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 Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Golden sails across the skies
Close enough to touch
But careful if you try
Though she looks as warm as gold
The moon's a harsh mistress
The moon can be so cold
Once the sun did shine
The moon a phantom rose
Through the mountains and the pine
And then the darkness fell
The moon's a harsh mistress
It's hard to love her well
I fell out of her eyes
I fell out of her heart
I fell down on my face, yes I did
And I tripped and I missed my star
And I fell and fell alone
The moon's a harsh mistress
The sky is made of stone
The moon's a harsh mistress
She's hard to call your own
In "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress," Joe Cocker sings about the moon as a beautiful and mystical object in the sky, but also as a harsh mistress who can be deceivingly cold. The first verse describes the moon as a golden sail, close enough to touch, yet warns the listener to be careful if they try. Despite its beauty, the moon is often cold and unforgiving.
The second verse is more nostalgic in tone, with Cocker singing about a time when the sun shone and the moon was a phantom rose. However, the darkness soon came, and it was hard to love the moon well. The third verse tells a story of falling out of the moon's grace and tripping on one's own journey. The moon is described as a harsh mistress who is hard to call one's own, reinforcing the idea that she is beautiful yet difficult to handle.
Overall, "The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress" is a song that explores the duality of the moon's persona. It is a beautiful and alluring object in the sky, but also a cold and unyielding mistress that is hard to love.
Line by Line Meaning
See her as she flies
Behold the moon as she elegantly glides through the skies.
Golden sails across the skies
Her light, as if sails made of gold, illuminates all that lies below.
Close enough to touch
Despite her distance, she appears to be within reach.
But careful if you try
But one must beware of trying to capture her, as she is elusive and distant.
Though she looks as warm as gold
While her light seems warm and inviting,
The moon's a harsh mistress
in truth, the moon can be a difficult and unrelenting partner.
The moon can be so cold
Her demeanor can be chilling and unfeeling.
Once the sun did shine
There was a time when she basked in the glow of the sun's light.
And Lord it felt so fine
It was a time of warmth, comfort, and security.
The moon a phantom rose
As the sun set, the moon appeared like a ghostly apparition.
Through the mountains and the pine
Gently floating overhead, she shone her light over the jagged peaks and lush forests.
And then the darkness fell
But ever so quickly, darkness claimed the land.
The moon's a harsh mistress
Suddenly, the truth of her aloofness and disinterest became apparent.
It's hard to love her well
It's difficult to maintain a loving relationship with someone so distant and unresponsive.
I fell out of her eyes
Her gaze, once fixed on my heart, shifted to someone new.
I fell out of her heart
Her passion for me faded away like an old memory.
I fell down on my face, yes I did
I couldn't hold on any longer, and I tumbled down from the heights of her love.
And I tripped and I missed my star
My love for her prevented me from seeing the other options that lay before me.
And I fell and fell alone
Alone and heartbroken, I continued to fall through the darkness below.
The moon's a harsh mistress
And yet, she continued to watch me, cold and unfeeling.
The sky is made of stone
Her domain is a desolate, rocky expanse that feels unwelcoming.
The moon's a harsh mistress
And while she may captivate us with her beauty, she remains unapproachable and impenetrable.
She's hard to call your own
One can only long to possess her, without ever truly making her their own.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JIMMY WEBB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Adriana Brandinelli
See her how she flies
Golden sails across the sky
Close enough to touch
But careful if you try
Though she looks as warm as gold
The moon's a harsh mistress
The moon can be so cold
Once the sun did shine
Lord, it felt so fine
The moon a phantom rose
Through the mountains and the pines
And then the darkness fell
And the moon's a harsh mistress
It's hard to love her well
I fell out of her eyes
I fell out of her heart
I fell down on my face
I tripped and missed my stars
I fell and fell alone
And the moon's a harsh mistress
And the sky is made of stone
The moon's a harsh mistress
She's hard to call your own
Greg Cugola
1974,
All shiny and new,
Life was a blast,
The Moon is a harsh mistress,
Hitchcock Railway,
She Came in Through The Bathroom Window,
Everything in front,
Nothing in our wake,
Woodstock 1969,
Cocker five years later.
Such is the nature of time.
Our time,
Your time.
No one sees time pass.
Jean Ferrat
John Haig
To me it's an absolutely stunning song, so beautifully interpreted by a man who knew a great song when he heard it. I've loved it since 1974 and it still brings tears when I hear it. Just Jimmy's piano, some strings from about half way and Joe.
George Esau
This whole album was amazing. I feel it is one of the most under rated lps ever.
tomandaj1
Agreed. And all the more amazing because was deep into his substance abuse at this point
Werewolfoflondon
Poetic soul, beyond words. Thanks Joe for all you gave so many. You will never be forgotten.
Alonzo Mosley
I keep forgetting how good he was .I bought this album when I was 14 and still love it .He had an amazing ability to cover songs that just nail it Wow what a voice
Mike Behnke
In my darkest hours his songs helped me many times,RIP Joe
Sam Weston
Yes. Same.
Paul Summers
For me his most beautiful song. A true legend, I'll miss you Joe RIP
Howard Larade
I concur. Joe's version is my favorite ballad of all time. Thank god we have recorded music like Joe's. He'll live forever!
crazy lopp in rock
What a beautiful song , Joe was the man of many vices but had a voice like no other... ✌️