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".
Footprints in the Snow
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strolling through the meadow green it's pleasant there's no doubt
But to me the wintertime is the best of all
'Cause I found her when the snow on the ground
Now, I traced her little footprints in the snow
I found her little footprints in the snow
I bless that happy day when Nellie lost her way
Now the Ladies Garment Workers walked out last wintertime
One little union kitty was a dear sweetheart of mine
She walked around all winter on the picket line
But I found her when the snow was on the ground
Now, the Union Strike Committee didn't like me hangin' round:
Don't interfere with sisters while the strike is on
Don't go around behaving like a ring-tailed tom
But I found her when the snow was on the ground
'Cause I traced her little footprints in the snow
I found her little footprints in the snow
And I bless that happy day when Nellie lost her way
'Cause I found her when the snow was on the ground
She's somewhere out there marching with the union band
We'll get back together when the pension check comes in
But every time the snow falls, it brings back memories
'Cause I found here when the snow was on the ground
I traced her little footprints in the snow
Yah, I found her little footprints in the snow
I bless that happy day when Nellie lost her way
'Cause I found her when the snow was on the ground
Ry Cooder's song "Footprints in the Snow" tells a story of love that was found during winter. The song begins by highlighting how people usually enjoy the summertime, but to the singer, the wintertime is the best season because that's when he found the love of his life. He reminisces about how he traced her footprints in the snow and found her when she lost her way. The singer found her when she was working on the picket line as part of the Ladies Garment Workers' strike. The Union Strike Committee did not welcome him hanging around, but he persisted and found his love during the wintertime.
The lyrics of the song illustrate the significance of the winter season in the life of the singer. The winter season becomes a symbol of the time and place where he found true love that he continues to cherish. The song also highlights the power of commitments, unions, and the struggle for workers' rights. It tells the story of the love that blooms in the most unlikely places and is sustained in the face of hardships, including the Union Strike Committee's objections.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, some folks like the summertime they can walk about
Some people prefer the warm weather when they can go for walks.
Strolling through the meadow green it's pleasant there's no doubt
Walking through green meadows is a relaxing and pleasant experience.
But to me the wintertime is the best of all
The winter is the favorite season for the singer.
'Cause I found her when the snow on the ground
The artist associates the winter with a happy memory of finding someone special.
Now, I traced her little footprints in the snow
The artist followed the footprints of someone special in the snow.
I found her little footprints in the snow
The singer discovered the footprints of someone special in the snow.
I bless that happy day when Nellie lost her way
The singer is grateful for the fortunate circumstances that led to finding someone special.
'Cause I found her when the snow was on the ground
The artist associates finding someone special with the wintertime.
Now the Ladies Garment Workers walked out last wintertime
A group of female garment workers went on strike last winter.
One little union kitty was a dear sweetheart of mine
Someone special to the artist was involved in the union strike.
She walked around all winter on the picket line
The person special to the singer was protesting on the picket line all winter.
But I found her when the snow was on the ground
Despite the challenges of the winter and the strike, the artist was able to find someone special.
Now, the Union Strike Committee didn't like me hangin' round:
The committee responsible for the union strike did not approve of the singer's presence.
Don't interfere with sisters while the strike is on
The committee advised the singer not to interfere with the striking workers.
Don't go around behaving like a ring-tailed tom
The committee advised the singer not to act recklessly or foolishly.
'Cause I found her when the snow was on the ground
Despite the committee's warnings, the artist was able to find someone special in the winter.
She's somewhere out there marching with the union band
The person special to the artist is now marching with the union.
We'll get back together when the pension check comes in
The singer and the person special to them plan to reunite when they receive their pension.
But every time the snow falls, it brings back memories
The singer associates snow with the happy memory of finding someone special.
'Cause I found here when the snow was on the ground
The artist emphasizes the link between finding someone special and the wintertime.
Contributed by Isabella V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.