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".
Which Came First
Ry Cooder Lyrics
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You can bet your life one destroys the other
I don't know how it all began, which came first
The egg or the hen
The moon comes up and the sun goes down
This old world keeps spinning around
Just as sure as the day turns into the night
Masked man ridin' out across the land
Spreading destruction and moving his hand
He carries a ray-gun, shoots from the hip
Got your past in his pocket, your future's in his grip
You may be a hater, you may be a lover
You bet your life one destroys the other
I don't know how it all began, which came first
The egg or the hen
Now, you bet your life without a doubt
Asking a masked man to leat you out
He's got you so tight that you can't even see
That ray-gun is pointed right at you and me
You won't see it coming
You won't feel the blow
You won't get no warning
You won't never know
You can't start it sooner
And fix it up later
And you ain't going to read about it in the newspaper
Rich or poor, mighty and meek
Don't need no ticket, you've all got a seat
High up on the mountain, low down in the alley
We'll all watch the world turn into death valley
You may be a hater, you may be a lover
You can bet your life one destroys the other
I don't know how it all began, which came first
The egg or the hen
Better shake my hand 'cause time is winding up
Shake your neighbor's hand 'cause time is winding up
You may be a hater, you may be a lover
You can bet your life one destroys the other
I don't know how it all began, which came first
The egg or the hen
Ry Cooder's "Which Came First" is a song that reflects on the cycle of destruction and creation in society. The lyrics explore the idea of two opposing forces, one being a "hater" and the other being a "lover," who inevitably clash with one another. Cooder asserts that this conflict is innate, and it originates from the question of "which came first?" - does love conquer hate, or does hate conquer love? Are they two sides of the same coin? The singer is uncertain about the answer to this question, and he believes that society may be in the same state of confusion.
As the song continues, Cooder paints a dystopian picture of a world controlled by a masked man, spreading destruction with a ray-gun. This figure comes to represent the destructive force that exists within society and pits people against one another. The message is clear - if people can't conquer their inner demons, the world is doomed to destruction.
The final verse of the song implores people to recognize the imminent danger and to come together before it becomes too late. Cooder suggests that the final outcome is still uncertain, and it's up to humanity to determine whether love or hate will ultimately win.
Overall, "Which Came First" is a cautionary tale about the futility of hate and the importance of unity in the face of adversity. Cooder's lyrics are both thought-provoking and deeply introspective, leaving the listener to contemplate the nature of humanity's struggle against itself.
Line by Line Meaning
You may be a hater, you may be a lover
No matter who you are, you can either spread love or hate.
You can bet your life one destroys the other
Love and hate cannot exist together; one will always overpower the other.
I don't know how it all began, which came first
The origin of the world's problems is unknown; just like the age-old philosophical question of whether the egg or hen came first.
The moon comes up and the sun goes down
Life keeps moving forward; days turn into nights and vice versa.
This old world keeps spinning around
The world keeps moving and changing, whether we like it or not.
Just as sure as the day turns into the night
The cycle of life is inevitable and will always continue.
What you do in the dark will turn up in the light
Your actions will determine your fate; your secrets will eventually be revealed.
Masked man ridin' out across the land
An unknown entity is causing chaos and destruction.
Spreading destruction and moving his hand
This entity is purposely causing harm and chaos without care for the consequences.
He carries a ray-gun, shoots from the hip
This entity is heavily armed and dangerous.
Got your past in his pocket, your future's in his grip
This entity has control over your past and future, which are crucial in determining your present.
Now, you bet your life without a doubt
This situation is a matter of life and death; one wrong move could be fatal.
Asking a masked man to leat you out
Depending on someone who is untrustworthy and harmful is not a good idea.
He's got you so tight that you can't even see
When you get sucked into a bad situation, it can be hard to see a way out.
That ray-gun is pointed right at you and me
We are all in danger, and we cannot escape the destruction caused by this entity.
You won't see it coming
One cannot predict when destruction and chaos will strike; it can happen at any moment.
You won't feel the blow
When a disaster strikes, we may not feel the effects immediately.
You won't get no warning
Disasters and chaos do not come with warnings or notifications.
You won't never know
We cannot predict the future, and we never know what is going to happen.
You can't start it sooner
It's too late to try and fix the problem earlier; the time to act was before it started.
And fix it up later
We cannot undo the damage and chaos caused by past actions.
And you ain't going to read about it in the newspaper
The consequences of our actions often go unnoticed and unreported.
Rich or poor, mighty and meek
No matter who you are, we are all at risk from the destruction caused by this entity.
Don't need no ticket, you've all got a seat
Everyone is involved in this situation, no one can escape.
High up on the mountain, low down in the alley
No matter how high or low we are in society, we are all affected by the chaos and destruction caused by this entity.
We'll all watch the world turn into death valley
The destruction caused by this entity will cause the world to become a desolate and barren place.
Better shake my hand 'cause time is winding up
The end is near, and we should make amends and prepare for what's to come.
Shake your neighbor's hand 'cause time is winding up
We should also reach out to others and help each other during difficult times.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RY COODER, WILLIE DIXON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind