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".
Can I Smoke In Here?
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Am I bothering you are you alone
Is my tie on straight do you rate me polite
Do I need a shave do I seem all right
Names don't matter mine's Kash Buk no it's true
Go ahead laugh it's good for you
What's that you're drinking I like your smile you know
I think we got a lot in common
That's my brand wouldn't trade it for the World
We're about the same age on the outside
Inside I'm a thousand years old
Is this your room I can't do 60 like once I could
Bet you didn't know I was that hot
You didn't know I was that good
You got nothing to fear can I smoke in here
Steel player friend of mine lived right down the half
These walls are thin nobody heard him fall
Last of the best without a shadow a doubt
Hi-Lo shag's the last thing he saw before it all faded out
What's that you say 'life is like a low budget movie'
Slow down there honey' you lost me that time
'We all took less then it closed'
Truest thing you said all night that's a laugh
You can write it on my epitaph
See you in Heaven or next time which ever's first
I ain't USDA prime God knows you seen worse
Just tell Saint Peter at the Golden Gate
I won't be late but let me get it straight
Can I get a beer can I smoke in here.
The lyrics to Ry Cooder's "Can I Smoke In Here?" address the anxiety-ridden thoughts that go through someone's head when they meet someone new. The singer wonders if he's making a good impression on the person he's talking to - is he dressed appropriately, does he seem charming, is he polite? He tries to break the ice and find common ground by complimenting the person's smile and asking about their drink. As the conversation progresses, he reveals the name "Kash Buk," a possible pseudonym or nickname that is relevant to the story. He also asserts that he's a thousand years old on the inside, hinting at a weariness that comes with experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Can I smoke in here can I sit down
May I light up and take a seat?
Am I bothering you are you alone
Are you bothered by my presence? Are you by yourself?
Is my tie on straight do you rate me polite
Is my necktie correctly positioned? Am I courteous enough for your liking?
Do I need a shave do I seem all right
Is my appearance well-groomed? Do I appear presentable?
Names don't matter mine's Kash Buk no it's true
Names are irrelevant, but mine is Kash Buk, and it's indeed true.
Go ahead laugh it's good for you
Feel free to chuckle; it's beneficial to your health.
What's that you're drinking I like your smile you know
May I inquire about your beverage? I admire your grin, do you realize?
Hey mister bartender please don't be so slow
Excuse me, bartender, could you pick up the pace a little bit?
I think we got a lot in common
I believe we share many similarities.
That's my brand wouldn't trade it for the World
That's my specific type; I wouldn't give it up for anything.
We're about the same age on the outside
Outwardly, we look roughly the same age.
Inside I'm a thousand years old
However, internally, I'm exceedingly old; a millennium or so.
Is this your room I can't do 60 like once I could
Is this your room? I can't go as fast as I used to.
Bet you didn't know I was that hot
I wager you weren't aware of my prowess.
You didn't know I was that good
You weren't cognizant of my abilities.
You got nothing to fear can I smoke in here
You have nothing to worry about. May I light up in here?
Steel player friend of mine lived right down the half
A close pal of mine who played the steel guitar resided just down the hall.
These walls are thin nobody heard him fall
The walls here are narrow; no one noticed when he stumbled.
Last of the best without a shadow a doubt
The top of the heap without question.
Hi-Lo shag's the last thing he saw before it all faded out
The last image he glimpsed before everything became hazy was Hi-Lo shag.
What's that you say 'life is like a low budget movie'
Pardon me, what did you mention about life resembling a low-budget film?
Slow down there honey' you lost me that time
Hold on a moment, dear, you confused me a bit there.
'We all took less than it closed'
The truest remark you've uttered all night, a giggle.
Truest thing you said all night that's a laugh
The most honest thing you've said all evening is quite amusing.
You can write it on my epitaph
You could add that statement to my tombstone.
See you in Heaven or next time whichever's first
I'll encounter you in Heaven or the next time the opportunity arises; whichever occurs first.
I ain't USDA prime God knows you seen worse
I'm no USDA prime beef, but the Almighty is aware that you've glimpsed lesser specimens.
Just tell Saint Peter at the Golden Gate
Simply inform St. Peter when you arrive at the Golden Gate.
I won't be late but let me get it straight
I won't be tardy, but allow me to clarify.
Can I get a beer can I smoke in here.
May I request a beer, and can I smoke right here?
Contributed by Makayla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.