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Phish first covered The Velvets' smutty jangle-rock "Cool It Down" during the performance of Loaded for their 1998 Halloween gig. The original is an understated, laid back rocker reminiscent of what the Stones would sound like a few years later; leave it to Lou Reed and the Velvets to be forever ahead of their time.

Watch Cool It Down on YouTube The Velvet Underground, “Cool It Down” from Loaded

Phish’s Halloween version cooled it down all right. After a fiery “Rock and Roll,” the audience was more than happy to be hosed off with the loping spray of this tune. It rocks, but at a very casual pace and energy level. It sashays. It shuffles. It’s a head-bobber. The band was unafraid to put their feet up on the coffee table with this one, stretching it out to just over seven minutes – more than twice the length of the original. Much of this overage can be attributed to the exceedingly laid back approach Phish took, extending the song’s middle instrumental section to sweat maximum groove out of its pores.

The band's clear appreciation and respect for Loaded lives on, as more than half of the album's songs have been performed subsequent to the full cover on 10/31/98: “Rock and Roll,” “Lonesome Cowboy Bill,” "Oh! Sweet Nuthin'," “Sweet Jane,” “Head Held High,” and "Cool It Down." 

"Cool It Down" has been played during incredibly strong sets: 10/31/98 (Live Phish 16); 9/24/00 (preceding the set-closing “Bowie”); 7/29/03 (a classic performance chock-full of both rarities and soaring jams); and 11/28/09 (follows a blistering "Seven Below" > "Ghost" combo). This streak was broken during its performance in a rather tepid first set on 12/27/10 in Worcester, though returned to form during excellent gigs on 6/28/12 at Deer Creek and on 8/15/12 in Long Beach, Phish’s final performance of the song to date.

Watch Cool It Down on YouTube Phish, “Cool It Down” – 8/15/12, Long Beach, CA

(Reed)
© Oakfield Avenue Music LTD (BMI)

Somebody took the papers
And somebody's got the key
And somebody nailed the door shut
That says hey what you think that you see
But me l'm down around the corner
You know I'm lookin' for Miss Linda Lee
Because she's got the power to love me by the hour
Gives me double you L-O-V-E

Hey baby if you want it so fast
Don't you know that it ain't gonna last
Of course you know it makes no difference to me

Somebody's got the time time
Somebody's got the right
All of the other people
Tryin' to use up the night
But now me l'm out on the corner
You know I'm lookin' for Miss Linda Lee
Because she's got the power to love me by the hour
Gives me double you L-O-V-E

Ooh if you want it to last
Don't you know honey you can get it so fast
But of course you know it makes no difference to me

Oh oh oh you'd better cool it down
You know you'd better cool it down
You know you'd better cool it down
You know you'd better cool it down

Oh hey if you want it so fast
Now lookie baby don't you want it to last
But of course you know that it makes no difference to me
Oh you'd better cool it down
You know you'd better cool it down
You know you'd better cool it down