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".
Need a Woman
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's been raining in my mouth all day
Dripping down to my clothes
My patience it is wearing thin
Got a fire inside my nose
Searching for the truth the way God designed it
The truth is I might drown before I find it
Well, I need a woman
Yes, I do
Need a woman
Yes, I do
Someone who can see me as I am
Give the kind of love that don't have to be condemned
And I want you to be that woman
Every night
Be that woman
Treat me right
I've had my eyes on you, baby
For about five long years
You probably don't know me at all
But I've seen your laughter and I've seen your tears
Now you don't frighten me
I ain't no defendant
And you look like it wouldn't hurt you none
To have a man of understanding
Well, I need a woman
Oh, don't I
Need a woman
Bring it home safe at last
I've seen you standing on the corner
Seen you sitting down in the park
Been watching you in the sunshine
Walking with you in the dark
And I want you to be that woman
Treat me right
Be that woman
Every night
Well, if you believe in something long enough
You just naturally come to think it's true
There ain't no wall you can't crossover
Ain't no fire you can't walk through
Well, believing is all right
Just don't let the wrong people know what it's all about
They might put the evil eye on you
Use their hidden powers to try to turn you out
Well, I need a woman
Just to be my queen
Need a woman
Black, white, yellow, brown, blue or green
Riding out with me at midnight
Like two Spanish desperadoes
Gazing down upon the futile world
In her Cadillac Eldorado
We will penetrate the storm
In search of truth that has not been tested
But she better bring along her checkbook
Just in case we get arrested
And I want you to be that woman
In "I Need A Woman," Ry Cooder covers Bob Dylan's 1981 release. The opening lines introduce a sense of gloominess and illustrate the heavy toll that life can take on an individual. The lyrics suggest that the singer is on the brink of losing hope and in need of love and support to keep him going. The second verse sees Cooder seeking a woman who can not only understand him, but who can give her love without judgement- someone he can trust completely. Cooder also admits to having had his eyes on someone for some years, but clearly acknowledging their different backgrounds and hoping that the woman can look past them.
The song explores themes of love, hope, and perseverance through challenging times. The lyrics convey an honest message about the struggles that people experience daily, whether they be spiritual, emotional, or personal. The chorus's repetition of "I need a woman" serves as a reminder of the importance of love and support in our daily lives.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been raining in my mouth all day
My thoughts and feelings have been pouring out of me all day
Dripping down to my clothes
And they're starting to affect my physical appearance
My patience it is wearing thin
I'm starting to lose my temper and get frustrated
Got a fire inside my nose
I'm feeling angry and emotionally heated
Searching for the truth the way God designed it
I'm trying to find the real answers to my problems in life
The truth is I might drown before I find it
But I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle everything I discover
Well, I need a woman
I'm looking for a romantic partner to help me through these challenges
Yes, I do
I really need someone by my side
Someone who can see me as I am
I want a woman who understands and accepts me for who I truly am
Give the kind of love that don't have to be condemned
I'm looking for unconditional love and support
And I want you to be that woman
I'm specifically interested in you as a potential partner
Every night
I want to be with you all the time
Treat me right
But I also want to be respected and treated well
I've had my eyes on you, baby
I've noticed you for a while now
For about five long years
I've been interested in you for quite some time
You probably don't know me at all
But you don't really know me yet
But I've seen your laughter and I've seen your tears
I've observed your emotions and expressions
Now you don't frighten me
I'm not intimidated by you anymore
I ain't no defendant
I'm self-assured and confident
And you look like it wouldn't hurt you none
And I think you're easygoing and wouldn't mind getting to know me
To have a man of understanding
Who is empathetic and can provide emotional support
Oh, don't I
I really, really need someone to be my partner
Bring it home safe at last
And I want us to overcome our difficulties together
I've seen you standing on the corner
I've seen you out and about
Seen you sitting down in the park
I've seen you enjoying leisure time
Been watching you in the sunshine
I've seen you in different environments
Walking with you in the dark
I even enjoy spending time with you in the evenings
Just to be my queen
I want you to be my partner for life
Black, white, yellow, brown, blue or green
I don't care about superficial differences; I just want someone who loves me
Riding out with me at midnight
I want us to take on the world together
Like two Spanish desperadoes
I want us to be a team and go on wild adventures together
Gazing down upon the futile world
Reflecting on how meaningless everything else in life is without love
In her Cadillac Eldorado
But we'll have some luxury and style along the way
We will penetrate the storm
Even when life gets tough, we'll navigate it together
In search of truth that has not been tested
And we'll continue exploring our lives and relationship to find deeper meaning
But she better bring along her checkbook
But we'll need to be prepared for any challenges that come our way
Just in case we get arrested
And be able to handle any legal difficulties we encounter
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind