Cold Dark World

"Cold Dark World"
Album track by Weezer
Album	Weezer (The Red Album)
Released	June 3, 2008
Recorded	July-October 2007
Length	3:51
Label	Geffen
Writer(s)	Rivers Cuomo/Scott Shriner
Producer(s)	Weezer
Status	Officially released
Stream	Spotify
	Apple Music
Weezer (The Red Album) track listing

I'm no six-foot, hot-look, all-American man
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"Cold Dark World" is the eighth track off of The Red Album.

Appearances

Weezer (The Red Album) (2008)
iTunes Pass: The Weezer Raditude Club (2009)

Overview

"Cold Dark World" originated from a bass riff written by Scott Shriner, originally used as a warm-up exercise. The riff was expanded upon during sessions for the band's 2008 self-titled "Red Album". Rivers Cuomo expanded upon the song and arrangement. Cuomo's lyrics were originally written to sound more "upbeat", but combined with the music of the song, the end result came out more "sinister" feeling.

The lead vocal on the song is handled by Shriner, marking his lead vocal debut on a Weezer album. Cuomo has attempted the lead vocal as well, a fact which was not known until a mix of the song with Cuomo's lead vocals was released in October 2009 exclusively through the "iTunes Pass" version of Raditude.

Liner notes

Rivers:Was there a particular thing you were feeling when you came up with that music for Cold Dark World? Or was it just one of those random things?
Scott: No, it's just basically kind of frustrated and down. You know what I mean. So it's more of a vent kind of thing. It's funny because I wrote the music it was a little bit of a dark kind of thing. The other guys helped out with the parts which are really great and then I gave it to Rivers. And he had gotten some lyrics ready beforehand.
Rivers: Yeah, my lyrics weren't dark or creepy originally. It was a song about love and devotion in the style of Bow Wow "Let Me Hold You." But when we mashed it up with Scott's really dark music the lyrics took on a really sinister overtone. Scott: It was a song that started with a bass stuff that I like to play by myself. we set out to co-write a song and give it to rivers so I wrote some music at my house, brought it to these guys I didn't really think it was gonna go anywhere but they really latched onto it and made it make sense and make great music with it. I gave it to River's and he got really excited about it and he wrote the lyrics to it.
Rivers: I had some really happy lovey type of lyrics and I just mashed them into his really dark music and it became something very sinister and cool and weird. Scott: Which I'm very happy about. Rivers: So that's a lot of the way we work together in the studio is that we come from these extreme different places and we come together and it turns into something else it's probably something cooler. Scott: Better than the individual effort. That such 4 different people that like 4 kinds of music...look different everything about them but it makes a sound that is recognizable and great.

— Weezer (The Red Album) liner notes

Personnel

Rivers Cuomo – lead guitar, backup vocals
Patrick Wilson – percussion
Brian Bell – rhythm guitar, backup vocals
Scott Shriner - bass guitar, lead vocals

Audio

Album version

YouTube (North America)
YouTube (International)

Lyrics

I've been watchin' you, girl, from the back of my car
I see you unsure of the place that you are
Groceries spillin' up out of your bag
Thinkin' you’ll end up a penniless hag
But I see the girl that you are deep inside
Won't you allow me to give you a ride
I can console you and give you kiss
Show you that you can do better than this

Angel girl in a cold dark world
I'm gonna be your man
Angel girl in a cold dark world
I'll make you understand

I know you're thinkin' I'm trying to score
But deep in your heart you know that I'm more
Than a cad or a scoundrel, now that I've found you
I don't want to lose you, how can I prove to you
That I am sincere, you don't need to fear
I'm not like the others, I'll be like a brother
I will protect you, never disrespect you
But if you need love then I'll be here to sex you

Angel girl in a cold dark world
I'm gonna be your man (I'm gonna be there)
Angel girl in a cold dark world
I'll make you understand

It might take a while to get with the style
Of life at the end of the miracle mile
But you're gonna love the rising above
All the trash that is sweeping you under the rug

I'm gonna be there

Angel girl in a cold dark world
I'm gonna be your man (I'm gonna be there)
Angel girl in a cold dark world
I'll make you understand (I'm gonna be there)
Angel girl, angel girl
I'm gonna be your man (Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Angel girl, angel girl
I'll make you understand

Known recordings

*about this table*
Performer(s)	Title	Filename	Date of recording	Recording location	Length	Appeared on	Notes
Weezer	Cold Dark World		2007	Shangri La Studios, Malibu, CA Malibu Performing Arts Center, Malibu, CA Threshold Studios, Santa Monica, CA	3:52	iTunes Pass: The Weezer Raditude Club	Rivers Cuomo on lead vocals
Weezer	Cold Dark World		2007	Shangri La Studios, Malibu, CA Malibu Performing Arts Center, Malibu, CA Threshold Studios, Santa Monica, CA	3:51	Weezer (The Red Album)