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)
N'oubliez Jamais
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why do you sing with the melody?
'Cause down on the street something' goin' on
There's a brand new beat and a brand new song
In my life there was so much anger
Still I have no regrets
Just like you, I was such a rebel
N'oubliez jamais
I heard my father say
Every generation has its way
A need to disobey
N'oubliez jamais
It's in your destiny
A need to disagree
When rules get in the way
N'oubliez jamais
Mama, why do you dance to the same old songs
Why do you sing only harmony
'Cause down on the street something's goin' on
There's a brand new beat and a brand new song
In my heart there's a young girls passion
For a life long duet
And someday soon someone's smile will haunt you
So sing your own song and never forget
N'oubliez jamais
I heard my father say
Every generation has its way
A need to disobey
N'oubliez jamais
It's in your destiny
A need to disagree
When rules get in the way
N'oubliez jamais
What is this game
Searching for love or fame
That's all the same
One of this days you say that
Love will be the cure
I'm not so sure
N'oubliez jamais
I heard my father say
Every generation has its way
A need to disobey
N'oubliez jamais
It's in your destiny
A need to disagree
When rules get in the way
N'oubliez jamais
Don't you ever forget our love (n'oubliez jamais)
Every generation (n'oubliez jamais)
In the sun (n'oubliez jamais)
N'oubliez jamais
Don't you ever, ever, ever forget (n'oubliez jamais)
The song N'oubliez Jamais by Joe Cocker is a beautiful tribute to the memories and values imparted by the singer's parents. The song starts with a conversation between the singer and his father on why his father keeps playing the same old songs and singing in the same way. The father explains that a new beat and song bring a fresh perspective to the tradition, and each generation has the right to find their own way and to disobey and disagree when rules get in the way. This is reinforced in the next section when the singer turns to his mother and asks why she only sings harmony and dances to the same old songs. She too responds with the same message of finding one's own song and dance.
The repeated phrase "n'oubliez jamais," which is French for "never forget," is the theme of the song. It stresses that love, passion, and family values should never be forgotten, and that it is essential to pass those values on to the next generation. The overarching idea is that traditions are vital and something to be cherished, but they should not limit the search for something new, exciting, and different.
Overall, the song is an encouragement to the listener to find their own voice, to be true to themselves, and to not forget the values and memories passed down through generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Papa, why do you play all the same old songs?
Child asking his father why he keeps repeating the same old songs
Why do you sing with the melody?
Questioning why his father always sticks to the original tune
'Cause down on the street something' goin' on
The outside world is full of new music and a new vibe
There's a brand new beat and a brand new song
People outside keep introducing new music in the streets
In my life there was so much anger
Singer's life has seen a lot of anger in it
Still I have no regrets
Even with so much anger, he does not regret any of his past experiences
Just like you, I was such a rebel
He is just like his father, who was a rebellious kid
So dance your own dance and never forget (never forget)
Dance according to what moves you and never forget to be yourself
N'oubliez jamais
Never forget
I heard my father say
The singer heard his father say these words
Every generation has its way
Each generation has its own way of doing things
A need to disobey
A desire to break the rules
It's in your destiny
Breaking rules is in one's fate
A need to disagree
A strong urge to disagree with predetermined rules
When rules get in the way
When established order restricts one's actions
Mama, why do you dance to the same old songs
The child is curious why his mother also sticks to the old songs
Why do you sing only harmony
The child asks why his mother doesn't ever try to sing the lead part
In my heart there's a young girls passion
The singer has a youthful passion in his heart
For a life long duet
The singer wants to find someone to share a musical lifetime with
And someday soon someone's smile will haunt you
Someone's smile will affect the singer a lot in the future
So sing your own song and never forget
Sing what you truly love and never forget the passion that drives you
What is this game
Questioning the purpose of this game we call life
Searching for love or fame
Wondering if life is about attaining love or fame or both
That's all the same
Expressing the idea that searching for either love or fame is a futile search
One of this days you say that
Expressing the idea of hope that someday, we may find what we're looking for
Love will be the cure
Love can heal all wounds and solve all problems
I'm not so sure
The singer isn't sure that this idea is true
Don't you ever forget our love (n'oubliez jamais)
The idea to never forget their shared love is repeated
Every generation (n'oubliez jamais)
Emphasizing that this idea applies to every generation
In the sun (n'oubliez jamais)
In the happy moments, never forget this idea
Don't you ever, ever, ever forget (n'oubliez jamais)
A final repetition of the idea to never forget
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Cregan, Russ Kunkel
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
FIVE G KILLS
Warms my heart, such a golden voice 💜 Rest in peace, Monsieur.
Daniel Kästli
In memorian to Joe Cocker, this was the song of my ex wife and me. Thank you Joe and stay in peace!
Ras
Jedna od boljih Džoovih pesama.Legenda živi.
Služba za organizaciju centra za zavod U prevodu
Ja sam ko klinac pevao ,,Paris sent Žermen ill take you far enough,every situation has its fame ,i need to dissapear,,
Alex C
@Catherine Chaineli Why not?
Catherine Chaineli
Why
jadenx
Bas tako
Jovan Antic
Pozdrav brate!
wassim chiha
my dad introduced me to this song , now he s gone , and this song makes much more sense ... i ll never forget ..
may your soul rest in peace father .. RIP Joe ..
kusspeter
J' adore cette chanson ,ne me lace pas de l ' écouter. Repose en paix Joe .N ' oublier jamais . I love this song , always in my mind .RIP Joe .Never forget