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".
Always Lift Him Up / Kanaka Wai Wai
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(G) - (C) - (D)
(G) When a fellow has the blues and feels discouraged
And there's (C) nothing else but trouble all his (G) life
When he's always grumbled at and never happy
Living with a scolding, aggravating (D) wife
If he's (G) sick and tired of life and takes to drinking
Do not fail to lend a hand and try to (G) help him
Always lift him up and (D) never knock him (C) down (G)
If he stays out late at night because he's worried
And because his home is not what it should be
Have a smile for him whenever you should meet him
It would help him just the right way, don't you see
If he gambles when he's in the town or city
Tell him what he ought to do to gain the crown
Lend a hand and do not fail to show him pity
Always lift him up and never knock him down
If he cannot pay his debts and feels disgusted
If he's blue and doesn't have a word to say
Let him know you are his friend who can be trusted
It would cheer this lonely fellow on his way
If he finds it hard for him to keep his family
Let a kind word greet his ear when he's around
Don't say anything at all to make against him
Always lift him up and never knock him down
If he has no friends and everyone's against him
If he's failed at everything that he has tried
Try to lift his load, to help to bear his burden
Let him know that you are walking by his side
And if he feels that all is lost, and he is falling
Try to place that poor man's feet on solid ground
Just remember he's some mother's precious darling
Always lift him up and never knock him down
Always lift him up and never knock him down
The lyrics to Ry Cooder's song "Always Lift Him Up/Kanaka Wai Wai" speak to the importance of compassion and lifting others up in times of need. The song touches upon various difficult situations that people may face in life, including feeling discouraged, dealing with a difficult spouse, struggling with debt, and lacking support from friends or loved ones. The lyrics emphasize the importance of offering a helping hand and showing kindness, even when it may be easier to judge or turn away.
The repeated refrain of "always lift him up and never knock him down" drives home this message, encouraging listeners to think about ways to be a support system for those in need. The bridge of the song also highlights the idea that it only takes one person to make a difference in someone's life, and that a simple smile or kind word can go a long way in offering support and encouragement.
Overall, the lyrics to "Always Lift Him Up/Kanaka Wai Wai" encourage empathy and compassion for others, and speak to the power of human connection to lift us up in times of struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
When a fellow has the blues and feels discouraged
When a person is feeling down and depressed
And there's nothing else but trouble all his life
When everything seems to be going wrong all the time
When he's always grumbled at and never happy
When someone is always complaining and never satisfied
Living with a scolding, aggravating wife
When someone is in a difficult and unpleasant marriage or relationship
If he's sick and tired of life and takes to drinking
When someone is feeling exhausted and turns to alcohol as a coping mechanism
Do not pass him by, don't greet him with a frown
Don't ignore or judge someone who is struggling
Do not fail to lend a hand and try to help him
Offer assistance and support to someone who is struggling
Always lift him up and never knock him down
Be a source of encouragement and positivity for someone who needs it
If he stays out late at night because he's worried
If someone is struggling and can't sleep because of it
And because his home is not what it should be
If someone is dealing with problems at home
Have a smile for him whenever you should meet him
Show kindness and warmth towards someone who is struggling
It would help him just the right way, don't you see
A small act of kindness can make a big difference
If he gambles when he's in the town or city
If someone has a gambling problem
Tell him what he ought to do to gain the crown
Offer advice and guidance to someone who is struggling
Lend a hand and do not fail to show him pity
Be compassionate and understanding towards someone who is struggling
If he cannot pay his debts and feels disgusted
If someone is dealing with financial difficulties
If he's blue and doesn't have a word to say
If someone is feeling sad and doesn't want to talk about it
Let him know you are his friend who can be trusted
Be a supportive and trustworthy friend to someone who needs it
It would cheer this lonely fellow on his way
A kind gesture can make someone feel less alone
If he finds it hard for him to keep his family
If someone is struggling to support their family
Let a kind word greet his ear when he's around
Be positive and uplifting towards someone who is dealing with difficulties
Don't say anything at all to make against him
Don't judge or criticize someone who is struggling
If he has no friends and everyone's against him
If someone is feeling lonely and isolated
If he's failed at everything that he has tried
If someone is feeling like a failure
Try to lift his load, to help to bear his burden
Offer support and help to someone who is struggling
Let him know that you are walking by his side
Be a supportive presence in someone's life
And if he feels that all is lost, and he is falling
If someone is feeling hopeless and overwhelmed
Try to place that poor man's feet on solid ground
Offer guidance and assistance to someone who is struggling
Just remember he's some mother's precious darling
Everyone is someone's child, and deserves compassion and kindness
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RYLAND PETER COODER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind