Great Singles That Never Were... Cobra Starship's "Hot Mess"

     Ever since jumping onto the scene with the main track for Snakes on a Plane, Cobra Starship have been a major staple in my music intake. Following their debut, the band released one of my favorite albums ever, Viva La Cobra!, which featured a unique, edgy sound that I had never really heard before. The band followed that release with two more albums, Hot Mess and the recent Night Shades. While Night Shades might have been their weakest effort to date, all other albums were creative successes including Hot Mess which saw the release of only two singles unfortunately. If a third was serviced, what should it have been?

     

     Lead single, “Good Girl Go Bad” featuring Leighton Meester, was a sleeper hit, peaking in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming the group’s highest charting single to date. Cobra Starship followed its success by releasing the title track as the album’s second single where it peaked at number 64. Decent choice, but not the best. If it was up to me, “You’re Not In On the Joke”, would have been chosen to follow its predecessors. The track reminds me of the group’s earlier work, would have been a perfect fit on Viva La Cobra, but still contained a modern, rock/pop vibe. The song was loud, the unexpected screamo/death metal portion towards the end was an amazing touch. I feel the track would have been a success in one form or another.

     My favorite aspect of the track is the songwriting. The lyrics told a portion of my life. “I got my picture in the paper and my parents were proud”, a sarcastic remark where parents love to bathe in the success of their own kids. The entire track is a back handed slap to all those who are around you just because you are famous or successful. It is hilarious to think of the people who thought you were their friend. Too bad you never really liked them. Throw in lyrics about Saporta’s ass and you have a song I have never skipped over. The essence of Cobra Starship rolled into four minutes.

     Or if the group wanted to gives their fans something different, “Fold Your Hands Child” would have been the perfect offering. Those familiar with Cobra Starship would know they tend to release fast-paced pop/punk rock/dance track as their official singles, but this rare moment slowed things down a bit and focused on Saporta’s sexy vocals. I could listen to them for days. Instead of discussing partying and passing out, the song takes on more of a serious tone about love and affection. “When I was around, I was the only one protecting you,” Saporta sings. Can he sing that to me please?

     As time goes by, everything changes, but the love you have for someone will always remain the same. To me, that was the message the song was trying to convey. The track could have been a single, brought in an entirely new audience and done okay on the charts, better than “Hot Mess” for sure. I am all for a group reinventing their sound. I have seen Cobra Starship do it over the course of their four albums, but I fear, with their last release, they have completely forgotten what made them popular in the first place. “Fold Your Hands Child” could have been the perfect thing to remind them. A beautiful track forgotten in between the two singles. 

     If neither was chosen as the album’s third single, then the only other safe option would have been “Living in theSky With Diamonds”, which I think was actually serviced to radio in some countries. Like “Fold Your Hands Child”, the song is on the slower, serious side, but still retains the true sound of the band.