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)
Song For You
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've sung a lot of songs I've made some bad rhyme
I've acted out my love in stages
With ten thousand people watching
But we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
I know your image of me is what I hope to be
I've treated you unkindly but darling can't you see
There's no one more important to me
Cause we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
You taught me precious secrets of the truth withholding nothing
You came out in front and I was hiding
But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding
I love you in place where there's no space or time
I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine
And when my life is over remember when we were together
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
Joe Cocker’s A Song For You is a ballad that reflects on the singer’s experiences of love and the impact of that love on his life. In the opening lines, the singer reflects on his journey in life, revealing that he has been to many places and sung many songs, but he has also made some mistakes in his writing. He then goes on to explain how he has acted out his love in stages in front of large audiences, but now he is singing alone, just for the person he loves.
The second verse is directed at the person he loves, and the singer acknowledges that he has not always treated this person kindly. He admits that his image of himself is what he hopes to be, and that he wants his partner to see the real him. He tells her how important she is to him and pleads with her to see through his past mistakes, because now he is singing a song just for her.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been so many places in my life and time
I've lived a long and varied life, full of travels and experiences.
I've sung a lot of songs I've made some bad rhyme
I've sung a lot of songs, some of which were not very good.
I've acted out my love in stages
I've expressed my love to others in public, through performances and other grand gestures.
With ten thousand people watching
I've had very public expressions of love witnessed by large crowds.
But we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
But now we are alone, just the two of us, and I am expressing my love for you through this song.
I know your image of me is what I hope to be
I am aware that you have a certain image of me in your mind, and I hope to live up to that image.
I've treated you unkindly but darling can't you see
I have not always treated you well, but I hope you can see that I truly care for you.
There's no one more important to me
You are the most important person in my life.
Daring can't you please see through me
I hope you can see past my flaws and imperfections to the true me underneath.
Cause we're alone now and I'm singing this song for you
Because we are alone, I am able to express my true feelings for you through this song.
You taught me precious secrets of the truth withholding nothing
You have taught me important life lessons and shared your knowledge with me openly and honestly.
You came out in front and I was hiding
You were confident and outgoing while I was shy and reserved.
But now I'm so much better and if my words don't come together
Thanks to you, I have grown and improved, but I may still struggle to find the right words to express my feelings.
Listen to the melody cause my love is in there hiding
Pay attention to the music and emotion behind my words, as that is where my true love for you is hiding.
I love you in place where there's no space or time
My love for you exists beyond the physical world, in a timeless and infinite space.
I love you for in my life you are a friend of mine
I love you because you have been a true friend in my life, always there for me and supporting me.
And when my life is over remember when we were together
When my life comes to an end, I hope you will remember the times we shared together.
We were alone and I was singing this song for you
In those moments when we were alone, I expressed my love for you through this song.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Leon Russell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@osmarborgesfilho1313
A Song For You
Eu tive muitas colocações na minha vida e no tempo
Eu já fiz muitas canções, eu já fiz algumas rimas más
Corrigir
Eu atuava ausente em fases da minha vida
Com dez mil pessoas assistindo
Mas nós estamos sozinhos agora e eu estou cantando esta canção pra você
Eu sei que sua imagem de mim é o que eu espero ser, baby
Eu fui grosseiro com você, mas menina, você não pode ver
Não há ninguém mais importantes para mim
Então querida, você não pode por favor olhar através de mim?
Porque nós estamos sozinhos agora e eu estou cantando esta canção pra você
Vocês me ensinou segredos preciosos da vida, withholdin'nothin'*
Você vinha para fora em frente e eu estava escondido
Mas agora eu sou um tanto melhor desta forma se minhas palavras nçao vierem junto
Escute a melodia por meu amor está se escondendo
Eu te amo num lugar onde não há espaço ou tempo
Eu amo você para minha vida, porque você é uma amiga minha
E quando minha vida chegar ao fim, lembre-se no tempo em que nós estivemos juntos
Nós estavamos sozinhos e eu estava cantando minha canção pra você
Eu te amo num lugar onde não há espaço ou tempo
Eu amei você para minha vida, sim, você é uma amiga minha
E quando minha vida chegar ao fim, lembre-se no tempo em que nós estivemos juntos
Nós estavamos sozinhos e eu estava cantando minha canção pra você, sim
Nós estavamos sozinhos e eu estava cantando essa canção pra você, baby
Nós estavamos sozinhos e eu estava cantando minha canção
Cantando minha canção, cantando minha canção, cantando minha canção
cantando minha canção
@user-ve7lm4sh9y
216 тысяч 5 лет назад,,,,,,,,,,такие голоса не нуждаются в подсчете,,,,,я нуждаюсь, чтобы его слышать,таких голосов единицы, а если учесть душу, которую он вкладывал, то трудно определить меру,браво Джо !
@tonycapt1
Holy Geez, What power, guts and emotion. Joe Cocker and Stuff, featuring Steve Gadd, Richard Tee, Eric Gale, Cornell Dupree, and Gordon Edwards, from the album "Stingray". The next time someone tells you Justin Timberlake is a soul singer, have them listen to this and they will realize Timberlake is a choir boy next to Joe!
@aliciamedina2136
Wow - heard all the versions of this wonderful song. I agree Leon sang it the best. Dam this is the first time I heard Joe singing it like only he can RIP JOE
@bobbyevars6450
Great song. Great singer. Thanks Leon and Joe.
@sandraeckelhofer
one impeccable heartfelt rendition of this great song, no doubt. but my heart belongs to Leon and I love him above all others. Leon Russell speaks right to my heart.
@betdalton9834
No matter who sings "A Song for You" (in their own version) is still a beautiful rendition.
@karenr.sternberg1920
Exactly, that's why it's become such a timeless classic, a standard. I believe I read it's been covered by over 100 different acts.
If you find this one touching, look for the film of Ray Charles playing this on piano & singing it to Willie Nelson & Leon on Willie's birthday (when they all knew Ray was nearing the end). Heartbreaking.
@sharonsmith5511
This is deep deep soul...transporting you back in time. Oh, sweet sweet soul music...
@jimcurrier5037
Just A great song thanks leon and you to Joe. God bless 💗
@getonlygotonly
Leon said he was trying to write standards when he wrote this, he sure did. RIP Joe Cocker and Leon Russell