Saturday Night Live Transcripts
Season 1: Episode 3
Joe Cocker
…..Rob Reiner
Joe Cocker…..John Belushi
Rob Reiner: — he just flew in from London — he’s a super rock star, he needs no introduction — ladies and gentlemen, here he is!
[ dissolve across the studio to Joe Cocker shaking himself in a manic manner as the band breaks into a bluesy version of “Get By With a Little Help From My Friends.” ]
Joe Cocker: [ singing ]
“What would you do if I sang out of tune
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Well, lend me your ear and I’ll – I’ll sing you a song
I will try not to sing out of key, yeah.
Oh, baby I get by with a little help from my friends
Well, most of all I wanna get high
Back-up Singers: (By with a little help from my friends)
Joe Cocker: You know I wanna get my friends
Back-up Singers: (By with a little help from my friends)
Joe Cocker: Oh oh oh, whoa yeah!
What do I do when my love is away?
Back-up Singers: (Does it worry you to be alone?)
Joe Cocker:
No, no
How do I feel at the end of the day?
Back-up Singers: (Are you sad ’cause you’re on your own?)
Joe Cocker: Oh whoa oh, baby, I
Back-up Singers: (Get by with a little help from my friends)
Joe Cocker: Oh, dontcha know I wanna get high
Back-up Singers: (By with a little help from my friends)
Joe Cocker: Whoa whoa whoa, I
Back-up Singers: (By with a little help from my friends)
[ Cocker chugs a can of beer back and lets it drip all over himself ]
Back-up Singers: (Do you need anybody – whoo!)
Joe Cocker: [ softly ] I just need someone to love
Back-up Singers: (Could it be anybody?)
Joe Cocker:
All I need is someone, whoa oh oh oh, yeah!
whoa oh oh oh, yeah!
Baby, I —
Back-up Singers:
(Get by with a little help from my friends)
(Get by with a little help from my friends)
[ Cocker stands up on one foot, performs a 720-degree spin and flips himself to the ground ]
Back-up Singers:
(Get by with a little help from my friends) (Get by with a little help from my friends)
[ Cocker cradles himself on the ground, rocks back and forth, then falls off the apron onto the audience’s feet. He climbs back up, lies on his back, spins himself once, then chugs the beer again and spits it out with geyser-like proportions. ]
[ audience applauds ]
[ fade ]