We Real Cool Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Who took your measurements
From your toes to the top of your head
Yeah, you know

Who bought you clothes and new shoes
And wrote you a book you never read
Yeah, you know

[Chorus]
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
On the far side of the morning
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
Now I hope you're listening, are you?

[Verse 2]
Who was it you called the good shepherd
Rounding up the kids for their meal
Who chased your shadow running out behind
Clinging to your high flying heels
Your high flying, high flying, high flying heels

[Chorus]
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
On the far side of the morning, who was it
Yeah you know, we real cool
And I hope you're listening too
[Verse 3]
Who measured the distance from the planets
Right down to your big blue spinning world

And heartbeats and tears and nervous laughter
Spilling down all over you, girl

[Chorus]
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
And the world keeps on turning
Who was it, yeah you know, we real cool
And I hope you're listening, are you?

[Coda]
Sirius is 8.6 light years away
Arcturus is 37
The past is the past and it's here to stay
Wikipedia is heaven
When you don't want to remember no more
On the far side of the morning
Who was it, yeah you know we real cool
And I hope you hear me, and you'll call
Yeah, we real cool
Yeah, we real, real cool

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About

Genius Annotation

This track derives its title from legendary African-American poet Gwendolyn Brooks' 1959 poem, “We Real Cool.”

The song references passages in the books of Isaiah and Job in the Bible that deal with the problem of suffering. The lyric appears to be addressed to mankind from the perspective of God, who sees his children as something like the truants in Brooks' poem: all youthful swagger, streaked with a profound nihilism.

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