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 Simple Things
Joe Cocker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I Got Caught Up In The Race
I Kept Spinning And Turning
Lost Myself My Hope My Faith
We're Always Wanting More Than What We Have
And What I've Learned Is All I Really Need Are...
The Simple Things
That Come Without A Price
The Simple Things
Like Happiness Joy And Love In My Life
I've Seen It All From So Many Sides
And I Hope You Would Agree
The Best Things In Life
Are The Simple Things
Hey Everybody Don't Get Me Wrong
You Got To Understand
Ambition And Knowledge
Are The Seeds Of Every Woman And Man
It's Good To Work... Work Hard And Prosper
As Long As You Take Time To Find...
The Simple Things
That Come Without A Price
The Simple Things
Like Happiness Joy And Love In My Life
I've Seen It All From So Many Sides
And I Hope You Would Agree
That The Best Things In Life
Are The Simple Things
This World Moves So Fast
Sometimes You Got To Slow Down, Down, Down
To Find Out What Its All About
Solo
We're Always Wanting More Than What We Have
What I've Learned, Is What I Really Need Are..
The Simple Things
That Come Without A Price
The Simple Things
Like Happiness Joy And Love In My Life
I've Seen It All From So Many Sides
And I Hope You Would Agree
That The Best Things In Life
Are The Simple Things
The lyrics of Joe Cocker's "The Simple Things" convey a message of turning away from the complex and often-restrictive elements of modern society and instead appreciating the basic joys of life that come naturally. The first verse describes the singer's disillusionment with the rat-race of contemporary society and how it caused him to lose sight of the essentials: his self, hope, and faith. He then shifts his focus to the idea that human beings can be contented with less than what they've been pursuing. The best things in life, he asserts in the chorus, are the simple things like happiness, joy and love that do not require a price tag.
In the second verse, Cocker notes that he isn't disputing the importance of ambition and knowledge. In fact, he credits them as being the seeds of human progress. However, he tempers this statement by suggesting that it's also crucial to find a balance between finding success and relishing the pleasures of life (simple things) in the process. Cocker concludes by espousing a need to occasionally slow down and take a closer look rather than trying to race through life with distractions. Overall, the song conveys a strong, positive message of taking pleasure in life's little moments, rather than fixating on the bigger, more complex elements.
Line by Line Meaning
Somewhere Along The Way
At some point in my life
I Got Caught Up In The Race
I became consumed by competing with others to succeed in life
I Kept Spinning And Turning
I continued to move rapidly without any direction or purpose
Lost Myself My Hope My Faith
I became disconnected from my sense of self, my optimism, and my personal beliefs
We're Always Wanting More Than What We Have
As humans, we tend to desire more material possessions and success than what we currently possess
And What I've Learned Is All I Really Need Are...
However, I have realized that the things that bring true contentment and happiness do not require financial wealth
The Simple Things That Come Without A Price
Namely, the simple pleasures in life that bring us happiness are not expensive
Like Happiness Joy And Love In My Life
Such as being surrounded by positive emotions and relationships
I've Seen It All From So Many Sides
As someone who has experienced many different perspectives in life
And I Hope You Would Agree
I believe that most people would share my belief and realization
The Best Things In Life Are The Simple Things
That the things that make life worthwhile and fulfilling are the simplest of things
Hey Everybody Don't Get Me Wrong
I do not want to be misunderstood
You Got To Understand
I want to make sure that everyone comprehends my message
Ambition And Knowledge Are The Seeds Of Every Woman And Man
I still believe that aspirations and education are important for everyone
It's Good To Work...Work Hard And Prosper
It is necessary to put in effort and diligence to achieve success
As Long As You Take Time To Find...
But, it is essential to also take the time to discover
The Simple Things That Come Without A Price
The non-monetary joys in life
Like Happiness Joy And Love In My Life
That bring about true fulfillment and pleasure
This World Moves So Fast
Life moves rapidly
Sometimes You Got To Slow Down, Down, Down
Occasionally, it is necessary to slow down and take a break from the hectic pace of life
To Find Out What Its All About
To discover the true meaning and purpose of life
The Simple Things That Come Without A Price
Again, the simple pleasures in life
Like Happiness Joy And Love In My Life
Which bring me the most fulfillment and joy
I've Seen It All From So Many Sides
As someone who has experienced life from different angles
And I Hope You Would Agree
I believe that most individuals would share my perspective
That The Best Things In Life Are The Simple Things
That non-materialistic aspects of life bring about the most satisfaction and peace
Lyrics © Budde Music Publishing GmbH, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Integrity Music, Downtown Music Publishing, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RICHARD A NEIGHER, PHIL ROY, JOHN SHANKS, JOHN M SHANKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D. B.
The late Joe Cocker was the best ever. This song was his master peace. Love the lyrics and his special powerfull voice in this everlasting great song. In the end he found his freedom in the simple things. What a great person, singer and performer. Rest in peace!
Merileid Müürsepp
Woah these are the colors of the Estonian flag at 3:36 in the backround 😮. This is without any doubt one of the best songs ever created by such a master! Love to all from Estonia! ♥️♥️
Magda Blanchaert
Love this song !
Marco Antônio Rodrigues Faria
🏠🌳🌱🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾🌾👩🌾🎑
Nina Brazil
Uma das coisas mais simples é entender que Joe Cocker é incomparável! Simples assim!
Sabato Diego
Great singer great person..R.I.P.
Geoffrey Jonathan Wilson
He certainly was Sabato well said 😊
Nina Brazil
Amo este vídeo,amo Joe Cocker!!!!♥️♥️♥️♥️🌡️🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷
patricia tagliabue
I treasure this song as a root of my life
EA aquamarine
"SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE RACE. I KEPT SPINNING AND TURNING, LOST MYSELF, MY HOPE, MY FAITH. WE'RE ALWAYS WANTING MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE. WORLD MOVES SO FAST, SOMETIMES YOU GOT TO SLOW DOWN TO FIND OUT WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS ALL I REALLY NEED ARE THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT COME WITHOUT A PRICE. THE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE HAPPINESS, JOY AND LOVE IN MY LIFE" - in the course of your life you will find out which things are really important