm not afraid
To let it show
Lyrics submitted by merchantpierce
Cool on Your Island Lyrics as written by Tori Ellen Amos Jeffrey Kim Bullard
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
technically this is from her years in the band 'Y Kant Tori Read' not tori amos solo, but iv heard she does sometimes sing it in concert. but anyway its the best song on that cd (and the only one tori still likes!). from what i gather its about someone who is being mistreated in a relationship, maybe from the other party not commiting or not giving emotional support, but she still desperatly wants to stay together. any other ideas?
Yeah, she sang it in the concert i went to of her, and i went mad trying to find the mp3 or cd of it, then i found out it was Y Kant Tori Read. It was really soulful when she performed it which gave it alot of depth... but this one is kind of more... flirtatious i guess? But they're both good.
this is the first song i heard tori sing and it just got me hooked. i like that the music is so island-y, i don't know how else to describe it. I liked it because even though she is basically saying how much she loves him and she seems so vulnerbale, she is also spelling his defeat as well. This is present in most of her songs- starts off saying how she is let down but in the end, she is stronger due to that experience and the other person realizes this. Makes me think that she is truly the strong person- it doesn't take a lot of courage to be icy, stand-offish, i don't know why our society associates emotion with weakness. Tori is a very strong person in my eyes because she is able to sing and expose these emotions.
the solo version is good for mellow times of sadness when you're mourning over what things have come to, whereas the yktr version is good for more upbeat times[and yes, the islandy vibe of that version is awesome!!]...those times when you're determined to just leave it all behind.
"from what i gather its about someone who is being mistreated in a relationship, maybe from the other party not commiting or not giving emotional support,"
I agree with you, Gem. that's exactly what i feel about this song.
emotionally distant people are definitely islands... sometimes you have to wonder how warm it really is on those pieces of lonely land out in the middle of the ocean. for anyone trying to reach a person like that, it definitely takes something out of you when you realize the person can't be reached at all...and it hurts to know they don't want to be reached.
"it doesn't take a lot of courage to be icy, stand-offish,"
very well said, eeriemily.