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".
How Can You Keep Moving
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(C) - (F) - (G)
(C) How can you keep on moving un (F) less you migrate (C) too
They tell ya to keep on moving but (G) migrate, you must not do
The (C) only reason for moving and the (F) reason why I (C) roam
To move to a new lo (G) cation and find myself a (C) home
They said I was uneeded, had no claim to the land
They said, "Come on, get moving, it's the only thing for you"
But how can you keep moving unless you migrate too
Now if you pitch your little tent along the broad highway
The Board of Sanitation says, "Sorry, you can′t stay"
Come on, come on, get moving it's their everlasting cry
Can't stay, can′t go back, can′t migrate, so where the hell am I
How can you keep on moving unless you migrate too
They tell ya to keep on moving but migrate, you must not do
The only reason for moving and the reason why I roam
To move to a new location and find myself a home
The lyrics to Ry Cooder's "How Can You Keep Moving" explore the idea of displacement and the struggle to find a place to call home. The song suggests that simply "moving" is not enough - it is only when you "migrate" to a new location and find a sense of belonging that you can truly keep moving forward. The choice to migrate is not always easy, as circumstances such as being forced off the land or having no place to go can make it difficult to find a new home.
The song starts off by questioning the necessity to keep moving, stating that you cannot continue unless you also migrate. This suggests that it is not enough to simply keep going - you must actively seek out a new location where you can find a sense of purpose and belonging. The line "They tell ya to keep on moving but migrate, you must not do" is particularly poignant, highlighting the idea that society might tell you to keep moving forward but does not necessarily provide you with the means to do so.
Later in the song, the lyrics describe the struggle of those who have been forced off the land, with lines such as "I can't go back to the homestead, the shack no longer stands" and "They said I was uneeded, had no claim to the land". These lyrics speak to the experiences of indigenous people and other marginalized groups who have been robbed of their homes and land. The song suggests that despite the obstacles and discrimination faced by these groups, they must keep moving and must find a way to migrate to a new location if they want to find a sense of belonging and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
How can you keep on moving unless you migrate too
It's impossible to keep moving without relocating to a new place.
They tell ya to keep on moving but migrate, you must not do
People advise you to keep moving, but they don't want you to leave the area completely.
The only reason for moving and the reason why I roam
The motivation for traveling and exploring is to find a new home.
To move to a new location and find myself a home
The objective of moving is to settle down and create a new home for myself.
They said I was uneeded, had no claim to the land
They declared that I was surplus to requirements and didn't have any rights to the land.
Can't stay, can′t go back, can′t migrate, so where the hell am I
I'm in a state of confusion, unsure of where to go or what to do.
Now if you pitch your little tent along the broad highway
If you set up a small shelter on the main road,
The Board of Sanitation says, "Sorry, you can′t stay"
The Department of Sanitation informs you that you are not allowed to stay there.
Come on, come on, get moving it's their everlasting cry
They keep shouting at you to leave and keep moving forward.
I can′t go back to the homestead, the shack no longer stands
I can't return to my previous home because the simple structure doesn't exist anymore.
Writer(s): Ryland Peter Cooder
Contributed by Charlie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tomtones Seppi
I loved this album when I was 16. Noone else among my friends liked it! It was not cool! Now I am 54, and "Into The Purple Valley" is still one of my favourites! Good, clear, handmade music from the heart like this always passes the test of time, and Ry Cooder knew that from the beginning!
Nemo Nepersonne
It’s a GREAT record. I still play a lot of these songs.
Louise O'Shea
couldn`t help it. he`s just so cool
Robert M. East
Love this whole album! A great musical chronology of the Great Depression/Dust Bowl!
caesar smith
Me too, play it all the time, so much truth in his work.
sumitra
And the present....
Unconditionally Guaranteed
Ry Cooder's music always makes me happy. When I feel like a crap I listen to this guy. Natural antidepresant. Greetings from central europe and let the music flow people.
John Jantzi
Love this song - reminds me of good times with my brother listening to Ry back in the 1970's.
Cleroyster 2
What a GREAT song.....and artist....had forgotten that I listened non stop to this album .
stillaliveandwell
I bought this record when it came out because back then in 1972 Warner Brothers Records had what they called "Loss Leaders". 1,2. or 3 record sets you could order through the mail with the info contained in the record you just bought usually on the sleeve or in an insert. Mostly 2 or 3 records with peculiar names. My favorite is Looney Tunes and Merry Melodies, a 3 record set. It was a dollar per record so that one set me back $3 (no shipping fee), with the idea that you would like some of these artists that you might not otherwise be exposed to, as any artist would never have more than 2 songs on one of these if that. Great art work, Elmer Fudd on the cover of this one. Well it worked quite well as they made many of these over the next few years all with odd titles. I have quite a few I have purchased or repurchased over the years on Ebay. This particular record of Ry's has maybe been played more times than any I own, and never fails to surprise me with something new. I originally had a hard time with Hey Porter and Vigilante Man, but now they are my favorite songs. Hey Porter he reworked completely I just found out as the original is quite fast. Also as my stereo system improved over the years I came to realize this is also an exceptional recording, to the point now that if I close my eyes and turn out the lights Ry and the band are right there in front of me, spread out across the stage. He came to Raleigh NC in 1974 or 5 and me and a buddy drove from Durham (on a "work" night lol) to see him and Randy Newman, both acoustic.