"Trying To Be Cool" - Phoenix [YouTube Music Video & Alternate Lyrics]

If you like awesome music videos, you're going to like "Trying To Be Cool" by Phoenix in conjunction with The Creators Project sponsored by Vice and Intel. Check it out on YouTube:

Sloppiness, guitars, smoke machines, explosions, fake moustaches, a baboon, cannons, ladies underpants, sunglasses, bubbles, ladies in bikins, speed chess, magic, ping pong, bob dylan "Subterranean Homesick Blues", more bikinis, more cannons, motorcycle, drums on a track, bass, synchronized flash mob dancing, tight band... lots of eye candy.

Billboard reports:

Under the tedious circumstances in which it was made, directors probably had a hard time keeping their cool while the video was in production. The video was shot entriely live in full takes of the song and the crew had the daunting task of continuously changing camera shots every 25 seconds, making the project almost a relay race between cameramen.

One of the amazing things about "Trying To Be Cool" is that the band completely re-did the end of the song for this music video. The version on Bankrupt! is much different. Check out the lyrics below and listen to the album version below:

"Trying To Be Cool" Lyrics:

City and desert coexist
Depending on the things you're wearing
Wildlife binoculars
Tell me that you want me*
Tell me that you want me*

*video and radio edit say 'it' instead of 'me' in first verse

They teach you suffer to resist
Too much intention, presbyterian
Mint julep testosterone
Tell me that you want me
Tell me that you want me

Cool
I'm just trying to be cool
It's all because of you
Some fanatic attitude
We're both on

Open for business says it all you can't go wrong
Is innocent too immature where you're from?
Tell me that you want me
Tell me that you want it all

Two dozen pink and white ranunculus
Why? What are the problems to solve?
To part time holy bachelors
Tell them that you want me
Tell them that you want me

Cool
I'm just trying to be cool
It's all because of you
Some fanatic attitude
We're both on

Open for business says it all, you can't go wrong
Compliments sound cynical where you're from
Tell me that you want me
Tell me that you want it all

Video version ending:

Oh, How I wish I knew
How I wish I knew you from before
Til I Die
Til I Die Til I Die
Love the avenues until the city unfolds
Do we ever know
Do we ever know what truth is?

How I wish I knew
How I wish i knew you from before
Til I die
Til I die, til I die
Til I die
I'm just a guest
And no this is last
No, no, no, no

Album and radio edit version ending:

Gruesome,
I don't care where you're from
Nothing's that personal
There is no physical evidence of cannibal boyfriend

Tell me that you want me
Tell me that you want it all
Why don't you tell me that you want me?
Tell me that you want it all

With repeated listens and reading through the lyrics, I've gained a whole new appreciation for this song. There's Dylan-esque couplets of images and ideas that are completely absurd, yet seem to make perfect sense. Then there's a real honest message from the band to their audience about their artist-fan relationship. The chorus:

Cool
I'm just trying to be cool
It's all because of you
Some fanatic attitude
We're both on

To me, Phoenix nailed this one. I'll fan the flames 'til my dying day.

YouTube Description:

Published on Jul 2, 2013
The new single "Trying to Be Cool" off the album Bankrupt! available now: http://smarturl.it/bankrupt. Directed by CANADA. Produced in conjunction with The Creators Project.

Catch Phoenix on tour: http://wearephoenix.com/tour/