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".
Lord Tell Me Why
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lord tell me how you 'spect me to stand up tall and proud
I did just what you told, I done everything you said
But the way I'm doing lately, I could have stood in bed
So Lord tell me why, a white man ain't worth nothing in this world no more
Lord tell me when a white man's gonna be all right again
Please fix it Lord, they took back everything we been working for
My kids crying daddy why can't they leave us alone
Split level in Valencia where the cops reside
We had to walk away and left old memories inside
Lord tell me why, a white man ain't worth nothing in this world no more
You can walk across the silvery moon and get back home all right
But it ain't safe to walk the streets of your home town at night
And I'm a Lord man from the Lord land
But a Lord man ain't worth nothing in this world no more
That's too bad
What happened?
Everyone was your friend
Where has everybody gone?
What ever happen to 'hi howdy neighbor, nice to see ya
Company coming up the road
In Ry Cooder's song "Lord Tell Me Why", he sings from the perspective of a white man who is feeling disillusioned and lost in a rapidly changing world. He questions why, in the eyes of society, a white man "ain't worth nothing". The lyrics reflect the frustration of a man who feels like he has followed the rules and done everything he was supposed to, but society has turned against him. He longs for a time when things were simpler, and when being a white man meant something more.
The second verse focuses on the riots that took place in cities across the US during the 1960s. The white man in the song believes that he and his family are under attack, and he feels powerless to stop it. He describes having to abandon his home and leave behind all the memories he had made there. He asks God to intervene and fix things, but his words are tinged with bitterness and despair.
The final verse is perhaps the most poignant, as Cooder sings about the contrast between the vastness of the universe and the dangers that lurk on the streets of his own town. Despite being a "Lord man from the Lord land", he feels like his life is no longer valued or respected by the world around him. He wonders what happened to the friendly, welcoming world he remembers from his youth.
Overall, "Lord Tell Me Why" is a powerful commentary on the way society can turn against certain groups of people, even when those people have not done anything wrong. It speaks to the frustration and despair that can arise when one's own identity becomes a target for hatred and discrimination.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord tell me why a white man ain't worth nothing in this world no more
Asking God why being white is no longer valuable in society.
Lord tell me how you 'spect me to stand up tall and proud
Asking God how to be confident when the world doesn't value white people.
I did just what you told, I done everything you said
Claiming to have followed God's commandments but feeling disvalued regardless.
But the way I'm doing lately, I could have stood in bed
Feeling unproductive and worthless despite efforts.
Lord tell me when a white man's gonna be all right again
Asking God when white people will regain their value in society.
Please fix it Lord, they took back everything we been working for
Asking God to help restore the value and status that white people had worked towards.
Now when the riots tore our city I stood watch outside our home
Witnessing destruction during a violent protest and questioning the safety and security of their surroundings.
My kids crying daddy why can't they leave us alone
Emphasizing the impact of violence on children and their confusion over why it's happening.
Split level in Valencia where the cops reside
Referring to a neighborhood where law enforcement officials live.
We had to walk away and left old memories inside
Being forced to leave their home behind due to violence and destruction.
You can walk across the silvery moon and get back home all right
Using hyperbole to describe the contrast between the perceived safety of space and the danger of the home town.
But it ain't safe to walk the streets of your home town at night
Feeling unsafe and vulnerable in their own community.
And I'm a Lord man from the Lord land
Identifying as a religious person from a religious community.
But a Lord man ain't worth nothing in this world no more
Feeling like even faith and religion cannot save them from being devalued in society.
That's too bad
Expressing disappointment in a sarcastic tone.
What happened?
Questioning the cause of their current situation.
Everyone was your friend
Remembering a time when things were different and people were friendly and caring.
Where has everybody gone?
Wondering where the people who used to be supportive have gone.
What ever happen to 'hi howdy neighbor, nice to see ya
Recalling a friendlier past where people used to greet and welcome one another.
Company coming up the road
Anticipating a friendly visitor or neighbor approaching.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JIM KELTNER, RY COODER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind