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.
The Warning
Al Kooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Elijah told ‘em on the mountainside
Enoch told ‘em in the valleys too
A man is comin who will turn the tide
A man disguised as me & you
Someone’s on the cross again
One time ‘round was bad enough
Do we have to do it twice?
And rumor has it that the Holy Man
Healed the sick with gentle words he said
And caused confusion in the Holy Land
Until the only word left was dead
Someone’s on the cross again
Someone’s throwin dice
One time ‘round was bad enough
Do we have to do it twice?
So help your brother when he reaches out
Ya know he'd rise up if he only could
Let him whisper don't ya make him shout
Ya know he’s standin’ where the Saviour stood
Someone’s on the cross again
Someone’s throwin dice
One time ‘round was bad enough
Do we have to do it twice?
Someone’s on the cross again
Do we have to do it twice?
In Al Kooper's song 'The Warning', he makes a reference to Biblical figures Elijah and Enoch, who prophesied the coming of a man who will "turn the tide". Kooper suggests that this man is "disguised as me and you", alluding to the idea that anyone could be this figure. The lyrics then turn to a more somber tone, as Kooper mentions the crucifixion, with someone on the cross again, and someone throwing dice. He questions whether this needs to happen twice and it is clear that he is suggesting that the crucifixion was a tragedy that should not be repeated.
The song then switches to a message of compassion and empathy, with Kooper urging listeners to help their fellow humans, the ones who are standing in the same position as the Savior stood. This act of kindness and compassion could prevent the repetition of a tragedy like the crucifixion. The lyrics are thought-provoking and encourage the listener to consider their actions and the impact they have on others, as well as the wider world around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Elijah told ‘em on the mountainside
Elijah warned people on the mountain about a possibly dangerous situation
Enoch told ‘em in the valleys too
Enoch warned people in the valleys about a possibly dangerous situation
A man is comin who will turn the tide
A person is coming who will change the course of events
A man disguised as me & you
The person will appear as an average person, like you and me
Someone’s on the cross again
Someone is being crucified again
Someone’s throwin dice
People are gambling with someone's life
One time ‘round was bad enough
One occurrence of this was already terrible
Do we have to do it twice?
Do we really have to go through it again?
And rumor has it that the Holy Man
There is a rumor that the Holy Man did something unusual
Healed the sick with gentle words he said
The Holy Man cured sick people with his kind words
And caused confusion in the Holy Land
His actions caused chaos in the region considered holy
Until the only word left was dead
His actions resulted in death becoming the only thing left
So help your brother when he reaches out
If your brother needs help, offer your aid
Ya know he'd rise up if he only could
If he could, he would reciprocate your help
Let him whisper don't ya make him shout
If he whispers, listen and don't force him to shout
Ya know he’s standin’ where the Saviour stood
He is in the position that the Savior was in
Contributed by Elena W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.