He is the first drummer to unseat Buddy Rich in the Down Beat music polls.
Cobham has played and recorded with hundreds of top musicians, including Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Larry Coryell, and Horace Silver; and is famous for his explosive, fast, spectacular playing.
He has been sampled, most famously by Massive Attack in their tune “Safe from Harm”, centered on the beat and bassline of Cobham’s “Stratus”, from his debut album Spectrum, as well as on Souls of Mischief’s “93 Til Infinity” from the song “Heather” on his album “Crosswinds.”
Fans of Cobham’s should check out the “Spectrum” lp featuring Tommy Bolin (of Deep Purple, James Gang and Zephyr fame) on lead guitar.
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Billy Cobham Lyrics
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Glass Houses
Through The Long Night -- Billy Joel
The cold hands
The sad eyes
The dark Irish silence
It's so late
But I'll wait
With you
The warm tears
The bad dreams
The soft trembling shoulders
The old fears
But I'm here
Through the long night with you
With you
Oh, what has it cost you
I almost lost you
A long, long time ago
Oh, you should have told me
But you had to bleed to know
All your past sins
Are since past
You should be sleeping
It's all right
Sleep tight
Through the long night with me
With me
No, I didn't start it
You're broken hearted
>From a long, long time ago
Oh, the way you hold me
Is all that I need to know
And it's so late
But I'll wait
Through the long night with you
With you
The lyrics to Billy Joel's "Through The Long Night" express love and support through hardship, with the singer addressing a loved one who is clearly struggling emotionally. The cold hands and sad eyes suggest a kind of despair or depression, which is further represented by the "dark Irish silence." Despite the late hour, the singer promises to stay with this person through whatever difficulties they may be facing - the warm tears, bad dreams, trembling shoulders, and old fears. The lines "Oh, what has it cost you / I almost lost you / A long, long time ago / Oh, you should have told me / But you had to bleed to know" suggest past traumas that are now coming to the surface, and that the singer was unaware of until recently.
The lyrics convey a sense of emotional maturity and understanding, with the singer acknowledging and accepting the other person's past sins, and reassuring them that they should be sleeping and that everything is alright. The line "No, I didn't start it / You're broken hearted / From a long, long time ago" also suggests that some of this pain is rooted deep in the past, and that the singer is willing to help this person heal from it.
Line by Line Meaning
The cold hands
Starting the song by talking about physical features that represent distant emotion
The sad eyes
Describing the sorrow-filled look in the eyes of the subject of the song
The dark Irish silence
Pointing to the somber Irish heritage that cloaks the song's atmosphere
It's so late
Acknowledging that the night has been long already
But I'll wait
Despite the hour, the artist will stay with the subject of the song
Through the long night with you
Staying loyal and by the side of the sorrowful subject through the entire evening and its emotions
The warm tears
Bringing attention to the emotional outpouring of tears
The bad dreams
Speaking of nightmares that seem all too real
The soft trembling shoulders
Watching the shaking of soft, vulnerable shoulders
The old fears
Reminding the subject of the song's past fears
But I'm here
Letting the subject know that they're not alone and that the singer is present for them
Oh, what has it cost you
Reflecting on the price that has been paid for the problems at hand
I almost lost you
Detailing past experiences that nearly caused the loss of the subject of the song
A long, long time ago
Accentuating how far in the past the problems go
Oh, you should have told me
Expressing the desire that the subject of the song had opened up earlier
But you had to bleed to know
Implying that some experiences are learned through pain and hardship
All your past sins
Referring to the transgressions of the past of the subject of the song
Are since past
Affirming that the past mistakes are now over
You should be sleeping
Encouraging to leave the turmoil of the day behind and rest
It's all right
Giving assurance that despite the previous problems, everything is okay now
Sleep tight
Wishing the subject of the song a good night's rest
Through the long night with me
Offering companionship through the remaining hours of the night
No, I didn't start it
Wanting to set the record straight that the singer is not the cause of the subject's problems
You're broken-hearted
Stating that the subject of the song is carrying a broken heart
From a long, long time ago
Emphasizing the idea that the past still lingers and brings heartache today
Oh, the way you hold me
Noticing the way the subject is holding on tightly to the singer
Is all that I need to know
Not requiring an explanation for the tight embrace - it is enough to see the affection
And it's so late
The hour is getting later
But I'll wait
Staying put despite the advancement of time
Through the long night with you
Ending the song as it began, with a vow to stay with the subject of the song through the entire long night
Contributed by Alex S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.