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.
Music of the Night
David Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defences...
Softly, gently, night unfurls it's splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day,
And listen to the music of the night
Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world!
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!
Let your soul take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me...
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation!
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night...
Of the night...
You alone can make my song take flight
help me make the music of the night...
The lyrics of David Cook's song 'The Music of the Night' conveys a sense of escapism from the harsh reality of the outside world, as the night seizes the senses and the imagination runs free. The dark and quiet night allows us to be more vulnerable, making it easier to feel the tender and delicate aspects of life. The line 'turn your face away from the garish light of day' implies that the day is noisy and chaotic, urging us to escape to the quietness of the night. The song takes the form of a seduction, with the singer inviting the listener to join him in a dream world where the music of the night can take hold.
The lyrics suggest that the seducer is a composer who derives his power from the music he writes. The music of the night is the singer's masterpiece, which can transport the listener to another world. The line 'you alone can make my song take flight' highlights the fact that the listener is an integral part of the composer's creation. To truly experience the power of the music of the night, the listener must give in to their darker side.
Line by Line Meaning
Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
The darkness of the night makes everything feel more intense and stimulating.
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
The lack of light inspires creativity and sparks the imagination.
Silently the senses abandon their defences...
Without even realizing it, our senses become more open and vulnerable in the dark.
Softly, gently, night unfurls it's splendour
The night reveals its beauty in a gentle and subtle way.
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Try to fully embrace and appreciate the delicate and quivering beauty of the night.
Turn your face away from the garish light of day,
Forget about the harshness and harsh lighting of the day time.
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light
Escape from the cold and impersonal realities of the daylight world.
And listen to the music of the night
Focus on the sounds and sensations of the night, which can be just as beautiful as music.
Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world!
Open your mind to new and unusual experiences that the night may offer.
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!
Forget about your past experiences and views, and let yourself be swept away by the night.
Let your soul take you where you long to be!
Allow your deepest desires and dreams to guide you, and let the night fulfill them.
Only then can you belong to me...
In order to fully appreciate the beauty of the night, you must become one with it.
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!
The sensations of the night can be both dizzying and exhilarating.
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation!
Fully immerse yourself in the sensations of the night, and trust that they will lead you to where you need to be.
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
Allow yourself to indulge in your deepest, most hidden desires and tendencies.
To the power of the music that I write
The beauty and intensity of the night can be compared to that of music.
The power of the music of the night...
The beauty and intensity of the night can be compared to the power of music.
Of the night...
The night contains its own special and unique beauty that is unlike anything else.
You alone can make my song take flight
You, the listener, have the power to fully appreciate and enjoy the beauty of the night.
help me make the music of the night...
Work together with the night to fully appreciate and explore its beauty and power.
Contributed by Jake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
magic cheeseball
All these years later and I still remember how great this was so I had to look it up and it's just as amazing as I remember
Carrie
Yes! Me too!
barrie miller
this stands out as one of the greatest performances in american idol history!
As a singer myself the last note soar was simply a goosebump experience
of incredible power!
L Bryan
I was puzzled when they did the official recording without the final note. That note should have been released to the world!
Carrie
Exactly. I could and have listened to this song over and over again! The last note especially.
Beverly Wheeler
He's a rocker singing opera. He did dang good. Love his voice.
Kensi Blonde
@chaconazo7 It's not. He does the quiet hold in the studio version, but he knew this would play better on a live pop show. Jeez.
Brian Hagaman
@Zubair Hossain well he sang it good that's the important thing I Iove musical Theaters especially The Phantom Of The Opera which is so happens I Saw it on Broadway it will was so beautiful Andrew Lloyd Webber is a great Composer
Zubair Hossain
Easy there, Phantom of the Opera is a musical, not an opera. Opera is significantly more difficult and also, sort of the charm is in the fact that there are no mics in opera, but this was a pretty good performance nonetheless
chaconazo7
Beverly Wheeler he still didn't need to yell out the highest pitch. Well I guess that's the only way he knew how to do it