His first musical success was as a 14-year-old guitarist in the Royal Teens, best known for their novelty blues riff, "Short Shorts". In 1960, he joined the song-writing team of Bob Brass and Irwin Levine, who wrote the hit, "This Diamond Ring", for Gary Lewis and the Playboys. When he was 21, he moved to Greenwich Village.
He performed with Bob Dylan in concert in 1965 and in the studio in 1965 and 1966, including playing Hammond organ with Dylan at the (in)famous Newport Folk Festival of 1965. He worked extensively with Mike Bloomfield for a number of years after the two met as studio musicians on Dylan's legendary Highway 61 Revisited album.
In 1965, he co-formed The Blues Project and played their most famous gig at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. He formed Blood, Sweat & Tears in the same year, leaving after the group's first album, Child is Father to the Man, in 1968.
Kooper played on hundreds of records, including The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, The Who and Cream. On occasion, he has even overdubbed on his own efforts, as on The Live Adventures Of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper album, as Roosevelt Gook. He discovered the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and produced their first three albums, including the single Sweet Home Alabama. Kooper also wrote the score for the TV series, Crime Story, and has also written music for several made-for-television movies. Kooper also produced a now rare album by a group called Appaloosa.
Al Kooper has published a memoir, Backstage Passes: Rock 'n' Roll Life In The Sixties (1977), now available in revised form as Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor 2007
Kooper currently teaches songwriting and production at Berklee College of Music in Boston and plays weekend concerts with his band Jimmy Vivino and The ReKooperators.
Hey Jude
Al Kooper Lyrics
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Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder
Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better
So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you'll begin to make it
Better better better better better better, oh
Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude
The song "Hey Jude" by the Beatles is believed to be a comfort song to John Lennon's son Julian after his parent's divorce. Al Kooper's interpretation of Hey Jude is a simple message asking a friend not to make their life miserable. The lyric "Take a sad song and make it better," is a soothing message of encouragement to his friend to try to improve their life despite any negativity that might have occurred in their life. "Remember to let her into your heart," gives the indication that the friend's relationship with a woman is assumed to be the cause of their bad mood, and Kooper is advising his friend to open up and express their feelings for that woman. He assures his friend not to be afraid, as their destiny lies in their own hands. The song tries to relieve any weight of responsibility and negative feeling from Kooper's friend.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Don't let the situation become negative
Take a sad song and make it better
With the right perspective and attitude, things can improve
Remember to let her into your heart
Be open and vulnerable towards the person you care for
Then you can start to make it better
When you let someone into your heart, healing can begin
Hey Jude, don't be afraid
Don't let fear hold you back
You were made to go out and get her
You have the ability to pursue the person you desire
The minute you let her under your skin
When you allow someone in emotionally, a deeper connection can form
Then you begin to make it better
This relationship can be a source of joy and growth
And anytime you feel the pain, hey Jude, refrain
If something causes you pain, take a step back
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
Don't let the weight of everything burden you
For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
Pretending like everything is okay when it's not is not wise
By making his world a little colder
Ignoring your emotions can lead to shutting people out
Hey Jude, don't let me down
Don't disappoint the people who believe in you
You have found her, now go and get her
If you have found love, don't be complacent, make it grow
So let it out and let it in, hey Jude, begin
Be honest with yourself and others about your feelings
You're waiting for someone to perform with
You are looking for someone to share your life with
And don't you know that it's just you, hey Jude, you'll do
You are capable of finding happiness on your own
The movement you need is on your shoulder
The power to change lies within yourself
Better better better better better better, oh
Things will keep improving when you have love and support
Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude
A call to action and encouragement to find happiness and love
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind