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".
Cat and Mouse
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said, Don't take no mice to be your friend
'Cause they'll wait till you're asleep and steal your money and your food
And rat you out when the police come around
Later on I started travellin', seeing something of this world
And I learned to know a thing or two
Just because you've been told a story back in your hometown
I remember it was winter and things were goin' bad
It rained and it snowed all day long
Nobody would feed me and I couldn't find no job
In a factory or workin' on a farm
I was laying in my suitcase and the snow was falling down
I didn't know what I was gonna do
When I heard a tiny voice out there in the dark
Saying, Brother, can I come in there with you?
Well right here in my bag I got some real good cheese
And a crust of bread or two
If you let me come in and get out of the snow
I'll share what I got with you
Don't take no mice to be your friend
Was the rule Uncle Charley always told
But the north wind kept howling and the snow kept blowin' down
And I couldn't leave him out there in the cold
Well he said his name was Lefty and he'd been traveling round
The secrets of this world to share with you
Mouse traps are set right-handed, get your cheese out from the left
We are many, Buddy, they are few
He said, They'll tell you lies to make you doubt your fellow man
Like cats and mice just can't get along
Well it suits the bosses, Buddy, and it serves them fine
'Cause it keeps us working folks from bein' strong
There's a better world a coming, Buddy
Which side are you on?
Don't let the big men take it, Buddy
Which side are you on?
It's your country, too, Buddy
Which side are you on?
It's time to take a stand, Buddy
Which side are you on?
Play!
Boy, it's a fact mice ain't no good --
Old Charley always said they'll treat you bad
But I'm here to tell you people, and I want it understood
Lefty is the truest friend I'd ever had
Ry Cooder's "Cat and Mouse" is a song that tells the story of a man who had grown up being advised by his Uncle Charley not to take mice as friends because they are deceitful and willfully turn on you when it matters most. However, he goes against Uncle Charley's counsel when he is left destitute in the snow and a mouse named Lefty comes to offer him a piece of bread and cheese to help him stave off hunger. Lefty goes ahead to share secrets of the world with the man, among them that the trap is usually set for the unwary from the right-hand direction and to get cheese from the left side. The mouse also shares that the right side of the hierarchy keeps creating false narratives of the innate animosity between cats and mice, which serves to keep the working class from aligning and developing strength. Lefty ends by asking the man which side he is on, emphasizing the need for him to take a stand.
The song emphasizes the theme of community, highlighting the importance of looking beyond stereotypes and stigmas that have been passed down from previous generations. Instead, it encourages people to look at life through their eyes and make their judgments. The character realizes that despite the constant teachings by his uncle, he was not ready to ignore someone in dire need, and in turn, was rewarded with a true friend.
The song is a powerful metaphor for the social, economic, and political landscape of the world. It highlights the divide between those in power and those they exploit by creating false narratives that serve to turn them against each other. The song encourages people to take action and stand up for what is right, even if it means defying cultural norms and ingrained biases.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I had an Uncle Charley, back in my hometown
I had an Uncle who always told me not to trust mice.
Said, Don't take no mice to be your friend
Mice are not to be trusted as friends.
'Cause they'll wait till you're asleep and steal your money and your food
Mice steal from you when you're asleep.
And rat you out when the police come around
They also betray you in the presence of the authorities.
Later on I started travellin', seeing something of this world
I started to travel and gain experience.
And I learned to know a thing or two
From my travels, I gained knowledge.
Just because you've been told a story back in your hometown
The stories we hear at home aren't necessarily accurate.
Don't have to mean that story's always true
We need to be skeptical of the stories we hear.
I remember it was winter and things were goin' bad
I recall a time when things weren't going well for me.
It rained and it snowed all day long
The weather was miserable.
Nobody would feed me and I couldn't find no job
I was hungry and unemployed.
In a factory or workin' on a farm
I couldn't find work in any of the usual places.
I was laying in my suitcase and the snow was falling down
I was cold and stranded in the snow.
I didn't know what I was gonna do
I didn't know how to solve my problems.
When I heard a tiny voice out there in the dark
I heard a miniscule voice from the darkness.
Saying, Brother, can I come in there with you?
A mouse asked if he could take refuge with me.
Well right here in my bag I got some real good cheese
Although I was warned about mice, I had cheese in my bag.
And a crust of bread or two
I also had some bread.
If you let me come in and get out of the snow
The mouse asked me to share my shelter from the snow.
I'll share what I got with you
The mouse offered to share what he had as well.
But the north wind kept howling and the snow kept blowin' down
It was too cold out to simply leave the mouse there.
Well he said his name was Lefty and he'd been traveling round
The mouse introduced himself as Lefty and told me he was traveling.
The secrets of this world to share with you
He claimed to have knowledge to share.
Mouse traps are set right-handed, get your cheese out from the left
Lefty shared a tip on how to avoid mouse traps.
We are many, Buddy, they are few
He hinted at the strength of the mouse community.
They'll tell you lies to make you doubt your fellow man
He told me people are lied to in attempts to cause distrust in others.
Like cats and mice just can't get along
He pointed out that we're conditioned to believe natural enemies can't work together.
Well it suits the bosses, Buddy, and it serves them fine
He explained why people are misled into believing cats and mice can't coexist.
'Cause it keeps us working folks from bein' strong
Lefty argued that this division is used to keep the working class from being strong.
There's a better world a coming, Buddy
Lefty expressed optimism for the future.
Which side are you on?
He urged me to take a stand.
It's your country, too, Buddy
He reminded me that it's my country as well.
It's time to take a stand, Buddy
Lefty reemphasized the need for an ethical stance.
Boy, it's a fact mice ain't no good --
The common belief is that mice are not good.
Old Charley always said they'll treat you bad
Uncle Charley always warned me about the negative traits of mice.
But I'm here to tell you people, and I want it understood
However, Lefty wants to propose an alternate view.
Lefty is the truest friend I'd ever had
Lefty proved to be the truest friend he ever had.
Contributed by Aria E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.