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".
The Wall Street Part Of Town
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hopin’ that we can make things right
And I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
I’m standin’ in the pourin’ rain
Tryin’ to throw off my chains
And I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
I was hurtin’ before but this time I’m not a lonely one
Divide and rule, that’s always been their plan
We’re in trouble again but this time we’ve got friends
So I’ll keep walkin’ if it takes all night
A-hopin’ we gonna make things right
I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
They believe that evil deeds would never fail
They had a-you and me swinging by the tail
But look who’s swinging now, what’s that sound I hear
A mighty wind whistling past their ears
So I keep walkin’ if it takes all night
A-hopin’ we can make things right
I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
I feel like shakin’ a hand
I’m a-ready to take my stand
‘Cause I’m walkin’ towards the Wall Street part of town
I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
Don’t you want to go with me now to the Wall Street part of town?
In "The Wall Street Part of Town," Ry Cooder contrasts his own personal struggles with those of the larger society. He walks through the pouring rain, looking for a way to throw off his chains and make things right. His search leads him to the heart of New York's financial district, where he finds the root of the problem: the Wall Street bankers who believe that their evil deeds will never fail. But Cooder is not alone. He makes reference to "divide and rule," the age-old strategy of powerful people to pit the oppressed against each other. Yet this time, Cooder and his friends are united against their common enemy.
The lyrics of "The Wall Street Part of Town" express a powerful sentiment of resistance to those who oppress the underprivileged. As Cooder sees it, the bankers who hold the power are swinging by the tail, and they will ultimately be brought down by the collective might of the masses. Cooder comes across as a fearless and determined voice of the people, who is willing to walk all night in the rain to find the source of his troubles and take a stand against them.
Line by Line Meaning
I’m walkin’ if it takes all night
I am determined to walk as long as it takes
Hopin’ that we can make things right
I have hope that we can fix what’s wrong
And I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
I am searching for the area where financial power lies
I’m standin’ in the pourin’ rain
I am in a difficult situation
Tryin’ to throw off my chains
I am attempting to break free from oppression
And I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
I am still seeking the place where financial power resides
I’m in trouble again but this time I’m not the only one
I am experiencing difficulty alongside others this time
I was hurtin’ before but this time I’m not a lonely one
I have previously suffered alone, but not anymore
Divide and rule, that’s always been their plan
The powerful maintain control by dividing their subjects
We’re in trouble again but this time we’ve got friends
We are facing difficulties, but we are united with allies this time
So I’ll keep walkin’ if it takes all night
I’ll persist in my search, no matter how long it takes
A-hopin’ we gonna make things right
I have faith that we will set things straight
I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
I still have yet to find the place where financial power lies
They believe that evil deeds would never fail
Those in power are confident that their immoral actions will succeed
They had a-you and me swinging by the tail
They had us under their control like puppets
But look who’s swinging now, what’s that sound I hear
The tables have turned, and those in power are now in danger
A mighty wind whistling past their ears
Danger is approaching
So I keep walkin’ if it takes all night
I am unwavering in my determination
A-hopin’ we can make things right
I still believe we can fix what’s wrong
I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
My search for the source of financial power continues
I feel like shakin’ a hand
I am ready to make an agreement
I’m a-ready to take my stand
I am ready to take a firm position
‘Cause I’m walkin’ towards the Wall Street part of town
I am determined to find the place where financial decisions are made
I’m lookin’ for the Wall Street part of town
I am still searching for where those in financial power reside
Don’t you want to go with me now to the Wall Street part of town?
Do you not wish to join me in seeking change from the financial elites?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RY COODER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind