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".
Jesus And Woody
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Round the heavenly throne
Drag out your Oklahoma poetry, 'cause it looks like the war is on
And I don't mean a war for oil, or gold, or trivial things of that kind
But I heard the news, the vigilante man is on the move this time
So sing me a song 'bout this land is your land
You were a dreamer, Mr. Guthrie, and I was a dreamer too
Once I spoke of a love for those who hate
It requires effort and strain
Vengeance casts a false shadow of justice which leads to destruction and pain
Some say I was a friend to sinners
But by now you know it's true
Guess I like sinners better than fascists
And I guess that makes me a dreamer too
In the year of 1945, you saw the killers fall
Many fought and died
But it's the innocent ones I most recall
Well I've been the Savior, now, for such a long time
And I've seen it all before
You good people better get together
Or you ain't got a chance anymore
Now they're starting up their engine of hate
Don't it make you feel lonesome and blue?
Yes I was a dreamer, Mr. Guthrie, and you were a dreamer too
Now they're starting up their engine of hate
Don't it make you feel lonesome and blue?
Yes I was a dreamer, Mr. Guthrie, and you were a dreamer too
Ry Cooder's "Jesus and Woody" is a tribute to two of the greatest cultural icons in American history, Jesus Christ and Woody Guthrie. The song is a conversation between Cooder and Guthrie, and the two discuss the state of the world, the power of music and the need for unity and love in the face of hatred and division.
Cooder sings, “Bring your old guitar and sit here by me, round the heavenly throne,” inviting Guthrie to join him as they converse in the afterlife. They talk about the war that is on, not a war for oil or gold, but a war against fascism and hate. Cooder believes that a vigilante man is on the move, and Guthrie responds by asking Cooder to sing him a song about "This Land Is Your Land" and "fascists bound to lose." The two acknowledge that they were dreamers and that they still are.
Cooder also touches on the power of love over hate and vengeance, "Once I spoke of a love for those who hate, it requires effort and strain, vengeance casts a false shadow of justice, which leads to destruction and pain." He reminds us that the innocent ones were the most hurt and that we should be striving towards more unity and love. He warns that hate is starting up its engine again, and we ought to come together before we lose ourselves entirely.
This song is a poignant commentary on the current political climate, and the importance of protesting hate to stand up for what's righteous.
Line by Line Meaning
Well bring your old guitar and sit here by me
Join me and bring your guitar for music and company.
Round the heavenly throne
In this sacred space and time.
Drag out your Oklahoma poetry, 'cause it looks like the war is on
Share your stories and songs about this great land, because it seems like a struggle is upon us.
And I don't mean a war for oil, or gold, or trivial things of that kind
Not a war for material possessions, but one for something more meaningful.
But I heard the news, the vigilante man is on the move this time
There is a threat in our midst; someone who would take the law into their own hands.
So sing me a song 'bout this land is your land
Sing me a song about the beauty and majesty of this country.
And fascists bound to lose
And those who would oppress others will surely fail.
You were a dreamer, Mr. Guthrie, and I was a dreamer too
We both had big ideas about how the world could be a better place.
Once I spoke of a love for those who hate
I used to believe that even those who do bad things could be loved.
It requires effort and strain
But it takes a lot of work and determination to have that kind of love.
Vengeance casts a false shadow of justice which leads to destruction and pain
Getting revenge only leads to more destruction, hurt, and suffering.
Some say I was a friend to sinners
Some people accused me of befriending those who were considered to be outcasts or bad people.
But by now you know it's true
But I hope you now understand that my love extends to all people.
Guess I like sinners better than fascists
I'd rather spend time with and show love to people who make mistakes than with those who would try to take away people's rights.
And I guess that makes me a dreamer too
I know some people think my ideals are impossible, but I still believe.
In the year of 1945, you saw the killers fall
In that year, you lived through the end of a great conflict which ended many lives.
Many fought and died
Many people gave their lives in service of an idea or a cause.
But it's the innocent ones I most recall
It's the innocent people who were not combatants but still suffered who stick in my memory.
Well I've been the Savior, now, for such a long time
I've been trying to save people or help them through tough times for a while now.
And I've seen it all before
I've witnessed a lot of suffering and tragedy before in my life.
You good people better get together
It's time for all of us who want to make the world better to come together and work towards that goal.
Or you ain't got a chance anymore
If we don't unite and work together, we may not be able to make a difference in this world.
Now they're starting up their engine of hate
Those who want to cause harm or hate are beginning to take action.
Don't it make you feel lonesome and blue?
Doesn't it leave a sad feeling in your heart?
Yes I was a dreamer, Mr. Guthrie, and you were a dreamer too
We both had hope for the future and wanted to make a positive impact in the world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RYLAND PETER COODER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind