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)
Black-Eyed Blues
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Total destination of the colour I choose
Now I don’t mind if it turned me around
Just as long as it gets fine oh it gets bound
A sudden hesitation to the black eyed shoes
A total destination of the colour you choose
oh I don’t mind if you let it ride
Tell you I need a destination of the black eyed blues
Total destination of the colour I choose
Now I don’t mind if it turned me around
Just as long as it gets fine oh it gets bound
Oh sweet indoctrination of they old time blues
Total fascination of the colour I choose
Whoo I don’t mind if let the poor down
Just as long as its turning around, oh its turning around
Tell you want feel the destination of the black eyed blues
Total destination of the colour I choose
I don’t mind witch way you want to go
Just as long as you let it show, let it show
The lyrics of Joe Cocker's song "Black-Eyed Blues" are open to interpretation, but the common theme among them is the search for a destination or purpose. Cocker seems to be longing for a direction in life, but he is unsure about what it is that he wants. He mentions the "black eyed blues," which could represent a feeling of sadness or despair that he is trying to escape from. He wants a "total destination of the colour I choose," suggesting that he wants to take control of his life and make choices for himself.
He does not mind being turned around or hesitating, as long as he finds a way to move forward and achieve what he wants. He talks about the "sweet indoctrination of they old time blues," which could refer to the influence of traditional blues music on his life and his desire to express himself through it. Ultimately, he wants to feel the destination of the black-eyed blues and achieve the total destination of the colour he chooses, regardless of which way he goes as long as it's shown.
Line by Line Meaning
I need a destination of the black eyed blues
I am searching for a purpose in this painful state of mind that I am experiencing
Total destination of the colour I choose
I want complete control over the direction I take to overcome this feeling
Now I don’t mind if it turned me around
I am willing to face any challenges on this journey towards healing
Just as long as it gets fine oh it gets bound
As long as my path leads me to a better outcome and sense of stability in my life
A sudden hesitation to the black eyed shoes
I am feeling uncertain or fearful about moving forward in this painful state of mind
oh I don’t mind if you let it ride
I am willing to surrender control and let things unfold as they may
Just as long as you let it shine, oh let it shine
But I hope that the outcome will bring some sense of positivity and light into my life
Tell you I need a destination of the black eyed blues
I am reiterating my desperate need for direction and purpose in this emotionally painful state
Oh sweet indoctrination of they old time blues
I am embracing the familiar themes and sounds of the blues, which reflect my current state
Total fascination of the colour I choose
I am still fixated on having complete control over my journey towards healing
Whoo I don’t mind if let the poor down
I am willing to accept failure or disappointment as part of this process
Just as long as its turning around, oh its turning around
As long as I am making progress and moving towards a better emotional state, I can handle the struggles along the way
Tell you want feel the destination of the black eyed blues
I am still searching for that ultimate sense of purpose or destination that will lead me out of this painful state
I don’t mind witch way you want to go
I am open to any path or direction that could potentially lead me towards healing
Just as long as you let it show, let it show
I hope that my journey towards healing and recovery will allow me to express my true self and emotions more openly
Contributed by Gabriella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.