His first album featured a recording of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", which brought him to near-instant stardom. The song reached number one in the UK in 1968, became a staple of his many live shows (Woodstock and the Isle of Wight in 1969, the Party at the Palace in 2002) and was also known as the theme song for the late 1980s American TV series The Wonder Years. He continued his success with his second album, which included a second Beatles song: "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window". A hastily thrown together 1970 US tour led to the live double-album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, which featured an all-star band organized by Leon Russell. His 1974 recording of "You Are So Beautiful" reached number five in the US, and became his signature song. Cocker's best selling song was the US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that earned a 1983 Grammy Award. He released a total of 22 studio albums over a 43-year recording career.
In 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male. He was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown in 2007, and received an OBE the following year for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Cocker
Studio albums
With a Little Help from My Friends (1969)
Joe Cocker! (1969)
Joe Cocker (1972/EU: 1973)
I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)
Jamaica Say You Will (1975)
Stingray (1976)
Luxury You Can Afford (1978)
Sheffield Steel (1982)
Civilized Man (1984)
Cocker (1986)
Unchain My Heart (1987)
One Night of Sin (1989)
Night Calls (1991/US: 1992)
Have a Little Faith (1994)
Organic (1996)
Across from Midnight (1997)
No Ordinary World (1999/US: 2000)
Respect Yourself (2002)
Heart & Soul (2004/US: 2005)
Hymn for My Soul (2007/US: 2008)
Hard Knocks (2010/US: 2012)
Fire It Up (2012)
Feelin' Alright
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every night I have the strangest dreams
Imprisoned by the way it could have been
Left here on my own or so it seems
I got to leave before I start to scream
'Cause someone locked the door and took the key
You feelin' alright?
I'm not feelin' too good myself
Yes, you feelin' alright?
I'm not feelin' that good myself
Boy you sure took me for one big ride
And even now I sit and I wonder why
That when I think of you I start myself to cry out
I just can't waste my time, I must keep dry
Gotta stop believin' in all your lies
'Cause there's too much to do before I die, hey
You feelin' alright?
I'm not feelin' too good myself
You feelin' alright?
I'm not feelin' too good, little girl
Don't get too lost in all I say
Yeah by the time I really felt that way
But that was then, and now you know it's today
I can't get off, I guess I'm here to stay
'Til someone comes along and takes my place, yeah
With a different name, oh, and a different face
You feelin' alright?
I'm not feelin' that good myself
You feelin' alright?
Hey, not feeling that good myself
Woah, not feelin' alright
Yeah, not feelin' that good myself
Oh, woah, I'm not, well I'm not feelin' good myself
You can turn away, feelin' alright I'm not feeling too good myself
Joe Cocker's song Feelin' Alright is a reflection of the singer's desire for change and escape from his current feelings of entrapment, as well as his realization that he must let go of the lies that someone has been telling him. The song begins with Cocker expressing his need for a change of scene and desperate desire to break free from his current situation. He feels imprisoned by the possibility of what could have been and is left to his own devices, feeling trapped with no way out. He knows he must leave before he loses his mind as he feels as though someone has deliberately locked him in and taken away his freedom.
As the song progresses, Cocker demonstrates his emotional vulnerability and the pain he has endured from someone he truly believed in. He acknowledges how this person took him on a ride and now he is left questioning why he fell for their lies. He recognizes that he cannot waste any more time and must stop believing in the falsehoods he was fed. He needs to focus on what he has to accomplish before he dies. The chorus line, "You feeling alright? I'm not feeling too good myself," emphasizes the idea that he needs someone to acknowledge his state of mind as he is not doing well himself. Cocker further states that he hopes the person listening to him does not get lost in all he is saying and should recognize that he has grown and changed since the time he fell for their lies. Despite feeling stuck in his current situation, he hopes that someone comes along who can take his place and brings a different perspective with a different name and a different face.
Line by Line Meaning
Seems I got to have a change of scene
I feel like I need to make a change in my life, like I need to escape from my current situation.
Every night I have the strangest dreams
I constantly have strange and unsettling dreams that keep me from getting a good night's sleep.
Imprisoned by the way it could have been
I feel trapped and held back by the way my life could have been if things had gone differently.
Left here on my own or so it seems
I feel abandoned and alone, like I have to face my troubles on my own with no help.
I got to leave before I start to scream
I have to get out of this place before I lose control and start screaming out of frustration and despair.
'Cause someone locked the door and took the key
I feel like someone has locked me into this situation and taken away my ability to escape it.
You feelin' alright?
A rhetorical question asking if the listener is doing okay emotionally or mentally.
I'm not feelin' too good myself
I am admitting that I am not doing well emotionally or mentally.
Boy you sure took me for one big ride
You took advantage of me and my trust, and it hurt me deeply.
And even now I sit and I wonder why
Even after all this time, I still don't understand how you could hurt me like you did.
That when I think of you I start myself to cry out
You have hurt me so much that even just thinking of you causes me intense emotional pain.
I just can't waste my time, I must keep dry
I can't waste any more time or emotion on you, I must remain rational and try to move on.
Gotta stop believin' in all your lies
I need to stop believing in the false promises and lies that you told me in order to move on with my life.
'Cause there's too much to do before I die, hey
I have too much to accomplish in my life, and I can't let you and your lies hold me back from achieving my goals.
Don't get too lost in all I say
Don't take everything I say too seriously, as I am still trying to sort through my emotions and figure out what I want.
Yeah by the time I really felt that way
In the past, I had strong feelings for you, but now my emotions have changed.
But that was then, and now you know it's today
I can't keep living in the past, and now I need to focus on the present moment and moving forward with my life.
I can't get off, I guess I'm here to stay
I can't escape from my current situation, and I feel trapped here with no way out.
'Til someone comes along and takes my place, yeah
I hope that someday someone else will come into my life and take your place as someone I care about and can trust.
With a different name, oh, and a different face
I hope that someday someone else will come into my life with a completely different personality and set of qualities from yours.
Woah, not feelin' alright
I am still struggling and not doing okay emotionally or mentally.
Hey, not feeling that good myself
I am admitting that I am still struggling and not doing well emotionally or mentally.
You can turn away, feelin' alright I'm not feeling too good myself
You can choose to ignore my struggles and problems, but the truth is that I am still not doing okay emotionally or mentally.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dave Mason
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind