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".
Mutt Romney Blues
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now boss Mitt Romney went for a ride
Pulled up on a highway side
Tied me down up on the roof
Boss I hollered, woof woof woof
Please master boss!
Hot in the day, cold all night
Where I’m goin’ I just don’t know
Poor dog’s got to bottle up and go
Oh Mr. Boss, cut me down!
Woof, woof, woof
He had a ride, sure not ridin’
Poor dog he really had a ride
He had a ride, sure not ridin’
Up on the rooftop here I’m sat
The song "Mutt Romney Blues" by Ry Cooder is a satirical take on the infamous incident when American politician Mitt Romney put his dog, Seamus, in a carrier and strapped it to the roof of his car during a family road trip. The song is essentially told from the point of view of the dog, who is tied up on the roof and left to endure extreme temperatures and discomfort while his owner enjoys the ride. The lyrics depict the dog's agony and suffering through its constant howling and pleas for help. The song is a criticism of Romney's treatment of the dog and highlights his lack of empathy towards animals.
The lyrics also touch upon the broader theme of animal abuse and the disregard for animal welfare. The dog's predicament resonates with those who believe that animals deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. The line "Hot in the day, cold all night" speaks to the fact that animals are often left to suffer in extreme weather conditions, without regard for their comfort or safety.
Line by Line Meaning
1, 2, 3, 4
Introductory countoff for the song
Now boss Mitt Romney went for a ride
A reference to presidential candidate Mitt Romney and his alleged mistreatment of a dog during a family road trip
Pulled up on a highway side
Stopping at a rest area or other roadside location
Tied me down up on the roof
Strapping the dog carrier to the roof of the car
Boss I hollered, woof woof woof
The dog's imagined protest at his treatment
Please master boss!
A plea for mercy from the dog
Don’t look right, it don’t seem right
A reflection on the inhumanity and absurdity of the situation
Hot in the day, cold all night
The dog's physical discomfort due to his exposure to the elements
Where I’m goin’ I just don’t know
The dog is helpless and at the mercy of his owner's whims
Poor dog’s got to bottle up and go
The dog must endure the trip in confinement and discomfort
Oh Mr. Boss, cut me down!
Another plea for mercy from the dog
Woof, woof, woof
Continued imaginary protest from the dog
He had a ride, sure not ridin’
A play on words to emphasize the dog's passive role in the trip
Poor dog he really had a ride
A statement of fact about the dog's experience
He had a ride, sure not ridin’
Repetition of the earlier line for emphasis
Up on the rooftop here I’m sat
The dog's position on top of the car, exposed to the elements and at the mercy of his owner
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RY COODER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind