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)
Lucinda
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As the sun was going down
She was lying on the beach
In her graduation gown
She was wrapped up in a blanket
(I could tell she knew her way around)
And as I lay down beside her
You know she never made a sound
Scoopin' up the papers and flattening down the sand
"Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda - we've got to run away
That big white truck is closin' in
And we'll get wounded if we stay"
Now Lucinda lies buried 'neath the California sand
Put under by the beach-cleaning man
Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda - why'd you have to go?
They sent her to high school
hey sent her to low school
She just wouldn't go further
The opening of Joe Cocker's song "Lucinda" tells us about a chance encounter that the singer has with a woman named Lucinda. As the sun goes down, he sees her lying on the beach in her graduation gown, wrapped up in a blanket. The singer is attracted to her and lies down beside her, but despite being in close proximity, she 'never made a sound', suggesting that she is perhaps shy or reserved. Suddenly, they hear the sound of a beach-cleaning truck approaching, and the singer urges Lucinda to run away with him to avoid being hurt. However, the story takes a tragic turn as we learn that Lucinda is now buried beneath the California sand, having been put there by the beach-cleaning man. The singer laments her passing and asks why she had to go.
The song appears to be a cautionary tale about the dangers of young love and the risks that come with taking chances. The fact that Lucinda is shown lying down in her graduation gown, which is suggestive of new beginnings, highlights the potential of the future being cut short through unforeseen and tragic circumstances. There is also an element of societal pressure and expectation, with the lines about Lucinda being sent to both high and low schools, and her reluctance to go further, highlighting the pressures put on young people to conform to expectations and achieve success.
Line by Line Meaning
We met one summer evening
It was on a summer evening that I met her
As the sun was going down
The sun was setting at the time we met
She was lying on the beach
She was resting on the sandy shoreline
In her graduation gown
She had put on her gown after receiving a degree
She was wrapped up in a blanket
She was covered with a blanket to keep herself warm or comfortable
(I could tell she knew her way around)
(I sensed she was experienced or knowledgeable in some way)
And as I lay down beside her
I joined her on the beach and relaxed near her
You know she never made a sound
She remained silent, not uttering a word
On down the beach came the beach-cleaning man
A man responsible for cleaning the beach was walking in our direction
Scoopin' up the papers and flattening down the sand
He was collecting trash and smoothing out the beach surface as he walked along
"Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda - we've got to run away
"Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda - we must escape from this place
That big white truck is closin' in
A large white truck is approaching rapidly
And we'll get wounded if we stay"
It will hurt us if we continue to stay here
Now Lucinda lies buried 'neath the California sand
Lucinda is now buried under the sand in California
Put under by the beach-cleaning man
The man who cleans the beach buried Lucinda under the sand
Lucinda, Lucinda, Lucinda - why'd you have to go?
Lucinda, why did you have to leave us?
They sent her to high school
She was enrolled in high school
hey sent her to low school
She was transferred to a lower school
She just wouldn't go further
She refused to continue her education
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAL NEWMAN, PHIL S. THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind