Born in Los Angeles, California on 15th March 1947, Cooder first attracted attention in the 1960s, playing with Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band, after having worked with Taj Mahal in The Rising Sons.
He was a session guitarist on various recording sessions with the Rolling Stones in 1968 and 1969; Cooder's contributions most notably appear on the Stones' Beggars Banquet where he shares a prominent credit with pianist, Nicky Hopkins on the back cover. He continued to appear on the succeeding albums, Let It Bleed, and Sticky Fingers, on which he contributed the haunting slide guitar solo to "Sister Morphine". Cooder is reputed to have taught Keith Richards to play in open-G tuning, now a Richards hallmark, as well as to have written the open-G signature riff of "Honky Tonk Women". He was briefly considered to fill the departed Brian Jones' place in the Rolling Stones, but reportedly Cooder and Keith Richards did not get along very well. For some time after the sessions, Cooder accused Keith Richards of "ripping him off" musically, but now refuses to talk about his experiences with the Stones. Cooder played slide guitar for the 1970 film Performance, which contained Mick Jagger's first solo single, "Memo from Turner" on which Cooder played guitar.
Throughout the 1970s Cooder released a series of Warner Brothers albums that showcased his guitar work, to some degree. In this respect, Cooder's guitar work on these records is not unlike the guitar playing of Robbie Robertson on the Band's albums: Both virtuosos emphasized song over solo. Cooder's 1970s albums spotlight, more than anything, a wide-ranging taste in music. Cooder has been seen as almost a musicologist, exploring bygone musical genres with personalized and sensitive, updated reworkings of revered originals. Cooder's 1970s albums (with the exception of Jazz) cannot be neatly pigeonholed by genre, But - to generalise broadly - it might be fair to call Cooder's first album blues; Into the Purple Valley, Boomer's Story, and Paradise and Lunch, folk + blues; Chicken Skin Music and Showtime, a unique melange of Tex-Mex and Hawaiian; Jazz, 1920s jazz; Bop till You Drop 1950s R&B and blues; and Borderline an eclectic mix of Tex-Mex with blues, R&B, and country and Get Rhythm, with more rock-based excursions.
Cooder has worked as a studio musician and has also scored many film soundtracks, of which perhaps the best known is that for the 1984 Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas. Ry Cooder based this soundtrack, and the haunting title song "Paris, Texas" on Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)", which he described as "The most soulful, transcendent piece in all music from the US." His other film work includes Walter Hill's The Long Riders (1980) and Southern Comfort (1981).
In recent years, Cooder has played a role in the increased appreciation of traditional Cuban music, due to his collaboration as producer in the Buena Vista Social Club (1997) recording, which was a worldwide hit. Wim Wenders directed a documentary film of the musicians involved, Buena Vista Social Club (1999) which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2000. Cooder worked with Tuvan throat singers for the score to the 1993 film Geronimo: An American Legend.
Cooder's solo work has been an eclectic mix, taking in dust bowl folk, blues, Tex-Mex, soul, gospel, rock, and almost everything else. He has collaborated with many important musicians, including the Rolling Stones, Little Feat, the Chieftains, John Lee Hooker, Gabby Pahinui, and Ali Farka Toure. He formed the Little Village supergroup with Nick Lowe, John Hiatt, and Jim Keltner.
Cooder's 1979 album Bop till You Drop was the first popular music album to be recorded digitally. It yielded his biggest hit, a disco/R&B cover of Elvis Presley's 1960s recording "Little Sister".
13 Question Method
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now, the thirteen question method is the one to use
Listen to me!
Thirteen question method is the one to use
I'm saying that the thirteen question method is the one you gotta use
If you wanna have some fun
'Cause the thirteen question method is the one to use
Uhn!
Question number one: you wanna have fun, uh hun
Question number two: what to do ?
Let's see!
Question number three: wanna go out and eat burger with me ?
God Almighty!
For the thirteen question method is the one to use
Now the question number five: don't give me no jive this morning
Question number six: don't try no tricks, this evening
Question number seven: I'll pick you up at a quarter to eleven, baby
And question number eight: it's a date
That's question number nine: where to dine, this evening ?
Question number ten: ah, can we get in ?
Question number eleven: gonna be just like heaven ?
God Almighty!
Question number twelve: we get by ourselves ?
'Cause the thirteen question method is the one to use
The thirteen question method is the one to use
Now the thirteen question method is the one gotta use if you wanna...
The thirteen question method is the one to use
And she says ah...
She says...
The thirteen question method is the one to use
The thirteen question method is the one to use
Now the thirteen question method is the one gotta use if you wanna have some fun
'Cause the...
The song "13 Question Method" by Ry Cooder was originally written by Chuck Berry in the 1950s. The lyrics describe a method of asking thirteen questions in order to have fun and go on a date. The singer emphasizes that if you want to have a good time, the thirteen question method is the one to use. Each question is asked in a playful and flirtatious manner, suggesting that the conversation is between possible romantic partners. The questions range from asking if the person wants to eat a burger to making plans for the evening.
Overall, the song is a lighthearted and fun tune that captures the essence of youthful flirting and dating. The repetition of the phrase "thirteen question method" in the lyrics emphasizes the importance of this method of communication, suggesting that it is a tried and true way of getting to know someone.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, the thirteen question method is the one to use
According to me, the best way to approach this situation is by using the thirteen question method
Thirteen question method is the one to use
I reiterate that using the thirteen question method is the best way forward
I'm saying that the thirteen question method is the one you gotta use
Using the thirteen question method is a must-do, and I say this with conviction
If you wanna have some fun
If you're looking to have a good time, using the thirteen question method is the way to go
Question number one: you wanna have fun, uh hun
Let me start by determining if you're interested in having fun
Question number two: what to do ? Let's see!
Let's brainstorm some ideas about what we can do for fun
Question number three: wanna go out and eat burger with me ? God Almighty!
Would you like to go out and get burgers with me? This option sounds exciting!
Now the question number five: don't give me no jive this morning
Let me make it clear that I don't want any nonsense from you today
Question number six: don't try no tricks, this evening
I expect you to behave honestly and not try any pranks later tonight
Question number seven: I'll pick you up at a quarter to eleven, baby
What time should I come to pick you up? How about 10:45 pm, my dear?
And question number eight: it's a date
Great! So we have a confirmed plan for a date
That's question number nine: where to dine, this evening ?
Let's decide on a restaurant to go to for dinner tonight
Question number ten: ah, can we get in ?
Do you think we'll be able to get a table at the restaurant we chose?
Question number eleven: gonna be just like heaven ? God Almighty!
Do you think tonight's dinner will be fantastic? I sure hope so!
Question number twelve: we get by ourselves ?
Just a quick clarification, are we having dinner alone or with another couple?
And she says ah...
Here's what she said in response to my set of questions:
The thirteen question method is the one to use
She agrees that the thirteen question method is the best way to proceed
Lyrics © ENTERTAINMENT ONE U.S. LP
Written by: CHUCK BERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind