The Cost of Cool

(Track 8)

Key: C minor
Tempo: 88 BPM – slinky, slow-drag groove with attitude
Vibe: Suave blues strut meets cautionary tale; style with a sting

[Verse 1]

Cm – Fm – G – Cm
You walked in clean, eyes like sin
Draped in silk with a devil’s grin
Mirror shades and a whisper name
But your shine got shadows in the frame

Cm – Fm – G – Cm
Cool don’t sweat, it don’t explain
But I saw the threads behind the game
It costs more than you’d ever say
To keep that mask on every day

[Chorus]

Ab – Eb – Bb – Cm
The cost of cool ain’t just the shoes
It’s sleep you lost and love you bruise
You strut like you were born to rule
But every crown burns when you play the fool

Ab – Eb – Bb – Cm
You bought the suit, you played the part
But never once undressed your heart
You paid the price to own the room—
But you never learned to lose the gloom

[Verse 2]

Cm – Fm – G – Cm
I wore that coat, walked that floor
Smiled through pain no one saw before
You sell a dream with every glance
But cool won’t hold you when you dance

Cm – Fm – G – Cm
That swagger hides a world of ache
Ain’t no grace in what you fake
Style’s a blade you grip too tight
It cuts you down each lonely night

[Chorus – repeat with punch]

Ab – Eb – Bb – Cm
The cost of cool is steep and cold
A diamond mask on a face gone old
You chase applause, you dodge the fool—
But deep inside, you miss the you

Ab – Eb – Bb – Cm
So shine your shoes, light your smoke
Tell the world it’s just a joke
But every lie you dress in gold…
Still fits the blues you never told

[Bridge – Spoken / Half-sung]

Fm – G – Cm
Cool’s a game with no scoreboard
Just silence and a lonely chord
You play to win, but don’t forget—
It takes your soul… to pay that debt

[Final Chorus – Fade into reflection]

Ab – Eb – Bb – Cm
The cost of cool—yeah, now you know
What you gave up just to show
That you could walk, while others crawl…
But cool don’t catch you when you fall

©Copyright 2025. Gold Shield Publishing Inc
Writer: Songsmith