Name: Joe Cocker, "Many Rivers to Cross" on Letterman, Sept. 15, 1986 (st.)
Uploaded: 2018-02-23T07:12:12.000Z
Description: Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Joe Cocker, "Many Rivers to Cross" on Letterman, Sept. 15, 1986 (st.)' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2018-02-23. Transcript available.

Watch the stand-up comedy video 'Joe Cocker, "Many Rivers to Cross" on Letterman, Sept. 15, 1986 (st.)' from Don Giller on Comedy Buff. Published 2018-02-23. Transcript available.

Okay.
You boys ready over there?
Our next guest tonight is one of the most distinctive voices in the entire
world.
He is one of the few artists in the music business to boast hit songs in the 60s,
the 70s, and also the 80s.
This is his brand new album right here.
It's called Cocker.
Are you kidding? I don't even know her.
But, you know, seriously, ladies and gentlemen.
It's... it's... it's the name... settle down now.
It's the name... it's the name...
It's the name of the album. Get a hold of yourselves.
Five years. That's right.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Joe Cocker.
Many rivers to cross
But I can't seem to find my way home
Wondering I'm lost
As I travel along
As I travel along
The white cliffs of Dover
Many rivers to cross
And it's only my way
And it's only my way
That keeps me alive
I've been ripped, washed up for years
And I'm merely surviving
And I'm merely surviving
Because of my pride
Because of my pride
In this loneliness of love
Leave me alone
Leave me alone
Leave me alone
It's such a dream
To be on your own
On your own
On your own
My God left me
And would I say why?
Guess I'll just
Run right down and cry
Many rivers to cross
But just where to begin
I'll play a more time
There have been times
There have been times
I've found myself
Thinking I'm committing
Some terrible lies
This loneliness would be
To be lonely
I know
Yes, that's a dread
Such a dread
To be on your own
Oh
Oh
Oh
Oh
My God left me
And would I say why?
Guess I'll just break
Right down and cry
Oh
Many rivers to cross
But I can't seem too far
My way over
But I can't seem too far
My way over
Wondering I'm lost
As I travel along
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
The whitelist of the white list of dolphins
I'm in the river just to get over. I just keep moving on.
I'm in the river just to get over.
I love them well.
Let them get over, sir.
Yes, sir!
Nice job, Joe. Come on over.
Thank you, gentlemen.
Let me ride back with Joe Coppers.
Welcome back.
You sound great. Nice job.
Yeah, a little husky, David, but...
A little bit.
Now, do you ever have a problem with your throat, sore throats?
I do, but only if I smoke too much.
You smoke? Yeah.
But in your career, you've not been plagued with that?
It seems like what you're doing...
Of course, I don't know this, not really.
I don't know much about throats and music and so forth.
It seems like what you're doing would be hard,
especially over a long period of time.
Well, I find if I don't work too often,
that's when I get my suffer, you know?
But if you...
I've just done like a route of four months on the road,
so you tend to grind into it.
Do you have to warm up every night?
Do you do vocal exercises?
No, I'm not a warmer-upper myself.
We just did some dates with Rod Stewart,
and Rod always used to warm up with his band,
but I always find out I just, you know,
I feel better just to get out.
You go out there and do it?
Uh-huh.
Did you enjoy being out on the road?
Uh, yeah, you know, it's pretty grueling
when you go to places like Italy and Germany.
Uh-huh.
You know, we end up living on Big Macs all the time.
So this was a European tour?
Yes, uh-huh.
Uh-huh.
And you have a very distinctive presentation when you sing.
You move in a very unique fashion with your...
You know what I mean?
Yes, indeed.
Is that anything that you started doing years ago consciously,
or just that's the way it happened?
Well, I mean, you know, everyone knows my love of Ray Charles,
and it kicked off with me sort of more like impersonating Ray.
But then over the years, it's just something I do very, you know, just...
Yeah.
I'm totally unaware of it.
It's certainly unique.
Now, when you were on the Ed Sullivan Show, what did they do with you?
They had, uh...
Yeah, they sort of hid, you know what I mean, from the waist down, right?
Uh-huh.
I'm sorry.
Just let me see him from the, uh...
No, it was Elvis had a problem from the waist down.
Yeah, that's right.
I think it was Elvis.
So, I think they just...
Anyway, they were just trying to block out my, uh, my arms, right?
And how did they do that?
By, uh, having many dancing girls just eternally coming around.
Yeah.
Yes.
Now, you normally don't work with a lot of dancing girls, do you, Joe?
I have two girls who I'm singing back of, but...
Yeah, yeah.
Uh, what was the song you did on the Ed Sullivan Show?
Good Lord, Feeling Alright, the one the band we're playing.
Yeah.
Uh, and now, when you go out on these tours, now, who comes to see you these
days?
Is it folks my age, or is it younger?
Is it a mixture?
It is a strange mixture, because, you know, I'm...
You know, you get kids who, you know, when I think...
Like, one of my records was out in '68.
So, it's almost 20 years, right?
Uh-huh.
And we get teenagers coming along, like, in Italy and stuff,
who have, you know, Mad Dog's an Englishman album I made years ago.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So, you get a whole mixture?
Yeah, a real strange crew sometimes.
When you started out doing this, did you still think you'd be doing it in, uh,
this much later?
Uh, there have been a few years where I've wondered if I'll ever get back into
it again.
Yeah.
But I sort of go into a stride that I'm enjoying right now.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, things are working quite well for you.
Yeah.
Well, cheers.
Yeah.
And a nice picture.
I didn't hear your crypt...
I didn't understand your cryptic comment.
Well, it's like an...
It's an old...
It's an old joke.
Yeah.
That's all...
That's all we have to know about that.
Um...
Now, are you, uh...
Are you...
Are you gonna be touring the United States?
Yeah, well, that's what I'm...
You know, the next album I do, I wanna make sure that I time it so that I tour
with my band simultaneously across America.
Yeah.
It would be nice to have you and your band touring the same country together.
Well...
Very good, very good.
All right, Joe.
Nice to see you again.
Come back any time.
We gotta go.
Uh...
I tell you what, next time when you come back, let's do that one together.
Yeah?
Yeah, you and me.
Really?
Yeah.
You're gonna take on the girls' part?
No, no, no.
I'm gonna be right there with you up front.
Yeah.
Belting my brains out.
Okay, that's the...
I'm up for it.
Yeah.
Uh, my thanks to everybody who's here tonight, uh...
Kirk Douglas and Joe Cocker.
Tomorrow night, musician Steve Wynwood.
Have a nice evening, folks.
Good night, everybody.
Thank you.