Cooling Lyrics

Lyric discussion by sarule 

Cover art for Cooling lyrics by Tori Amos

Maybe I didn't like to hear but i still can't believe Speed Racer is dead

(I think she is saying that she is in denial and trying to grasp that her 'super-larger than life' crush that feels more like love than it ever should "speed racer" has finally come to a conclusion).

so then i thought i'd make some plans but fire thought she'd really rather be water instead

(I think shes talking about moving on with her life - and then discovering that she needs to revisit this attraction more than she ever knew, or even maybe wanted to due to the pain that it causes her by doing so).

and Peggy got a message for me, from Jesus

(I think she is talking about "Peggy" as being the 'other' person who is the partner of the person that she is so all about in the song. Somehow Peggy finds out about her - and that discovery is likened to "Jesus" as being pure in intention and only wanting the very best for everyone involved even as much as it may hurt everyone at the time).

and i heard every word that you have said and i know i have been driven like the snow

(I think that this is now Peggy speaking to the singer saying I know what's going on, I know everything, I know both you and my special person that you are in love with have 'played me' or "driven like the snow" with me unable to do anything but go in the direction that you led.

but this is cooling faster then i can this is cooling faster then i...

(I think that the singer is using cooling as a metaphor to explain the opposite feeling that she is having now that their 'secret' had been discovered. When they were still a secret they felt a warmth and passion inside with everything that they did in secret. Now that it's all in the open, they have an empty, and well for lack of a better word - "cooling" feeling inside which is marking the end of something so very beautiful between them yet so very wrong in terms of fidelity finally begin to come to an end).

so then love walked up to like said i know that you don't like me much let's go for a ride

(I think here she is showing the realization that she is much more into this person than they are into her. this could be likely due to the fact that she has no one and this person has someone. So for her, it's just the conflict of being a 'home wrecker' that she has to deal with where the other person has to deal with the feelings of being unfaithful and the feeling that they still have for the person that they are being unfaithful to. "let's go for a ride" she asking for that person to come with her so she can just be near and close to them once more. All she wants is to be able to have an illusion that maybe they still have a chance if we can "just go for a ride" - then next time it will be let's just go for dinner, or movie. It's showing to me the pain of someone that knows she should just let go and move on but can't and will hold on to anything that's left.)

. this ocean is wrapped around that pineapple tree

(this has got to be, hands down, the most beautiful and moving tori line I have ever heard. She is saying to that special love, I am completely yours and surrounding you with most everything you need to survive. She also acknowledges how deep and complex
this person is comparing them to a "pineapple tree" - pineapples can take upwards to 24 months just to root and bloom so that they can then be planted to being to produce fruit; which can take many years more after that time to accomplish. The last thing that I get from this line is that in comparing herself to an ocean, she knows that her 'water' and 'her mist' once it touches the "pineapple tree" would kill it due to the salt content of the ocean. As much as it overtly looks as if she would be providing most everything that this person would need to survive, the very core of herself (the ocean) is not compatible for life with him (the pineapple tree). Thinking of that line like this, if that doesn't tear at your very soul I don't every know what would.

and is your place in heaven worth giving up these kisses these, yes, these kisses

(To me, she is just simply saying to her love that if we did go through with this, however far that we took it, be it simply only kisses, wouldn't it be worth it to you even if we were breaking one of the Ten Commandments, something so taboo to do like cheat, isn't it ever ok to do if it's ok for you in the end)? What a compelling and provocative question of life.....

and Peggy got a message for me, from Jesus and i heard every word that you have said and i know i have been driven like the snow

but this is cooling faster than i can hey... faster than i can cooling this is cooling this is cooling

(I think that these two verses are the 'refrain' within the song).

I hope you all like and enjoy my understanding of this beautiful song.....

8> Scot 8>

The part you stated about "this ocean is wrapped around that pineapple tree", was so beautiful...you really touched me with your interpretation.

@sarule yes yes yes