Songstory | Memories
Be Cool
A poignant song that’s part of MY songstory
I was inspired by Christopher Robin’s post, which was prompted by Squeeze the Avocado’s post to consider how a soundtrack can enhance one’s enjoyment of a film or a show. It’s an opinion I hold very strongly; anyone who’s read any of my earlier songstories will know I go in quite deep about what the songwriter(s) meant to convey with their lyrics.
Be Cool is a rarity, in that it is a sequel to another great film Get Shorty, but it doesn’t let its predecessor down. Both star John Travolta, who is the ultimate of cool for me — I was a teen of the ’80s. His iconic walk down the street to the strains of Staying Alive in the smash hit Saturday Night Fever is burned indelibly into my consciousness. But I digress.
In the plot of Be Cool, JT’s gangster character Chili Palmer is disheartened with the film industry, so he tries his hand at the music industry instead. The film score is awesome, as is the cast. In one memorable scene JT and Uma Thurman dance to “Sexy” a Black Eyed Peas track, with Sergio Mendes on piano. Christina Milian plays an aspiring singer, who JT wants to manage, so he must help her out of her constraining contract, which has her working in a tacky strip bar, singing to tired old backing tracks.
In a comedy crime film packed with contracts, fight scenes and double crosses, Chili Palmer maintains his cool to rise above it all.
The Rock plays a naive, gay Samoan bodyguard, desperate to get his showbiz break, Cedric the Entertainer plays a record producer, Harvey Keitel and Andre Benjamin play character parts while Steve Tyler, appears as himself, giving Christina’s character Linda her first on-stage break.
In a scene which echos back to Get Shorty, JT investigates an apparently empty room where the TV is playing, in this instance an old interview with Aerosmith. Later, when he engineers an introduction to the famous frontman at a sports match, he grills ST about the emotions and meaning behind one of his hit songs. Steve trots out a well worn idea that it was written as some kind of rock and roll love song, but Chili corrects him, “I think you wrote it when you first became a father.”
When Steve concedes that this was the likely motivation behind the poignant lyrics of the song, I feel a very strong affinity. In my case to their song I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing — from the film Armageddon.
I had my second child in 1998, the year that film came out, so it was the first song I heard on the radio after my youngest was born. I was still in the delivery suite, one nurse cleaning up my baby while another helped me take a bath. At that pivotal moment I listened to those lyrics with the realisation that I didn’t want to miss a thing in this tiny, precious human’s life. It made me tear up, it still does.
I could stay awake just to hear you breathing Watch you smile while you are sleeping While you’re far away and dreaming I could spend my life in this sweet surrender I could stay lost in this moment forever Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure
I don’t want to close my eyes, I don’t want to fall asleep
Cos I miss you girl and I don’t want to miss a thing
So although I didn’t know the song to which they refer in the film, I know for a listener, a love song is easily moulded to parental love as its driving emotion; devotion is just as strong, the object of affection equally precious, and sometimes more ‘true’.
So to recap — I recommend the film Be Cool for its stunning soundtrack, great plot and star-studded cast. But the song featured in the soundtrack of my life for 1998 would be Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing (which is from a film soundtrack, but not that one!)
To read all of Posy Churchgate’s stories — and thousands of other writers on Medium —CLICK HERE. Your membership fee will directly support Posy & other writers you read. You’ll also get full access to every story on Medium, for only the cost of a decent coffee
