His first album featured a recording of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", which brought him to near-instant stardom. The song reached number one in the UK in 1968, became a staple of his many live shows (Woodstock and the Isle of Wight in 1969, the Party at the Palace in 2002) and was also known as the theme song for the late 1980s American TV series The Wonder Years. He continued his success with his second album, which included a second Beatles song: "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window". A hastily thrown together 1970 US tour led to the live double-album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, which featured an all-star band organized by Leon Russell. His 1974 recording of "You Are So Beautiful" reached number five in the US, and became his signature song. Cocker's best selling song was the US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes that earned a 1983 Grammy Award. He released a total of 22 studio albums over a 43-year recording career.
In 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male. He was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown in 2007, and received an OBE the following year for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Cocker
Studio albums
With a Little Help from My Friends (1969)
Joe Cocker! (1969)
Joe Cocker (1972/EU: 1973)
I Can Stand a Little Rain (1974)
Jamaica Say You Will (1975)
Stingray (1976)
Luxury You Can Afford (1978)
Sheffield Steel (1982)
Civilized Man (1984)
Cocker (1986)
Unchain My Heart (1987)
One Night of Sin (1989)
Night Calls (1991/US: 1992)
Have a Little Faith (1994)
Organic (1996)
Across from Midnight (1997)
No Ordinary World (1999/US: 2000)
Respect Yourself (2002)
Heart & Soul (2004/US: 2005)
Hymn for My Soul (2007/US: 2008)
Hard Knocks (2010/US: 2012)
Fire It Up (2012)
Bad Bad Sign
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a moon that's full
I've been turning and tossing
'Cause I feel a fool
There's a broken mirror
On the bedroom wall
The phone keeps on ringing
But there's never a call
Right after we make love
You always leave
I'm not superstitious
But I do believe
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
Yes it is
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
There's a fortune teller
And a wise man too
But they couldn't tell me
Anything about you
Except the harder it's coming
It's gonna fall
And if that's an omen
I don't care at all
Then you say you love me
But you always got to go
I'm not superstitious
But I ought to know
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
Feeling alive
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
You had some restless night
I hear the wind outside
Sounds like making hard
It can't be step inside
You call out a name
And it ain't mine oh no, no
There's a black cat crossing
And a moon that's full
I've been turning and tossing
'Cause I feel a fool
Then you say you love me
But you always got to go
I'm not superstitious darling
But I ought to know
It's a bad bad bad
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
Do you never, boo
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
You know that it is
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
I don't mean that I'm superstitious
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
Such a bad bad sign
The song "Bad Bad Sign" by Joe Cocker is about the feeling of unease and uncertainty in a relationship that is causing turmoil and pain for the singer. The lyrics evoke a sense of superstition and foreboding, with references to a black cat crossing, a broken mirror, and a restless wind outside. These elements symbolize bad luck and unhappy endings, adding to the feeling of chaos and confusion in the singer's life.
The chorus repeats the phrase "It's a bad bad bad bad sign", emphasizing the sense of doom and the singer's feelings of helplessness in the face of an unpredictable and unstable relationship. The verses describe the problems the singer is facing, including the fact that their partner always leaves immediately after they make love, and despite being reassured of their love, the partner still cannot commit or stay. The singer is torn between their love for their partner and their fear of what the future may hold.
Overall, the song highlights the pain of being in a relationship that is full of uncertainty, unrequited love, and ultimately bad outcomes. The lyrics showcase Joe Cocker's emotional vocal range and his ability to tell a compelling story through music.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a black cat crossing
Something bad is about to happen
And a moon that's full
The time is right for things to go wrong
I've been turning and tossing
I can't sleep because of the stress and anxiety
'Cause I feel a fool
I am being deceived and made a fool of
There's a broken mirror
There's bad luck or bad things to come
On the bedroom wall
The place where I am most vulnerable
The phone keeps on ringing
There's an impending bad news or development
But there's never a call
The silence of not knowing is more worrisome
Right after we make love
You leave immediately afterwards
You always leave
You never want to stay and be close to me
I'm not superstitious
I want to believe everything's fine, but reality says otherwise
But I do believe
I can't shake off the feeling that something's not right
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
Everything points to something bad and I can't ignore it
There's a fortune teller
I seek clarity and guidance from an external source
And a wise man too
I need all the help I can get
But they couldn't tell me
No one can really tell what your intentions are
Anything about you
I am at a loss in understanding you
Except the harder it's coming
Things are getting worse and more difficult over time
It's gonna fall
I feel like everything's going to crumble or collapse soon
And if that's an omen
If this is a sign of what's to come
I don't care at all
I don't even want to know anymore
Then you say you love me
You show affection inconsistently
But you always got to go
You always have something to do that's more important than me
Feeling alive
Despite everything that's been happening, I still feel alive
You had some restless night
I sense something's been bothering you
I hear the wind outside
The tension is mounting outside
Sounds like making hard
The obstacles are getting more difficult to overcome
It can't be step inside
It feels like there's a barrier or force that's preventing me from succeeding
You call out a name
You're thinking of someone else
And it ain't mine oh no, no
It adds to the suspicion that you don't care for me as much as you pretend to
Do you never, boo
Can't you see how bad things have become?
It's a bad bad bad bad sign
Things are only getting worse and it's hard to ignore anymore
You know that it is
We both know things haven't been good
I don't mean that I'm superstitious
I don't want to believe that there's such a thing as bad luck, but I can't help noticing
Such a bad bad sign
Everything is pointing to a bad ending
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHARLES KAUFMAN, CHARLIE MIDNIGHT, DAN HARTMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind