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".
If There
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keys to the kingdom don't fill no more
The poor working man like me and you
If we ain't got money we won't I get through
If there's a God I think He's got to bottle up and go
If there's still a God in heaven He's got to hit that lonesome road
No more Jesus, Mary and Joe
Restricted signs everywhere you go
I think they want to bring back old Jim Crow
If there's a God I think He's got to bottle up and go
If there's still a God in heaven He's got to hit that lonesome road
Angel Gabriel said it won't be long
Republiclan is getting strong
Heaven folks are feeling bad
Lose everything that we ever had
If you brown you can't hang around
If you black better step way back
If you' red I think you're better off dead
If you poor and white you just ain't right
If there's a God I think He's got to bottle up and go
If there's a God in heaven today He's got to hit that lonesome road
If there's a God I think He's got to bottle up and go
If there's a God in heaven hitting that lonesome road
Out by the highway sign
???
Don't nobody seem to know him no more
Don't have a passport
Don't have a driver's license
Insurance
Membership
Fat bank account
Friends in high places
The song "If There's a God" by Ry Cooder speaks about the situation of the poor and working-class people in America. The lyrics depict a sense of frustration and cynicism towards the government policies and discriminatory practices that benefit only the wealthy people. The Republicans are accused of closing the doors of heaven to the poor and marginalized people, by passing laws that discriminate against them. The keys to the kingdom, which were once intended to fill the voids of the less privileged, now serve no purpose for those who cannot afford them. The song echoes the sentiment that if there exists a God in heaven, it is time for Him to leave and take the role of a wanderer on the lonesome road.
The song also makes references to the restrictive signs placed everywhere, which resemble the dark period of segregation, known as "Jim Crow." The lyrics suggest that the government is trying to bring back the same oppressive regime by placing restrictions and limiting the freedom of movement for the people. The song calls out the systemic racism that is still prevalent in American society, targeting different racial groups based on the color of their skin, and economic status.
The song evokes a deep sense of pain and anguish among the listeners as it raises questions about the consequences of political policies and the plight of the poor, for whom the power structure seems to have no regard. The lyrics act as a warning to those in authority that even the Almighty, who stands for justice and fairness, will not tolerate acts of injustice and callousness.
Line by Line Meaning
Republicans changed the lock on heaven's door
The political party controlling the society today forcefully took control of heaven and prevented others from having access
Keys to the kingdom don't fill no more
Those who wield power over heaven no longer offer favors to good-hearted individuals
The poor working man like me and you
If we ain't got money we won't I get through
People having a low socio-economic status, like me and you, cannot quickly get to heaven when having limited financial means.
If there's a God I think He's got to bottle up and go
If there's still a God in heaven He's got to hit that lonesome road
If a God exists, then I'm sure that this God would have left, as Heaven has become exclusive for only a particular segment of society.
No more Jesus, Mary and Joe
They done passed Heaven Bill 1070
Restricted signs everywhere you go
I think they want to bring back old Jim Crow
The people who run heaven have passed a law (Heaven Bill 1070) and posted barricades everywhere to make it difficult for minorities to enter, evoking a system used in history which limited opportunities for black people in America (Jim Crow)
Angel Gabriel said it won't be long
Republiclan is getting strong
Heaven folks are feeling bad
Lose everything that we ever had
A messenger of God, Gabriel, has predicted that it won't be long until the Republican side becomes more powerful. The people who have been living in heaven are becoming unhappy since they have lost all they once had.
If you brown you can't hang around
If you black better step way back
If you' red I think you're better off dead
If you poor and white you just ain't right
If you are non-white, you are not welcome in heaven's society. If you are poor and white, they will still discriminate against you.
Out by the highway sign
???
Don't nobody seem to know him no more
Don't have a passport
Don't have a driver's license
Insurance
Membership
Fat bank account
Friends in high places
The person out by the highway sign represents people who have been marginalized by society and have nothing to their name - no identification, no insurance, no connections, or any financial support system. Nobody seems to recognize or acknowledge them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RY COODER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
charlie ranke
love that image you put in my mind
oh my
one day i might get the courage to thailand my life
i hope so
then stand back brother
yo woman gonna be dancing with me over pancakes and bananas
while you wish you never posted here
peace and love
and thanks
rock on
Pati Woitach
Can't stop watching this! Once a week. Feeds my soul. Thanks Ry and your awesome band.
Ellen🌞sugarmag🌞
Ditto with a Capital D 🎯
Geoff Downes
His son, Joachim, on drums I believe...🤔
Renee
Agree I can’t stop watching! ❤
Rubba Dubdub
His sense of melody and timing is just supernatural - he instinctively knows exactly what note to play - and sometimes more importantly, what note not to play! Inspiring.
David Garza
Man the deep groove on this track is something special.
Kevin Goodwin
Indeed !!
Paul Kragh
Ry Cooder is the best guitarist most people never heard of.
Elizabeth Towle
That's true and it's very odd! I do my part though, sharing far and wide. I've adored this man since the 70's.
Nelson Lugo
I ain't most people