Cool to Be a Fool

Album: Man With a Memory (2002)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Nichols has broken up with his girl, and realizes it was a big mistake. Reflecting on his blunder, he kicks himself around, explaining that he could star in a movie... if it was about a downtrodden guy who lost the best thing he ever had.

    With a classic country vibe, the song drew inspiration from the 1963 Buck Owens hit "Act Naturally," where he sings:

    We'll make a film about a man that's sad and lonely
    And all I gotta do is act naturally
  • The Nashville songwriters Wil Nance and Steve Dean wrote this song - the pair also wrote the #1 George Strait Country hit "Round About Way." When Nance came up with the song, he really did fell like a fool, as his car died and he replaced it with a Jeep Comanche that didn't have air conditioning or a working radio. In our interview with Nance, he explained: "It was summertime and I was going to write with Steve Dean and Joe Nichols that morning. And I tell you what, when you're driving around in a little Jeep Comanche truck with no air conditioning - and we didn't have no cell phones, I didn't have an iPod, I didn't have a radio - you write songs, man!

    I had two windows down, trying to get a little breeze blowing through the thing, and I was on my way over that morning and I started to sing:

    If it was cool to be a fool
    I'd be the hippest guy around
    If a heartache made you famous
    I'd be known from town to town
    "
  • The video shows scenes of Nichols appearing on a fictional Blind Date-style dating show called Hot Date, where he has some very bad dates, making him miss the girl he lost even more. Bob Eubanks, longtime host of the Newlywed Game, makes an appearance, hosting another fictional dating show called The Date Show, where Nichols has more misadventures.

    The clip was directed by Peter Zavadil, who also did "You're Gonna Miss This" for Trance Adkins and "Time Is Love" for Josh Turner.

Comments: 1

  • Marla Lack from New MexicoYou have a song about the shade comes free with the tree, i cannot find it. Also the one about god coming and you were in arms of someelses wife, and one about kids fighting cancer, real heros?
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.