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)
Loving You Tonight
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blood red in the sky
It hangs like fire
On this winter's night
I sit on feelings
That hang in suspense
Nothing in my life makes sense
As I'm driving home to the one that I love
Sometimes I can't see the trees for the wood
Loving you tonight feels good [Repeat x 2]
Loving you tonight [Repeat x 2]
The moonlight changes
From red into white
It sits on treetops
Asleep for the night
I see the signpost
The road slowly bends
Nothing in my life makes sense
A flashing tail light speeds across the sky
My head's cooking trouble as thoughts seem to fry
The last temptation was misunderstood
Loving you tonight feels good [Repeat x 2]
Loving you tonight [Repeat x 2]
I'm faced with the ultimate truth
What if I see that things don't improve
I know they could
Loving you tonight feels good [Repeat x 3]
The sun is rising
There's mist all around
She sleeps beside me
And I feel so proud
Am I in heaven
With her by my side
This is how love feels tonight
Loving you tonight
Loving you tonight
The lyrics of Joe Cocker's song Loving You Tonight portray the story of a man's quest for meaning in his life. As the moon rises and changes color from red to white, he is driving home to his lover, feeling confused and distressed. The question mark hanging above mirrors his own uncertainty about the future, as he struggles to understand his place in the world.
The man's thoughts are jumbled and unclear as he speeds towards his destination. His head is 'cooking trouble' and his thoughts seem to fry, leaving him unable to think clearly. It is at this point that the meaning of the song becomes clearer - the simple act of loving someone is enough to dispel any confusion and doubt. As the morning comes and he wakes up next to his lover, he is filled with pride and a sense of completeness that can only be found in true love.
In essence, the song is a testament to the power of love to bring meaning to our lives. Even when everything else seems uncertain and unclear, the love of another person can be a guiding light that helps us find our way. As the song says, "Loving you tonight feels good" - and sometimes, that's all we need to know.
Line by Line Meaning
The full moon's glowing
The moon in its full form is shining brightly
Blood red in the sky
Its color is red and it's in the sky
It hangs like fire
It's suspended in the sky in a fiery manner
On this winter's night
It's a cold evening in winter
I sit on feelings
I'm overwhelmed by emotions that I'm experiencing
That hang in suspense
These emotions are hanging in the air with no resolution
Nothing in my life makes sense
At this moment, everything seems confusing and doesn't make sense
A question mark hangs with the stars up above
I'm feeling uncertain about my situation and it's causing me to question things
As I'm driving home to the one that I love
I'm in the midst of driving back home to my beloved
Sometimes I can't see the trees for the wood
At times, I'm unable to see the details due to being overwhelmed by a larger situation
Loving you tonight feels good [Repeat x 2]
Despite everything that's going on, being with my love brings me a feeling of great pleasure and comfort
The moonlight changes
The light of the moon is transitioning
From red into white
Its color is now transitioning to white.
It sits on treetops
The light of the moon is now resting on tree-tops
Asleep for the night
This moment is preparation for the night's rest
I see the signpost
I notice a sign on the road ahead
The road slowly bends
The road I'm driving on is taking a gradual turn
A flashing tail light speeds across the sky
A light resembling a vehicle's back-end signal is moving quickly across the sky
My head's cooking trouble as thoughts seem to fry
I'm beginning to get overwhelmed by my negative thoughts
The last temptation was misunderstood
My previous experience with temptation led me into a situation that was misread in some way
I'm faced with the ultimate truth
I'm encountering a profound realization
What if I see that things don't improve
If things don't start getting better in the future, then what happens?
I know they could
I'm hopeful that everything could get better
The sun is rising
The sun begins to rise with the dawn
There's mist all around
Mist has descended in the area around me
She sleeps beside me
My partner is sleeping right next to me
And I feel so proud
This moment makes me feel immensely proud
Am I in heaven
This moment feels like I'm living in a paradise-like state
With her by my side
Being with my partner makes this the ultimate moment of contentment
This is how love feels tonight
Being with her feels like I'm experiencing everything love has to offer
Loving you tonight [Repeat x 2]
For tonight, my focus is centered solely on my love for my partner
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS DIFFORD, GLENN TILBROOK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind