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".
All Shook Up
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What'sa wrong with me?
I'm itchin' like a man on a fuzzy tree
My friends say I'm actin' wild as a bug
I'm in love
I'm all shook up
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
I can't seem to stand on my own two feet
Who do you think of when you have such luck?
I'm in love
I'm all shook up
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
Well, please don't ask me what'sa on my mind
I'm a little mixed up, but I'm feelin' fine
When I'm near that girl that I love best
My heart beats so it scares me to death!
Well she touched my hand what a chill I got
Her lips are like a volcano when it's hot
I'm proud to say that she's my buttercup
I'm in love
I'm all shook up
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
My tongue gets tied when I try to speak
My insides shake like a leaf on a tree
There's only one cure for this body of mine
That's to have that girl that I love so fine!
She touched my hand what a chill I got
Her lips are like a volcano that's hot
I'm proud to say that she's my buttercup
I'm in love
I'm all shook up
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay
I'm all shook up
Ry Cooder's "All Shook Up" is a classic rock and roll track with a very upbeat and catchy tune. The lyrics describe the feelings of a man who has fallen in love and is "all shook up" as a result. He describes his physical symptoms, such as shaky hands and weak knees, and also his inability to think straight or speak properly when near the woman he loves. This kind of love is all-consuming and overwhelming, and the singer is almost afraid of the strength of his feelings.
The lyrics also reference the popular phrase "bless my soul," and evoke religious imagery with the mention of being "scared to death" when his heart beats fast. The woman he loves is described as a "buttercup," which is likely a reference to her being sweet and delicate. Overall, the song is a fun and lighthearted upbeat look at the emotional upheaval that can come with falling in love.
Line by Line Meaning
A well'a bless my soul
Oh my goodness
What'sa wrong with me?
What's happening to me?
I'm itchin' like a man on a fuzzy tree
I'm restless and uncomfortable
My friends say I'm actin' wild as a bug
My friends think I'm acting crazy
I'm in love
I've fallen in love
I'm all shook up Mm mm mm, mm, yay, yay, yay
I'm completely overwhelmed and excited
Well, my hands are shaky and my knees are weak
I'm physically trembling
I can't seem to stand on my own two feet
I feel weak and unstable
Who do you think of when you have such luck?
Who do you think about when you're lucky enough to be in love?
Well, please don't ask me what'sa on my mind
Please don't ask me what I'm thinking
I'm a little mixed up, but I'm feelin' fine
I'm confused but happy
When I'm near that girl that I love best
I feel my best when I'm around the girl I love
My heart beats so it scares me to death!
My heart beats so fast it scares me
Well she touched my hand what a chill I got
I felt a shiver when she touched me
Her lips are like a volcano when it's hot
Her lips are like they're on fire
I'm proud to say that she's my buttercup
I'm happy to call her my girlfriend
My tongue gets tied when I try to speak
I find it hard to speak when I'm with her
My insides shake like a leaf on a tree
I feel nervous and jittery
There's only one cure for this body of mine
The only remedy is being with her
That's to have that girl that I love so fine!
Being with the girl I love is the only cure
Lyrics © DistroKid, BUDDE MUSIC FRANCE, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kyleilling6092
That opening slide guitar lick is a thing of wonder. Awesome tone.
@AchtungBaby77
I don't normally condone remakes of classic songs, especially when we're dealing with The King of Rock 'N' Roll, but damn... this version freaking rocks!! 😃👌
@kelleyrinehart9201
Yep. Ry Cooder can cover anything he wants and it will always be different and excellent! Best rhythm in the business.
@russellfadden8807
Would have loved to hear Elvis sing it like this to Ry's guitar
@therabidscorpion
That opening solo is so MEAN sounding! Love it!
@alamsayed365
I've been listening to this song straight for the past five days. It's that amazing.
@alanburge2725
Not only this album of course. His version of Little Sister kills me. Amazing pop song. The singing. The guitar. This man and his band too are smoking hot !
@ThrashRoC
BRILLIANT RECORD !!!
I got it since 20 Years and I Say THIS is Ry Cooder`s MASTERPIECE !!!
@lanimckenzie
Cocktail has such an awesome soundtrack. I love this song
@ATMABRAHM
OH LORD WHAT GREAT GUITAR PLAYING BY RY!