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)
Bye Bye Blackbird
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feeling low here I go
Bye, bye blackbird
Where somebody waits for me
Sugar sweet so is she
Bye, bye blackbird
No one seems to love or understand me
And all the hard luck stories they keep handing me
Where somebody shines the light
I'll be coming on home tonight
Bye, bye blackbird
Bye bye blackbird
Bye bye blackbird
Nobody seems to love or understand me
And all the hard luck stories they keep on handing me
Where somebody shines the light
Yes I'm coming on home tonight
Bye, bye blackbird (Oh lord yeah, I wanna sing about that black bird) Oh
The lyrics to Joe Cocker's song Bye Bye Blackbird describe the singer's decision to leave his troubles behind and move on from his current situation. He packs up his cares and woes, feeling low, and says goodbye to the blackbird. The blackbird here is symbolic, and could represent a number of things - perhaps it represents the singer's troubles, or something else that he is leaving behind. The singer is moving on to a place where somebody waits for him, someone who is sugar sweet. The idea of this place with the waiting sugar sweet person is a far better alternative to the current situation that he is in.
The following verses describe how the singer feels like no one understands or loves him, and all he has been hearing are hard luck stories that people keep handing him. However, he is optimistic and believes that there is a place where somebody shines the light, and he will be coming home to that place tonight. The chorus, which is repeated multiple times, reinforces the idea that the singer is leaving behind his troubles and moving on from his current situation - "bye bye blackbird".
Line by Line Meaning
Pack up all my cares and woes
I'm gathering everything that's been weighing me down
Feeling low here I go
I'm feeling sad and it's affecting my mood
Bye, bye blackbird
I'm leaving my troubles behind and moving on
Where somebody waits for me
I'm headed to a place where I'm wanted
Sugar sweet so is she
The person waiting for me is kind and loving
Bye, bye blackbird
I'm leaving my old life behind and embracing something new
No one seems to love or understand me
I feel alone and misunderstood
And all the hard luck stories they keep handing me
I'm tired of hearing bad news and misfortunes
Where somebody shines the light
I'm going to a place where people will lift me up
I'll be coming on home tonight
I'm headed back to where I belong
Bye, bye blackbird
I'm saying goodbye to my past and looking forward to my future
Bye bye blackbird
I'm leaving behind all the negativity that's been holding me down
Nobody seems to love or understand me
I'm in a state of isolation and alienation
And all the hard luck stories they keep on handing me
I'm stuck in a cycle of misfortune and despair
Where somebody shines the light
I'm seeking out a place of positivity and hope
Yes I'm coming on home tonight
I'm returning to where I belong and where I'm loved
Bye, bye blackbird (Oh lord yeah, I wanna sing about that black bird) Oh
I'm singing a song of liberation and hope as I move towards a better future
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Mort Dixon, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind