John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English si… Read Full Bio ↴John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of songs written by other song writers, though he composed a number of songs for most of his albums as well, often in conjunction with songwriting partner Chris Stainton.

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)

The Fall
Joe Cocker Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Strange how this world works
I don't care about your place
You better believe you're gonna get her
You gotta let go, it's out of your hands

One day you're gonna look back
See the reason that you got back

It's all in the fall
That's when you find out what you're all about
We've all been hurt, we've all been burnt
You get knocked down, kicked around, then you get back up
It's all in the fall, starting over again, starting over again

Somebody once told me
Trouble is trouble's gonna be coming your way
When the world gets dark and lonely
You might stumble and fall but you get through it all
It's gonna be okay

One day you're gonna look back
And see it all happen so damn fast, so fast

It's all in the fall
That's when you find out what you're all about
We've all been hurt, we've all been burnt
You get knocked down, kicked around and then you get back up
It's all in the fall

You don't know who you are till it all comes tumbling down
Next thing you know you've found

That it's all in the fall
That's when you find out what you're all about
Yes, it's all in the fall
That's when you find out what you're all about

We've all been hurt, we've all been burnt
You get knocked down, kicked around and then you get back up

It's all in the fall, it's all in the fall, starting over again
Starting over again.

Overall Meaning

In Joe Cocker's song The Fall, the lyrics encourage listeners to persevere through tough times and to view hardships as opportunities for growth. The chorus emphasizes the importance of learning about oneself through adversity, stating that "that's when you find out what you're all about." The song acknowledges that everyone has been hurt or knocked down at some point, but that the key is to get back up and start over again.

The verses of the song explore the idea that life can be unpredictable, and that sometimes things happen that are out of our control. It suggests that when things don't go our way, we should try to let go of our attachment to outcomes and focus on our own personal growth. The lyrics also touch on the idea that difficult times can often lead to unexpected positive outcomes, and that in retrospect we may look back and see the "reason that you got back."

Overall, the message of The Fall is one of resilience and optimism in the face of adversity. It acknowledges the universal experience of being knocked down, but encourages listeners to see those moments as opportunities for growth and self-discovery.

Line by Line Meaning

Strange how this world works
It's odd how things happen in life

I don't care about your place
I don't judge you based on your social status

You better believe you're gonna get her
You should believe that you'll achieve your goals

You gotta let go, it's out of your hands
You need to accept that some things are out of your control

One day you're gonna look back
One day you'll reflect on your past

See the reason that you got back
Understand the reason for your resilience

It's all in the fall
It's during difficult times that you truly discover yourself

That's when you find out what you're all about
During hardships, you'll discover your true character

We've all been hurt, we've all been burnt
We've all experienced pain and disappointment

You get knocked down, kicked around, then you get back up
You'll face adversity, but you'll rise again

Starting over again, starting over again
You have the chance to start again