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".
Green Dog
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too hot in the daytime, too much sun
Lefty says we'll cross at nighttime
Like my people always have done
Keep moving, quit nagging
Walk, don't run
I ask Lefty, Why'd we bring so much cheese?
Coyotes eat anything, Buddy, long as it's free
Suppose they want a little something extra, Lefty?
Might be you and might be me
Well the desert's dark and the desert's deep, stars everywhere
Something like you never see sittin' in your easy chair
Watch out, Lefty, something strange is comin' down
Look out! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a flyin' tin can
Got those coyotes on the run
Out steps a green dog, as green as he can be
Or maybe she, 'cause when they're wearin' space suits
You can't tell, 'cause you can't see
"In my world, toads are purple, mice are blue, and I declare
A red cat is really something new
I'm so far from home, can you tell me what should I do?"
"Do you think there is room for me in this strange land?
I'm sorry I scared your friends
I write poetry, teach astronomy, how about me?"
"In my world everyone is a friend
Shaking hands, saying how do you do
Guess you'll notice we all look the same, it's so tame
I'd rather take a chance here with you"
Let's ride, says Lefty, let's see how fast this crate can fly
Va Va-va-voom, says Lefty, watch the coyotes scatter, and watch the towns go streaking by
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino just won't do
Go west, you green dog, Hollywood's the place for you
Green dog, green dog, green dog, you're so rare, so rare
The song "Green Dog" by Ry Cooder tells the story of a group of people crossing the desert and encountering a green dog, who turns out to be an alien visiting Earth. The lyrics describe the difficulty of crossing the desert in the daytime, with too much sun and heat. The group, led by a person named Lefty, decides to cross at nighttime, following in the footsteps of their ancestors. The song also touches on the dangers of crossing the desert, with the coyotes being a threat to both the group and their supplies.
As they cross, they come across a green dog that has landed in a flying tin can. The green dog explains that in its world, things are different than in ours, describing how toads are purple, mice are blue, and a red cat is something new. The green dog tells them that everyone in its world is a friend, shaking hands and saying hello, and that it writes poetry and teaches astronomy. The green dog also expresses a desire to stay on Earth, asking if there is room for it in this strange land.
The song is a commentary on the human experience of encountering the unknown, highlighting the fear and skepticism that often come with first contact. It draws on themes of community, universal connectedness, and the importance of acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
Walkin' cross the desert, it ain't no fun
Walking in the desert is not enjoyable
Too hot in the daytime, too much sun
It is uncomfortably hot during the day due to the burning sun
Lefty says we'll cross at nighttime
Lefty suggests crossing the desert at night
Like my people always have done
Crossing the desert at night is a traditional practice of my people
Keep moving, quit nagging
Keep progressing and stop whining
Walk, don't run
Walk steadily without hurrying
I ask Lefty, Why'd we bring so much cheese?
I inquire why we carry a large amount of cheese
Coyotes, Buddy, just you wait and see
Coyotes are drawn to any type of free food
Coyotes eat anything, Buddy, long as it's free
Coyotes are willing to eat anything if it is free
Suppose they want a little something extra, Lefty?
Do you think they will want more than just the cheese, Lefty?
Might be you and might be me
We might also be in danger from the coyotes
Well the desert's dark and the desert's deep, stars everywhere
The night desert is completely dark with stars shining everywhere
Something like you never see sittin' in your easy chair
This is a sight that you would never see while sitting in a comfortable chair
Watch out, Lefty, something strange is comin' down
Be careful, Lefty, something unusual is descending from the sky
Look out! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's a flyin' tin can
It's a UFO shaped like a metallic can flying through the sky
Got those coyotes on the run
The coyotes are scared off by the UFO
Out steps a green dog, as green as he can be
A green dog departs from the UFO
Or maybe she, 'cause when they're wearin' space suits
It could be a female dog, as in a spacesuit it's difficult to tell gender
You can't tell, 'cause you can't see
You cannot recognize the dog's gender because of its outfit
"In my world, toads are purple, mice are blue, and I declare
Back in my world, toads are purple, mice are blue, and I state that
A red cat is really something new
A red cat is considered an anomaly in my world
I'm so far from home, can you tell me what should I do?"
I'm lost from home and require guidance from you
"Do you think there is room for me in this strange land?
Do you believe I could fit into this unfamiliar place?
I'm sorry I scared your friends
I apologize for frightening your companions
I write poetry, teach astronomy, how about me?"
I contribute to poetry and study astronomy, would I be welcome here?
"In my world everyone is a friend
In my world, everyone is considered a companion
Shaking hands, saying how do you do
Frequently greeting one another with handshakes and exchanges of pleasantries
Guess you'll notice we all look the same, it's so tame
You may have observed that we share similar appearances, it's quite dull
"I'd rather take a chance here with you"
I'd prefer to take a chance with you in this place
Let's ride, says Lefty, let's see how fast this crate can fly
Let's travel, Lefty suggests, and test the speed of this spacecraft
Va Va-va-voom, says Lefty, watch the coyotes scatter, and watch the towns go streaking by
Lefty exclaims Va Va-va-voom as the ship picks up rapid speed, watching the coyotes flee and towns pass by
Kingman, Barstow, San Bernardino just won't do
Kingman, Barstow, and San Bernardino are not satisfactory destinations
Go west, you green dog, Hollywood's the place for you
Head west, green dog, Hollywood is the appropriate location for you
Green dog, green dog, green dog, you're so rare, so rare
You're incredibly unique, green dog
Contributed by Cooper G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.