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)
I Who Have Nothing
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I, I who have no one
Adore you and want you so
I'm just a no one with nothing to give you but, oh
I love you
He, he buys you diamonds
Bright, sparkling diamonds
That he can give you the world but he'll never love the way
I love you
He can take you any place he wants
To fancy clubs and restaurants
But I can only watch you with
My nose pressed up against the window pane
I, I who have nothing
I, I who have no one
Must watch you go dancing by
Wrapped in the arms of somebody else when, darling, it's I
Who love you
I love you
I love you
Yes I do
I love you
Ooh yeah
I love you
Yes I do
"I Who Have Nothing" is a song by Joe Cocker that portrays the angst of someone who longs for someone they cannot have. The lyrics express the deep desire of an individual who loves someone and is willing to do anything for that person, despite having nothing material to offer. the singer begins the song by identifying as a nobody who has nothing, no one, except for the love he has for the person he admires.
The song then contrasts the singer's love with that of his love's wealthy suitor. The suitor can give her everything she wants, like diamonds, and can take her to fancy restaurants and clubs, but he cannot love her the way the singer does. The singer expresses his feelings of frustration at witnessing his love being wrapped in somebody else's arms.
The song is an emotional ballad written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. It was inspired by a 1961 Italian song called "Uno Dei Tanti" by Carlo Donida and Giulio "Mogol" Rapetti. The song has been covered by various other artists, including Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Ben E. King, and Haley Reinhart. It was also featured in various movies like Along Came Polly (2004), and Without You (2002).
Line by Line Meaning
I, I who have nothing
I have no possessions or wealth
I, I who have no one
I am alone and have nobody in my life
Adore you and want you so
I love and desire you deeply
I'm just a no one with nothing to give you but, oh
I am a worthless person with nothing to offer except my love
I love you
I have a strong and intense love for you
He, he buys you diamonds
Another man showering you with valuable gifts
Bright, sparkling diamonds
Dazzling and precious gemstones
But, believe me, dear, when I say
Trust me when I tell you
That he can give you the world but he'll never love the way
The other man can give you everything, but he won't love you the way I do
He can take you any place he wants
The other man can take you anywhere your heart desires
To fancy clubs and restaurants
To luxurious establishments for entertainment and dining
But I can only watch you with
All I can do is watch you from afar
My nose pressed up against the window pane
My face pressed against the glass, longing to be with you
Must watch you go dancing by
I have to see you dancing with someone else
Wrapped in the arms of somebody else when, darling, it's I
Held tightly by another man, even though it should be me
Who love you
Who truly, deeply loves you
I love you
My love for you is unwavering
I love you
I am so in love with you
Yes I do
Without a doubt, I love you
Ooh yeah
Expressing my strong feelings for you
I love you
My love for you cannot be denied
Yes I do
Certainly, I love you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Giulio Mogol Rapetti, Carlo Donida, Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
sheryl baker
Never heard this version , he was soooooo talented . Will be missed by many
Donna Rawiri
Holy crap this is brilliant....always wanted to be one of his backup singers....love his voice to bits
Silver Taffy D
What a combination Joe Cocker and Jeff Beck, to my ears unbeatable.Fantastic.
KCinTX
OMG, I just knew I would love this performance of this powerful song. Mr. Cocker did not disappoint, but of course not, he is one of the very best singers (at least in my world). I love this song, and I love Joe Cocker!
Bonnie Johnson
I couldn't agree more, He still blows my mind as he did in the sixties! Rock and Roll never died!
Tano Caridi
my best ever....
Semper Fidelis
superbe version et magistralement bien interprétée , bravo
jukup1
Beautiful version, with Jeff Beck adding that dramatic effect with his beautiful guitar work. Priceless!
Lew Snyder
who hasn't covered this classic? Almost all are terrific. Shirley Bassey also does a definitive cover. But so does Cocker, and Tom Jones. Got to see one of Cocker's last shows in PHX. So glad i was there. One of Leiber and Stoller best tunes of many. Man, they knew how to write hits.
Leonardo Fonseca
Great voice, one of the best british singers who i ever have heard, i miss him a lot !