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".
Three Chords and the Truth
Ry Cooder Lyrics
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Huh, you may not believe it
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, standin' in the prison yard
They were taking poor Joe, chained and bound, to a Utah firing squad
Well he turned and looked at me right then, sayin', Don't you be misled
They're trying to tear our free speech down, and Buddy, they ain't near quit yet
See, they framed me on a killin' charge, you know I wouldn't lie to you
Three chords and the truth, oh three chords and the truth
Well the only crime that Joe Hill done was three chords and the truth
Well he sang his good old union songs, he got his message through
But they couldn't stand to hear a workingman sing three chords and the truth
I see you don't believe you're old friend Buddy here
Heh, take a drink, I think you need it
Oh J. Edgar Hoover liked to hear the darkies sing, till one man changed that all around
Paul Robeson was a man that you couldn't ignore, and that's what drove J. Edgar down
(Yah drove him down)
He called up his New York Klan boyfriends, sayin', I got something good for you
Get right down there to Peekskill, New York town, and kill three chords and the truth
Three chords and the truth, oh, three chords and the truth
Well the only crime you ever got from Paul was three chords and the truth
Now if this is the land of democracy, I got one question for you
Why wasn't Paul Roberson set free on three chords and the truth?
I see you still don't believe it
I'll bother you one more time
I'll bother you one more time, right mister
Now they took Pete Seeger before the law and put him on the witness stand
But he stood right up to tyranny with just a banjo in his hand
Such a righteous banjo picker, watchin' out for me and you
That was just a man who wouldn't back down on three chords and the truth
Three chords and the truth, three chords and the truth
Well the only crime Pete Seeger done was three chords and the truth
Yah, he sang his freedom songs real good, he's still getting his message through
Better check out old Pete Seeger on three chords and the truth
Three chords and the truth, well its three chords and the truth
Well you better check out your old friend Buddy right now on three chords and the truth
Better check out old Harlan Howard, personal friend of mine
Check out old Harlan on three chords and the truth
???
The song "Three Chords and the Truth" by Ry Cooder tells the story of three musicians who stood up for what they believed in, even in the face of adversity. The first verse describes a dream where Cooder sees labor activist Joe Hill, who was wrongly accused of murder and executed by a firing squad. Hill tells Cooder that he was framed, but his only real crime was using "three chords and the truth" to sing his union songs and spread his message. Hill's story is a powerful example of how those in power will go to great lengths to silence dissent.
The second verse recounts the story of singer and civil rights activist Paul Robeson, who was targeted by FBI director J. Edgar Hoover for his political views. After Robeson's concert in Peekskill, NY was attacked by a violent mob, Hoover used the incident as an excuse to harass Robeson and other left-wing artists. Robeson's only crime, like Hill's, was "three chords and the truth" - the ability to use music to speak truth to power.
The final verse tells the story of singer and activist Pete Seeger, who was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee and blacklisted for his political beliefs. Seeger, like Hill and Robeson, refused to back down and continued to use his music to spread his message of peace and justice. The song serves as a tribute to these musicians and a call to action for all who believe in the power of music to effect change.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to tell you a story right here
I'm about to tell you a story
Huh, you may not believe it
You may not believe me
I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night, standin' in the prison yard
I had a dream about Joe Hill being in prison
They were taking poor Joe, chained and bound, to a Utah firing squad
Joe Hill was being taken to be executed by a firing squad in Utah
Well he turned and looked at me right then, sayin', Don't you be misled
Joe Hill spoke to me and warned me not to be misled
They're trying to tear our free speech down, and Buddy, they ain't near quit yet
There are forces trying to silence us and they won't stop anytime soon
See, they framed me on a killin' charge, you know I wouldn't lie to you
Joe Hill was falsely accused of murder
But the only crime here that I done was three chords and the truth
The real reason Joe Hill was being persecuted was because of his music and his message
Three chords and the truth, oh three chords and the truth
The power of music lies in its simplicity and honesty
Well the only crime that Joe Hill done was three chords and the truth
Joe Hill was persecuted because of the power of his music and message
Well he sang his good old union songs, he got his message through
Joe Hill's music carried a message of union and solidarity
But they couldn't stand to hear a workingman sing three chords and the truth
The establishment was threatened by Joe Hill's music and message
I see you don't believe you're old friend Buddy here
You seem skeptical of me, your friend Buddy
Heh, take a drink, I think you need it
I suggest you take a drink to loosen up
Oh J. Edgar Hoover liked to hear the darkies sing, till one man changed that all around
J. Edgar Hoover liked black music until his views were challenged
Paul Robeson was a man that you couldn't ignore, and that's what drove J. Edgar down
Paul Robeson was a powerful figure who threatened J. Edgar Hoover's power
(Yah drove him down)
He called up his New York Klan boyfriends, sayin', I got something good for you
J. Edgar Hoover conspired with the KKK to silence Paul Robeson
Get right down there to Peekskill, New York town, and kill three chords and the truth
The KKK were sent to Peekskill to stop Paul Robeson's message from spreading
Now if this is the land of democracy, I got one question for you
If America is a democracy why are people being persecuted for their beliefs?
Why wasn't Paul Roberson set free on three chords and the truth?
Why wasn't Paul Robeson allowed to peacefully express his views through music?
I see you still don't believe it
You're still skeptical
I'll bother you one more time
I'll try to convince you one more time
Now they took Pete Seeger before the law and put him on the witness stand
Pete Seeger was put on trial and forced to testify
But he stood right up to tyranny with just a banjo in his hand
Pete Seeger resisted oppression with the power of his music
Such a righteous banjo picker, watchin' out for me and you
Pete Seeger used his music for good and to fight for a better future
That was just a man who wouldn't back down on three chords and the truth
Pete Seeger's commitment to truth and justice was evident in his music
Yah, he sang his freedom songs real good, he's still getting his message through
Pete Seeger's music still resonates and carries a message of freedom
Better check out old Harlan Howard, personal friend of mine
You should listen to Harlan Howard, a friend of mine
Check out old Harlan on three chords and the truth
Harlan Howard's music is powerful because it speaks the truth
Contributed by Nora D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.