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.
Happy Together
David Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it's only right
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
So happy together
If I should call you up, invest a dime
Imagine how the world could be, so very fine
So happy together
I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life
Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together
I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life
Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together
Ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba
Ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba
Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be
The only one for me is you, and you for me
So happy together
So happy together
How is the weather
So happy together
We're happy together
So happy together
Happy together
So happy together
So happy together (ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba)
David Cook's version of "Happy Together" is a cover of the 1967 hit song by The Turtles. The song is a classic representation of the romantic ideas and principles of the 60s. The person singing the song, probably male, imagines a girl whom he thinks about day and night. He believes in the idea of being together with the girl he loves, holding her tight and being happy together. When he calls her, he hopes to hear that she belongs to him and invests a dime, which would ease his mind. The song suggests that the world would be a better place if they could be together, as he can only imagine loving her for "all his life" and making blue skies for her.
The chorus talks about how the two of them are meant to be together, no matter what "dice" or fate throws at them; they will always choose each other. The final verse repeats this logic, emphasizing the point that the girl is the only one for him, and he’s the only one for her. The song is a fun and uplifting tune, perfect for karaoke, with its catchy "Ba-ba-ba-ba" parts, making it memorable for anyone listening.
Line by Line Meaning
Imagine me and you, I do
I constantly think about you in my daydreams and imagine us together
I think about you day and night, it's only right
It's natural for me to think about you all the time because of the strong connection I feel towards you
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
It's important to cherish and hold closely the person you love in order to maintain a happy relationship
So happy together
Being in love and close with the one you care for can bring great joy and happiness
If I should call you up, invest a dime
If I were to call you and pay for the call, payphone style
And you say you belong to me and ease my mind
If you would reassure me that you belong with me and make me feel at ease
Imagine how the world could be, so very fine
It's easy for me to imagine how wonderful life could be if we were together
I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
I'm so deeply in love with you that I can't fathom being with anyone else
For all my life
I plan on loving and being with you for the rest of my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
Your presence brings so much joy that everything around me seems brighter and happier
Me and you and you and me
Both of us together, our love being reciprocal
No matter how they toss the dice, it has to be
Regardless of any obstacles or challenges that we face, our love will always endure
The only one for me is you, and you for me
We are soulmates and there is no one else in the world that could make us as happy as we make each other
Ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba
Vocalizing at the end of the song
How is the weather
A funny question to ask at the end of the song as a way of expressing the pure bliss that the couple in the song is experiencing
We're happy together
Reiterating that the couple in the song is incredibly happy and enjoying life with each other
Happy together
Overall message of the song, that being together with someone you love can bring great happiness and joy
So happy together
Repeating the message, emphasizing the joy that love can bring
(ba-ba-ba-ba ba-ba-ba-ba)
Continued vocalizing at the end of the song
Contributed by Mila O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matt
I am legitimately blown away by the quality of this video. Like holy crap. Well done!
Jordan Polino
David Cook's version of this song is way better than Simple Plan by far! Simple Plan sounds like they are singing it on speed! David Cook soulfully ROCKs this tune out plus they all have to make their songs shorter than the originals for the show! David Cook was is my favorite contestant of all to date! I voted for David Cook every week & HE WON American Idol Season 7 by 12 million VOTES! He is the most brilliant singer/songwriter to Grace the stage of American Idol!
North 6ix
I NEED to hear him sing "I'll be".
Sissi Pereira
I love him!
angelangiekc
Can't believe it's been 11 years. YEESH!
AstriaICOW
I like how Simon was going like: "hmmmm that was weird... I can't put my finger on it..." which is typical DC throughout the season, no one can touch him :P
matkojapan
Great quality!! Thanks!!
Kostas
You know you're good when Simon tries really hard to say something negative, like "Wordy"
likeyournails
I love that song
Art Raleigh
Damn 2008 seems like 4 years ago