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".
3rd Base Dodger Stadium
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As anyone can plainly see
Greatest game in this great land
Take a little tip from me
I work here nights parking cars
Underneath the moon and the stars
Same ones that we all knew
And if you wanna know
Where a local boy like me is coming from
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
2nd base, right over there
I see Grandma in her rocking chair
Watching linens flapping in the breeze
And all the fellows choosing up their teams
Hand over hand on that Louisville
Crowning the top king of the hill
Mound to home, sixty feet
Baseball been very good to me
And if you wanna know
Where a local boy like me is coming from
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
Back around the 76 ball
Johnny Greeneyes had his shoeshine stall
In the middle of the 1st base line
Got my first kiss, Florencia was kind
Now, if the dozer hadn’t taken my yard
You’d see the tree with our initials carved
So many moments in my memory
Well sure was fun, ‘cause the game was free
It was free
Hey Mister, you seem anxious to go
You’ll find that seat in the 7th row
Behind home plate, we used to meet
When we were young, we had dreams
Just a place you don’t know
Up a road you can’t go
Just a thought, laid to rest
In my mind, just a time
You care to know where I’m gonna go
When I hit my last home run
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
Hey Mister, you are a baseball man
Yes, I’m a baseball man myself
Yes, I’m a baseball man too
Baseball been very good to me
Yes, baseball been very good to me
The song "3rd Base Dodger Stadium" by Ry Cooder is a nostalgic look back at the experiences of a man who grew up around the famous Dodgers baseball stadium in Los Angeles. The lyrics are delivered from the perspective of this man, who now works as a parking attendant at the stadium. He takes pride in being a "baseball man" and sees the sport as the greatest game in the land. Throughout the song, he describes various memories that he associates with the stadium, from childhood games played in nearby yards to his first kiss.
The song's central theme is the overwhelming sense of connection and belonging that the singer feels to the stadium and the game of baseball. For him, it represents a place and pastime where he has always been able to find joy and meaning. He tells the listener that, when he passes away, he wants to be remembered as someone who had a deep love for 3rd base at Dodger Stadium - a fitting tribute to a lifetime spent around the game.
However, there is also a bittersweet undertone to the song. The singer looks back at his memories with a sense of longing and nostalgia, recognizing that time has taken away some of the things he holds dear. He reflects on the way things used to be - when he and his friends could play baseball for free, or when he could spend time with his first crush - and he knows that those days are gone forever.
In summary, "3rd Base Dodger Stadium" is a poignant tribute to the enduring appeal of baseball and the memories it can create. It captures the joys, sorrows, and sense of belonging that come with growing up around a beloved stadium and offers a fitting tribute to the power of the sport.
Line by Line Meaning
Mister, you’re a baseball man
You, sir, are a knowledgeable and dedicated fan of the game of baseball
As anyone can plainly see
Your love for the sport is obvious to anyone who observes you
Greatest game in this great land
Baseball is the greatest and most prized sport in this country
Take a little tip from me
Allow me to offer you some advice
I work here nights parking cars
I have a job parking cars on the night shift
Underneath the moon and the stars
I perform my job duties outdoors, beneath the night sky
Same ones that we all knew
The same stars and moon that have been present for generations
Back in 1952
Referring to a specific year in the past
And if you wanna know
If you are curious as to
Where a local boy like me is coming from
The origins and experiences of a person such as myself
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
Growing up in the area surrounding Dodger Stadium and playing baseball there
2nd base, right over there
Pointing to the location of second base on the field
I see Grandma in her rocking chair
I visualize the presence of my grandmother sitting in her rocking chair
Watching linens flapping in the breeze
Observing the sight of laundry fluttering in the wind
And all the fellows choosing up their teams
Recollecting memories of people selecting teams for games
Hand over hand on that Louisville
Gripping and holding onto a Louisville Slugger baseball bat
Crowning the top king of the hill
Becoming the undisputed champion or best player in a given context
Mound to home, sixty feet
The distance between the pitcher's mound and home plate in baseball is sixty feet
Baseball been very good to me
Playing baseball and being a fan of the sport has had a positive impact on my life
Back around the 76 ball
Referring to a 76 gas station or its sign, which may hold personal significance
Johnny Greeneyes had his shoeshine stall
Recounting the memory of a shoeshine business run by a man named Johnny Greeneyes
In the middle of the 1st base line
The location of the shoeshine stall on the baseball field
Got my first kiss, Florencia was kind
The memory of receiving my first kiss from a woman named Florencia, who was gentle and compassionate
Now, if the dozer hadn’t taken my yard
Reflecting on the possible outcome if a bulldozer had not destroyed a certain piece of property
You’d see the tree with our initials carved
Describing a tree that once existed and bore the initials of two lovers
So many moments in my memory
There are countless memories and experiences from my life that I hold dear
Well sure was fun, ‘cause the game was free
One reason that my memories of playing baseball are positive is because the games were free of charge
Hey Mister, you seem anxious to go
Sir, you appear to be in a hurry to leave
You’ll find that seat in the 7th row
If you are in search of a particular seat, it is located in the seventh row
Behind home plate, we used to meet
In the past, individuals would meet behind the home plate area
When we were young, we had dreams
During our youth, we held aspirations and goals for the future
Just a place you don’t know
A location that you are unfamiliar with
Up a road you can’t go
On a path that you are unable to travel
Just a thought, laid to rest
A mental concept or idea that has been abandoned or forgotten
In my mind, just a time
An experience or moment from the past that exists only as a memory
You care to know where I’m gonna go
Are you interested in knowing my ultimate destination?
When I hit my last home run
Upon scoring my final run in the game of baseball
3rd base, Dodger Stadium
The final run of my life will be scored at third base in Dodger Stadium
Hey Mister, you are a baseball man
You are a dedicated fan and expert on the game of baseball, sir
Yes, I’m a baseball man myself
Agreeing with the previous statement, I too consider myself to be well-versed in the sport of baseball
Yes, I’m a baseball man too
Reiterating that I also consider myself to be knowledgeable about baseball
Baseball been very good to me
Overall, my experiences with baseball have been positive and have enriched my life in various ways
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Joe Kevany, Ry Cooder, William Anthony Garcia
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind