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.
Rapid Eye Movement
David Cook Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Before this loud morning gets it right and does me in
Does this story have an ending?
'Cause I'm needing to escape
And kill the blinding lights of day to try again
Close my eyes and start descending
I, I can't seem to find a way back in time
That still keeps me awake
Still keeps me from everything we had
And I'm trying to get back
Trying to get back
We keep floating towards the floor
Stuck in this pattern, nevermore of sink or swim
But the oxygen is proving more than words could ever say
To put these memories away so this is it
These rapid eyes will keep on moving
These rapid eyes will keep on moving
'Cause I, I can't seem to find a way back in time.
Every last thought of love we made.
That still keeps me awake
Still keeps me from everything we had
And I'm trying to get back
And I'm trying to get back
(And I'm trying to get back)
(Trying to get back)
Give me one more quiet
Before this loud morning gets
It right and does me in
Is this story worth forgetting?
'Cause I, I can't seem to find a way back in time
Every last thought of love we made
That still keeps me awake
Still keeps me from everything we had
That I'm trying to get back
Trying to get back
Trying to get back
Trying to get back
(Save me)
(Somebody save me)
(Mayday)
(Somebody save me)
In "Rapid Eye Movement," David Cook paints a vivid picture of someone who is struggling with a past relationship that seems to haunt them every waking moment. The song opens up with a plea to have one peaceful night before the new day arrives and overwhelms him. The artist possesses a desire to escape the blinding lights of day and find solace in a world free from pain and sorrow. The chorus repeats this longing of going back, going back to a time when things were right, or maybe trying to create a new beginning that makes things right.
Cook's songwriting perfectly captures the perpetual cycle of thoughts that consume someone struggling to forget a lost love. It's clear that despite the effort to put the memories out of view, they keep creeping back in, keeping him awake and stuck in a cycle of pain relive. Even though the repetition of the chorus may sound like a hopeless attempt, there's a glimmer of hope, suggesting he is continually pushing to save himself from the weight of the past. The song's lyrics are both poetic and raw, showing a real sense of vulnerability that anyone who has loved and lost can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me one more quiet night
I'm asking for one last peaceful night before facing the harsh reality of life.
Before this loud morning gets it right and does me in
I'm afraid that the upcoming morning will bring bad news and ruin everything for me.
Does this story have an ending?
I'm uncertain if this journey I'm on will ever come to a conclusion.
'Cause I'm needing to escape
I'm desperate to break free from my current situation.
And kill the blinding lights of day to try again
I want to avoid the harshness of daylight and start anew.
Close my eyes and start descending
I'll close my eyes and let myself sink into the depths of my own thoughts.
I, I can't seem to find a way back in time
I'm struggling to go back in time and relive the happy moments from the past.
Every last thought of love we made
Every single memory of our love still haunts me even though it hurts me.
That still keeps me awake
These memories still torment me and prevent me from achieving peace and rest.
Still keeps me from everything we had
These memories are stopping me from being able to savor the good moments we had together.
And I'm trying to get back
I'm working hard to get back to those moments of happiness we shared.
We keep floating towards the floor
We're going down at a sedate pace, neither falling nor rising.
Stuck in this pattern, nevermore of sink or swim
We're stuck in this life pattern where we're not fighting to rise above or drowning down, just going through the motions.
But the oxygen is proving more than words could ever say
It's hard to put into words how much I need to let go of these memories and move on with my life.
To put these memories away so this is it
I need to archive these memories and let go of them, saying goodbye to what was.
These rapid eyes will keep on moving
My restless eyes won't rest, they'll keep on looking for a way out.
Trying to get back
I'm fighting to return to the memories and moments of happiness we shared.
Give me one more quiet
I'm asking for another moment of peace to try and find a way out of this situation.
Is this story worth forgetting?
I'm questioning whether or not the bitter moments and memories are worth remembering.
(Save me)
I'm calling out for help to be rescued from this situation.
(Somebody save me)
I'm begging for someone to help me break free from my past and present issues.
(Mayday)
I'm in distress and need immediate help to revive my life.
(Somebody save me)
Again, I'm asking for someone to intervene and pull me out of this state I'm in.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID COOK, DAVID HODGES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind