You probably needed to hear “You Were Cool” at some point in your life and it’s here for the memory of who you were.

Track: “You Were Cool”
Album: Unreleased

If you’ve been to a live show in the last ten years or so the odds are good you’ve heard “You Were Cool.” It may be the most “famous” live-only song the band has these days, surpassing the early mystique of “You’re in Maya” or other now-very-weird jams. It’s one of the most written about Mountain Goats songs and absolutely a fan favorite.

All that said, even still, it speaks for itself. It’s hard, I think, to argue with the message and it’s harder still to miss it. This is a sister song to “Amy AKA Spent Gladiator 1” and a dozen other Goats songs about surviving the difficulty of being different at a young age and emerging, if not stronger for the experience, at least alive. It’s a particularly strong message that will hit you differently depending on your age and your circumstances. It’s powerful to read the comments on this one no matter the version you find. Go to a show and hear it, too, but especially take it to heart. Look for an ally and just stay alive.