While many of my songs are based directly on specific incidents, Cosmetic School Graduation is an exception. I have never fallen in love with anyone that cut my hair and I’ve never gone to a cosmetic school for a cheap haircut. I’ve had several real life experiences that were inspiration for this song. This is the story behind the song.
Over the years, there have been several occasions where I have gone to a restaurant and been waited on by an attractive waitress. I would remember this waitress and look forward to returning to that store again in hopes of seeing her again. It never fails that when I return, she is never there. It would be too much to expect to be waited on by her again, but she’s not even there. I’m thinking that it’s possible that I’ve returned on her day off. The next few trips are filled with anticipation. Maybe I’ll be lucky and see her again. But she’s never there. Never. Ever.
Now she’s gone.
My hair is long.
What can I do
but sing this song?
I couldn’t think of a way to turn that idea into a song about a waitress. I stumbled upon the idea of making the song about a guy trying to get cheap haircuts at a beauty school. The phrase that made it all come together was “Cosmetic School Graduation, now who will cut my hair?” I built the rest of the song around that phrase.
The guitar link that opens the song was the driving force behind the verses. If you listen closely to the verse you will notice there are two guitar links being play at the same time that blend nicely. And my favorite lyric of the song is “Now she’s gone. My hair is long. What can I do but sing this song?”
Once I knew I was going to release this song on an album, I decided that I needed to make a video for this song. It became a great excuse for goofing around town in a silly 1970’s wig. The day we filmed the shots for the video, I did wear the wig the entire afternoon.