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.
lookin for a home
Al Kooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I couldn't find a home
And I didn't have no, no way to roam
Oh won't somebody hear me, hear me
Come on, hear me at all
Help me, please
I'm just a lonely boy
I need you so much, darling
Yeah, I've been wandering
Wandering for such a long, long time
Won't somebody
Please give me peace of mind
Won't somebody hear me at all
Hear me at all, set me free
I'm just a lonely boy
I ain't got no home
I got no sail, darling, yes
Can't you hear me cry
The lyrics to Al Kooper's song "Lookin' for a Home" tell the story of a person who is lost and searching for a place to belong. The opening line "I was lost by the river" sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer conveys a sense of hopelessness and displacement. The repeated refrain "I ain't got no home" underscores the theme of rootlessness and the longing for a sense of belonging.
Throughout the song, the singer is pleading with someone to listen to him and help him find his way. "Oh won't somebody hear me, hear me," he implores, "Help me, please, I'm just a lonely boy." These lines convey the desperation of the singer's situation, as he feels isolated and abandoned.
The line "I need you so much, darling" suggests that the singer is not just looking for a physical home, but also a sense of emotional connection. He is searching for someone to love and care for him, and in the absence of that connection, he feels lost and adrift.
Overall, the lyrics to "Lookin' for a Home" are a poignant reflection on the human need for a sense of belonging and connection. The singer's plea for someone to hear him and help him find his way is a universal sentiment that speaks to the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
I was lost by the river
I found myself stranded by the river, not knowing where to go.
And I couldn't find a home
Despite my search, I was unable to find a place to call my own.
And I didn't have no, no way to roam
With no direction or purpose, I felt aimless and trapped.
Oh won't somebody hear me, hear me
I am pleading for someone to listen to me, to understand my pain and isolation.
Come on, hear me at all
I am desperate for any kind of attention or recognition of my existence.
Help me, please
I am in dire need of assistance and support from someone.
I'm just a lonely boy
Despite my age, I am still in need of love, care, and companionship.
I ain't got no home
I have no place of belonging or safety to call my own.
I need you so much, darling
I am yearning for someone to be there for me, to offer me love and understanding.
Yeah, I've been wandering
I have been aimlessly moving from place to place, searching for a sense of purpose and belonging.
Wandering for such a long, long time
My search for a home and a sense of self has been going on for an extensive period of time.
Won't somebody please give me peace of mind
I am asking for someone to help me find inner tranquility and freedom from my worries and anxieties.
Won't somebody hear me at all
I am pleading for someone to listen to me, to understand my pain and isolation.
Hear me at all, set me free
I am asking for someone to show me empathy and compassion, to help me be released from my inner struggles and pain.
I got no sail, darling, yes
I am feeling powerless and hopeless, lacking any form of guidance or support.
Can't you hear me cry
I am crying out for help, hoping someone will hear and respond with kindness and understanding.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD FOREHAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
johnny zell
I was lost by the river
And I couldn't find a home
And I didn't have no, no way to roam
Oh won't somebody hear me, hear me
Come on, hear me at all
Help me, please
I'm just a lonely boy
I ain't got no home
I need you so much, darling
Yeah, I've been wandering
Wandering for such a long, long time
Won't somebody
Please give me peace of mind
Won't somebody hear me at all
Hear me at all, set me free
I'm just a lonely boy
I ain't got no home
I got no sail, darling, yes
Can't you hear me cry
Maurice Rogerson
I never heard this before. I thought I knew something about music, but WOW! This is some of the best music I've EVER heard.
Jeffrey R.
What a stellar pairing! Al Kooper was one of the most brilliant session musicians during the 60s.
Alena Trotman
The fact that Shuggie Otis was only 15 years old when he did this project us mind blowing. The genius that was “Strawberry Letter 23” made so much sense after I learned that… talk about gifted from birth.
Miguel Angel Zozaya
Great, beautiful, huge..... so much heart and feeling in this song..... fabulous guitar solo with such basic, unprocessed sound........ a jewel
Nacho Harris
I love that final guitar solo
pisto lero
one of the best solo guitar i've ever heared even if i'm a hendrix fan
William Don
I think shugie otis was 15/16 years old at time of recording this
Joshua Scoleri
Yeah he was 15 years old when he created this solo
Green Manalishi
Sounds like he played on a strat
Johnatan Montilla Carreño
people taled that thoose days Shuggie Otis was 16 years old!