You Are So Beautiful – Joe Cocker | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#5); 1975
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Like Jennifer Warnes, with whom he’d record Up Where We Belong in 1982, Joe Cocker began his recording career with a Lennon/McCartney tune. The record in question was not – as you might guess – the Cocker classic from 1968, With A Little Help From My Friends.
Rather it was a cover of I’ll Cry Instead with Joe and band billed as Vance Arnold & The Avengers. Although it bombed, later efforts, such as the aforementioned With A Little Help and She Came In Through The Bathroom Window, thrilled listeners.
Although hard living quickly derailed his career, Joe was still capable of producing great music, as evidenced by You Are So Beautiful. Co-written by Beatles’ organist Billy Preston, he included it on his 1974 album The Kids & Me and, in instrumental form, on the flip side of his Struttin’ single.
Yet, it was Joe’s compelling voice that made Beautiful a hit, and introduced the blue-eyed soul screamer as a fine interpreter of romantic ballads.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Jim Price
Lyrics Written by:
- Billy Preston
- Bruce Fisher
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).