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".
Yellow Roses
Ry Cooder Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You tell me that they mean that we are through
You tell me that tonight your heart is broken
But you should know I was never untrue
I'll place them near your photograph and as the petals fall
They'll hide from you my lonely tears that shouldn't fall at all
Then they will slowly fade away and die
In Ry Cooder's song "Yellow Roses," the singer receives a bouquet of yellow roses from his sweetheart, which she tells him signifies the end of their relationship. She claims her heart is broken, but the singer assures her that he was never unfaithful. He plans to place the roses near her photograph, but as the petals fall, they will hide his tears, which he believes he shouldn't be shedding. Despite the roses signaling the end of their relationship, the singer asserts that he still loves her.
The song is a poignant reflection on the end of a relationship and the accompanying emotions that come with it. The singer seems to feel a sense of resignation and sadness, but also an unwavering love for his former partner. The yellow flowers carry symbolic weight, representing the end of a chapter, but also holding memories of happier times.
The song has been covered by various artists over the years, including Linda Ronstadt, who released a version of the song in 1987. The song has also been used in several films and TV shows, including the popular drama series "Breaking Bad." "Yellow Roses" is widely regarded as one of Ry Cooder's most iconic songs, showcasing the artist's skillful storytelling and evocative songwriting style.
Line by Line Meaning
I just received, sweetheart, your yellow roses
I have just received yellow roses from you, my dear.
You tell me that they mean that we are through
Through yellow roses, you are conveying that our relationship is over.
You tell me that tonight your heart is broken
You express that your heart is broken tonight.
But you should know I was never untrue
You need to know that I was always faithful to you.
I'll place them near your photograph and as the petals fall
I will put them near your picture, and as they wither away,
They'll hide from you my lonely tears that shouldn't fall at all
Those tears that fall from my eyes will be hidden from you and shouldn't be shed at all.
Then they will slowly fade away and die
The roses will eventually fade away and perish.
But I still love you though yellow roses say goodbye
Even though the yellow roses symbolize our breakup, my love for you remains strong.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KEN DEVINE, SAM NICHOLS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cityzen2717
I just received, sweetheart
Your yellow roses
You tell me dear
They mean that we're all through
You tell me that
Tonight your heart is broken
But you should know
I was never untrue
I'll place them near your photograph
And as the petals fall
They'll hide from you my lonely tears
That shouldn't fall at all
Then they will slowly
Fade away and die
But I'll still love you
Though yellow roses say goodbye
I'll place them near your photograph
And as the petals fall
They'll hide from you my lonely tears
That shouldn't fall at all
Then they will slowly
Fade away and die
But I'll still love you
Though yellow roses say goodbye
Songwriters: KENNY DEVINE / SAM NICHOLS
1st done by Hank Snow
@olavuthaug6991
I sang this song in a concert in a dream last night, and woke up still singing it! On repeat! Lovely!
@gerardvanberkel6391
Loved it when the album came out and I`m still loving it now.
@johannmckraken9399
Such a sad but lovely tune. Gabby’s steel playing is just so beautiful. I learned to play this on an old Rickenbacker frypan and I could do a decent job but Gabby had such an incredible touch that I could never get close to. This was the first time I’d ever heard Ry Cooder and I became an instant fan. I can never decide who to pick as my favorite guitarist, Ry Cooder or David Gilmore. Both so different but so freaking good.
@marymulinaro2507
sO bEAUTIFUL
@madeleinehague3247
Happy Birthday Ry Cooder! One of the very best. ❤
@huwking-jones4957
Chicken Skin Music was one of my earliest introductions to the great Ry Cooder ,now we are both grey haired and I’m still listening to him , how good is he ?
@NatureBoy1957
Your comment put a smile on my face. I first learned of Ry from two childhood friends who are brothers and musicians. They had Paradise and Lunch and when they played it, it opened a whole new world to me. I found that there was more than just rock music. I’ve kinda lucked out so far with the change of hair color. Some white around the chin but the top is still pretty brown and I’ve got it all at 63 yrs old.
@Blaze11975
Not just good, essential.
@Cyn55sam
Thank you for posting this song. Old sweet memories of my life
@smitthy50
Zo mooi dit gezellige romantische muziek!