Paula Cole

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Paula Cole in 2013

One of the more prominent female singer-song writers who gained popularity during The Nineties, Paula Cole is probably best known for the song "Where Have All the Cowboys Gone" and the song which would become the theme to Dawson's Creek. Her songs are musically lush, but tends towards lyrically bleak with a dark bent.

Born in Rockport, Massachusetts to Stephanie, a visual artist, and Jim Cole, a polka-playing entomologist. She has a sister named Irene. She lived in Rockport with her parents, where she attended elementary school. She was an active and popular student in middle school and high school, holding offices as class president and student council member. This would become important later.

Political with an overtly leftist bent (except on her Grammy-winning second album, which largely avoids political tropes), many of Cole's songs deal explicitly with such topics as feminism, racism and discrimination, and more general themes of social justice. Your Mileage May Vary as to how well she pulls this off, with results ranging from impressive to Anvilicious (and this is if you are in general agreement with her politics).

Discography:
  • Harbinger (1994)
  • This Fire (1996)
  • Amen (1999)
  • Greatest Hits: Postcards from East Oceanside (2006)
  • Courage (2007)
  • Ithaca (2010)
  • Raven (2013)
  • 7 (2015)
  • This Bright Red Feeling (2016 - live album)
  • Ballads (2017)
  • Revolution (2019)
  • American Quilt (2021)
Paula Cole provides examples of the following tropes: