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".
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Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a miracle what love can do
All the joys romance can bring
Come smiling down on a heart that's true
When love is real, you can't turn it around
It's like a river running down to the sea
This old world turns around for lovers like you
It's not The Way Love Turned Out For Me.
People in love build a house they can share
Takes a long time to get it just right
But a fire can start in the kitchen somewhere
And burn that little house down overnight
That flame burning bright in your heart
I believed that you turned it on just for me
Another man held that fire
Burned our house to the ground
That's The Way Love Turned Out For Me.
People turn out for the big show
Pretty flowers turn out in the spring
And the light turns out in the kitchen
When somebody pulls on the string
But there's no light burning in my kitchen
And no doors open up with my key
And I ain't got no one to turn to
That's The Way Love Turned Out For Me.
The first verse of Ry Cooder's "Hold That Snake" describes the singer's love for his partner. The comparison of his love to a bulldog's love for a bone suggests that he is fiercely devoted to their relationship. The second line of the verse then reveals that the singer's partner has become intoxicated and called him for company. Despite the absurdity of the situation, the singer responds to his partner's call and heads over to her place.
The second verse speaks about the partner's state of inebriation. She has drunk too much and is unable to leave her home because of a snake that is blocking her exit. The snake could be seen as a metaphor for the dangers of excessive drinking, which can trap a person and prevent them from making smart choices. However, the partner is unafraid and has called for her partner to help her through a difficult situation.
The chorus encourages the partner to hold onto the snake and wait for the singer's arrival. The repetition of the phrase "hold that snake" emphasizes the need for the partner to stay calm and persevere until the singer arrives. The final line of the chorus suggests that the situation will be resolved when he arrives.
Overall, "Hold That Snake" is a playful song that uses a silly situation to express the singer's devotion to his partner. The snake serves as a metaphor for the challenges that arise in all relationships, and the singer's willingness to come to his partner's aid shows his commitment to overcoming those challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
I love my baby like a bull dog loves his bone
My love for her is fierce and determined.
Last night she got crazy, called me up on the phone
After enjoying some whiskey, she called me to join her.
Said, "Come on over, daddy
'Cause I hates drinkin' alone"
She doesn't want to drink alone, so she wants me with her.
Said, "I had me a little and I had to have a little more
Try to get up, could not get out the door
And there's a big ole snake
That's crawlin' right across the floor"
She drank too much and is now stuck inside the house with a snake on the loose.
My baby's not afraid to take a chance
Drinkin' whiskey starts her thinkin' about romance
That's when she wants what I keep in my pants
She's bold and adventurous, whiskey gets her in the mood, and she desires intimacy.
I know she's got a few tricks up her sleeve
When she gets hot it's not hard to believe
So I told my baby
Just what Adam said to Eve
She's a bit of a wild card when excited, so I warned her, similar to when God warned Adam and Eve.
Hold that snake 'til I make it
Hold on 'til your daddy gets there
Just grab his head and shake it
Tell him be ain't goin' nowhere
Take it easy but take it
But don't let go of that snake
'Til I make it
Leave the snake be, I am on my way to rescue you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE M L HALL, QUINTON CLAUNCH, RY COODER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@nashvegasnow
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
@justinthyme5382
I'm 81 years young and still rocking mainly in my rocking chair. Hi from Australia 😎🎵🎶🎵🎶
@russelljones182
Rock on my Aussie mate, love having you express yourself with the rest of us! Old Man meself in the American south.
@rickabbott5297
Hi mate, saw him play in Perth in about 1982 ish for three hours and it was all acoustic— riveting bit of a shame at the time thought it might get electrified at some stage but really didn’t matter.🎸🤗😁👍
@christianjamet884
I'm only 75 years but i move my leg on this groove and i'm happy!☺
@rowley1950
Me too mate... throw down the zimmer frame and get to it!
@charlesroer972
Listening to Ry for damn near 50 yrs . Just gettin better
@bobmiller2843
Bop till you Drop was my intro.
@bernadettecognacpitre2380
like good French wine😃
j'ai 73 ans ,et cette musique me "transporte tjs autant ....
longue vie à toi mon "frère" de musique
@Krog12354
Ry Cooder is the best guitarist most people never heard of.
@elizabethtowle7331
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.