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)
Jack-A-Diamonds
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Jack-a-Diamonds
Take my money
You can have
My life of luxury
You can have my precious
Silver studded saddle
But you can't have my soul
Sweet mama
Oh sweet mama
Say you'll love me
Let me hold you
Hold you in my arms
Please tell me
I'm not really not fallin'
To pieces (oh no)
Keep me tender, mama
Tender now, keep me warm
Jack-a-Diamonds
Jack-a-Diamonds
I still got my ace
If you want me to do it
I can throw it
Straight in your face
You can stuff your trade
Union bull-shit up your kyber
But you can't have my soul
Cannot have my soul today
Jack-a-Diamonds
Jack-a-Diamonds
Gonna be alright
Going down the road
The lyrics in Joe Cocker's song, Jack-A-Diamonds, are about relinquishing material possessions and selling one's soul for personal gain. The singer metaphorically addresses Jack-a-Diamonds, offering him all that he owns - his money, luxury, and silver-studded saddle, however, his soul is off-limits. The lyrics suggest that despite being met with tough times, the singer is still grounded, indicating that he still has his ace up his sleeve. The song showcases his endurance and perseverance, despite his hardships.
In the second verse, the singer addresses his "sweet mama," seeking comfort and affection from her. Desperately pleading not to fall apart, he pleads for his mama to keep him tender and warm, indicating that he is in a state of emotional turmoil. The final verse sees the singer reassuring himself that he is going to be okay, "going down the road."
Line by Line Meaning
Jack-a-Diamonds
Joe Cocker is addressing someone or something, as represented by Jack-a-Diamonds
Jack-a-Diamonds
Repetition of the opening line, indicating that Jack-a-Diamonds is important and possibly menacing
Take my money
Joe Cocker is willing to give up all his material possessions
You can have
Jack-a-Diamonds has the ability to take anything Joe Cocker is offering
My life of luxury
Joe Cocker has been living a life of luxury, which he is willing to give up
You can have my precious
Jack-a-Diamonds can take anything Joe Cocker values
Silver studded saddle
Joe Cocker owns something valuable, possibly a horse or a motorcycle, that is adorned with silver studs
But you can't have my soul
Joe Cocker is drawing a line, and is not willing to give up his soul or essence
Cannot have my soul today
Joe Cocker is adamant that he will not compromise his values
Sweet mama
Joe Cocker is addressing a woman affectionately
Oh sweet mama
Repetition of the previous line, indicating that the woman is particularly important
Say you'll love me
Joe Cocker is seeking reassurance that the woman loves him
Let me hold you
Joe Cocker desires physical contact with the woman
Hold you in my arms
Joe Cocker wants to embrace the woman
Please tell me
Joe Cocker is uncertain about something and wants clarification
I'm not really not fallin'
Joe Cocker is worried that he might be falling apart, possibly emotionally or mentally
To pieces (oh no)
Joe Cocker is expressing fear or anxiety about something
Keep me tender, mama
Joe Cocker is again addressing the woman and asking her to take care of him
Tender now, keep me warm
Joe Cocker is again seeking physical and emotional comfort from the woman
I still got my ace
Joe Cocker still has something of value, possibly a trump card or bargaining chip
If you want me to do it
Jack-a-Diamonds is making demands or requests of Joe Cocker
I can throw it
Joe Cocker is willing and able to comply with Jack-a-Diamonds' demands or requests
Straight in your face
Joe Cocker is possibly being confrontational, indicating that he is willing to be aggressive if necessary
You can stuff your trade
Joe Cocker has no interest in joining a trade union, possibly because he wants to maintain his independence
Union bull-shit up your kyber
Joe Cocker is disparaging the idea of joining a trade union, possibly because he thinks it is irrelevant or corrupt
Going down the road
Joe Cocker is possibly embarking on a journey, physically or metaphorically
Contributed by Sophie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.