On June 28, 2011, Cook released his second major-label studio album, entitled "This Loud Morning". Produced by Matt Serletic, the album consists of 14 tracks penned by Cook along with co-writers David Hodges, Ryan Tedder, Kevin Griffin and Marti Frederiksen, among others. The album title comes from a line in the song “Rapid Eye Movement” – “Give me one more quiet night, before this loud morning gets it right, and does me in.”
On May 10, 2012, Cook debuted a new, independently released single, The Last Song I’ll Write for You, on American Idol. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Cook denied this was written with his former record company in mind, despite the fact it was his first new song after losing his recording contract with RCA. He insisted it was a break-up song that came together very quickly.
Early Music Career: David Cook formed a band with his friend Bobby Kerr while at high school. The band was initially named Red Eye, later Axium. He wrote his first song titled “Red Hot” when he was fifteen. He was encouraged by Evan Sula-Goff of 8stops7 to make an album when he went to Cook’s school to judge a contest, Mr. Jaguar, where David Cook and his band performed Guns N’ Roses’ “Paradise City”. The band had some success when one of their songs, “Hold”, was selected to be played in movie theaters across the country, and they were named one of the top 15 independent bands in the country by “Got Milk?” contest as well as the best Kansas City band in 2004.
Axium however broke up in 2006 and David Cook moved to Tulsa where he joined Midwest Kings, a band he once opened for. Members of that band Andy Skib and Neal Tiemann later became part of David Cook’s post-Idol band The Anthemic. He recorded and self-released a solo album Analog Heart in 2006, which sold well regionally.He worked as a bartender prior to appearing on Idol.
In 2006, after obtaining a degree in graphic arts, Cook had to decide whether he wanted to be a musician or a graphic designer. “I gave myself every opportunity not to do music,” he says, “but it was always there. I couldn’t ignore it.” He moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was in the early stages of recording his second album when his younger brother Andrew asked Cook to accompany him to Omaha and lend moral support while he tried out for American Idol. Andrew didn’t make the cut, but he encouraged a very reluctant David to try out. After Cook made it through the early auditions, he reportedly told his brother he’d drop out if Andrew didn’t want him to go through with it. “He threatened to beat my ass if I didn’t, so it’s entirely his fault that all this happened to me,” Cook says with a smile.
One week after being declared the winner with a record-breaking 56 percent of the nearly 100 million votes cast, Cook rewrote chart history when 11 of his songs debuted on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart — the highest number of new entries in a single week by an artist since the Beatles in 1964. Topping the list was “The Time of My Life,” which debuted at No. 3, making it the highest new entry on the Hot 100 of 2008.
Cook’s self-titled major-label debut was released on November 18, 2008. His debut album was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association for America (RIAA) for sales exceeding one-million units in January 2009.
In January 2009, Cook announced he would be embarking on a national tour in February. The Declaration Tour began on February 13, 2009 in Tallahassee, Florida, and was originally set to end in Tulsa, Oklahoma on April 25, 2009. Due to strong ticket sales, the tour was extended several times, finally wrapping up on December 1, 2009 at The Fillmore in Charlotte, North Carolina, after 154 concerts in the U.S. and Canada. During 2009 Cook also took his show overseas to the Philippines, and performed for troops in Iraq with the USO.
On April 30, 2013, Cook released a new single, “Laying Me Low”, through XIX Recordings, the record label of American Idol creator Simon Fuller. The song was written by David Cook, Chris Reardon, and Andy Waldeck.
A Daily AntheM
David Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is temporary sanity, an exercise in vanity
So long to the ordinary day wrought with fictitious tales
Of how there's any other way
Hold on to anything at all
It's a long way down between the summer and the fall
If I told you that you're everything,
Would you sing along?
It's a daily anthem
Would you sing my song,
At the top of your lungs?
And we'll all sing along,
We'll all sing along
[Chorus]
It's a half-baked blessing
For the lessons I've learned,
Never deserved.
And we'll all sing along,
Oh we'll all sing along
Now the verses take hold,
A gentle undercurrent or more years to grow old
Say goodbye to the cold
And try to begin everything, there's life
As we sing your daily anthem,
Would you sing my song,
At the top of your lungs?
And we'll all sing along,
We'll all sing along
[Chorus]
The lyrics to David Cook's song A Daily AntheM seem to be a reflection on life and the search for meaning in it. The line "Break your neck for some substance" suggests that the person is willing to work hard and sacrifice to find something of value. The following line "This is temporary sanity, an exercise in vanity" suggests that the person is aware that what they are doing may not bring them lasting happiness, but they are doing it anyway. The line "So long to the ordinary day wrought with fictitious tales" suggests that the person is tired of the everyday routine and wants to break free from it.
The chorus of the song "It's a daily anthem, would you sing my song, at the top of your lungs?" highlights the need for a shared experience, for everyone to come together and connect through music. The line "It's a half-baked blessing for the lessons I've learned, never deserved" suggests that the person has been through difficult times and has learned from them, but they don't feel like they've earned the blessings they have received.
Line by Line Meaning
Break your neck for some substance
Push yourself to the limit to achieve something worthwhile
This is temporary sanity, an exercise in vanity
Doing something worthwhile sometimes equals temporary relief from our hectic lives which is sometimes a selfish pursuit
So long to the ordinary day wrought with fictitious tales
Goodbye to our everyday mundane lives filled with fabricated stories and nonsensical elements
Of how there's any other way
Of how things could be different than what we currently experience
Hold on to anything at all
Even the smallest things could give us hope
It's a long way down between the summer and the fall
The change of seasons is a difficult journey to go through
If I told you that you're everything,
If I revealed to you that you were essential to me,
Would you sing along?
Would you join me in celebrating the occasion?
It's a daily anthem
The song represents the struggles of everyday life
Would you sing my song,
Will you support my thoughts
At the top of your lungs?
With utmost energy and force
And we'll all sing along,
Let's all join in this song
It's a half-baked blessing
It is only partially a blessing
For the lessons I've learned,
For the lessons that have been gleaned from the struggle
Never deserved.
Not necessarily deserved in life
Now the verses take hold,
Now the song transitions to the verses where the true message lies
A gentle undercurrent or more years to grow old
A soft and unassuming theme that takes time to mature over the years
Say goodbye to the cold
Leave the harshness and bitterness of life behind
And try to begin everything, there's life
To start anew at every opportunity, to truly live
We'll all sing along,
Everyone is welcome to participate in the joy of music
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID COOK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind