His songs have been performed by a number of other musicians including "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton,"Cajun Moon" by Randy Crawford, "Clyde" and "Louisiana Women" by Waylon Jennings, "Magnolia" by Jai, "Bringing It Back" by Kansas, "Call Me the Breeze" and "I Got the Same Old Blues" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "I'd Like to Love You, Baby" by Tom Petty, "Travelin' Light" and "Ride Me High" by Widespread Panic, "Tijuana" by Harry Manx, "Sensitive Kind" by Carlos Santana, "Cajun Moon" by Herbie Mann with Cissy Houston, and "Same Old Blues" by Captain Beefheart.
Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was raised in Tulsa and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1956. Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he first worked as a studio engineer.
The Leathercoated Minds was a 1966-67 psychedelic studio-based band masterminded largely by Snuff Garrett and J J Cale. The band produced one album, A Trip down the Sunset Strip, co-produced by Cale and Garrett
Finding little success as a recording artist, he later returned to Tulsa and was considering giving up the music business until Clapton recorded "After Midnight" in 1970. His first album, Naturally, established his style, described by Los Angeles Times writer Richard Cromelin as a "unique hybrid of blues, folk and jazz, marked by relaxed grooves and Cale's fluid guitar and laconic vocals. His early use of drum machines and his unconventional mixes lend a distinctive and timeless quality to his work and set him apart from the pack of Americana roots-music purists."
Some sources incorrectly give his real name as "Jean-Jacques Cale". In the 2006 documentary, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, Cale talks about Elmer Valentine, co-owner of the Sunset Strip nightclub Whisky à GoGo, who employed him in the mid-1960s, being the one that came up with the "JJ" moniker to avoid confusion with the Velvet Underground's John Cale. Rocky Frisco tells the same version of the story mentioning the other John Cale but without further detail.
His biggest U.S. hit single, Crazy Mama, peaked at #22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972. During the 2006 documentary film To Tulsa and Back Cale recounts the story of being offered the opportunity to appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand to promote the song, which would have moved the song higher on the charts. Cale declined when told he could not bring his band to the taping and would be required to lip-sync the words to the song.
Cale died on Friday, July 26, 2013, at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California, after suffering a heart attack.
Who Knew
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
who knew
our life would be so complicated
who knew
that we would be so automated
no time to think on the brink who knew
who knew
not me, not you or anyone else
come to think of it, it's true
we're misinformed and always warned
to look out who knew
be ready to fabricate and navigate
your personal fate
you've got to articulate, tolerate
and circulate
rearrange and change your thing
just to accommodate
go there, be back, turn around,
go back, hurry up, then wait, don't be late who knew
i got yours, you got mine
hurry up, there ain't no time
exhilarate sometime this year
too much of this, not enough of that,
dislocated is where we're at
sign of the time is here who knew
oh my, just a sigh of relief
there's too much grief in this life
too much strive you've got
to compete or turn a new leaf or die
the reason why
when you go around uptown
you can't be looking down
wordy rise be wise
give you a joke on the wall
you recognize
tranquilize i compromise with you
blank stairs everywhere
don't look mad, who cares
who knew
(...)
too much of this, not enough of that,
dislocated is where we're at
sign of the time is here who knew
who knew our life would be so complicated
that we would be so automated
no time to think who knew
The song "Who Knew" by J.J. Cale explores the complexities and challenges of modern life. The lyrics suggest that people are constantly rushed and have no time to think or reflect. The song expresses a sense of resignation and acceptance that this is simply the way things are. The repetition of the phrase “who knew” in the chorus emphasizes the idea that nobody could have predicted how complicated and automated life would become.
The lyrics also touch on themes of competition, adaptation, and perseverance. The lines "you’ve got to articulate, tolerate / and circulate / rearrange and change your thing / just to accommodate" suggest that people must be constantly changing and adapting in order to succeed in life. The lines "too much of this, not enough of that / dislocated is where we’re at / sign of the time is here" express a sense of frustration with the state of the world, but also a recognition that this is the reality we must navigate.
Overall, "Who Knew" is a reflective song that encourages listeners to consider the challenges of modern life and the need for resilience and adaptation in a constantly changing world.
Line by Line Meaning
who knew
Reflecting on the complexities of life
who knew
Life didn't warn us on how hectic it will be
our life would be so complicated
Life is more complex than we ever expected
who knew
Automated lifestyle wasn't what anyone expected
no time to think on the brink who knew
Lack of time to process everything happening in our hectic life
not me, not you or anyone else
No one is fully aware of what life will bring for us
come to think of it, it's true
Upon reflecting, one realizes that they don't know what to expect from life
we're misinformed and always warned to look out who knew
We live in a world that misinforms and warns us while we navigate our personal fate
be ready to fabricate and navigate your personal fate
One must be prepared to modify their ways to keep up with the fast-paced world
you've got to articulate, tolerate and circulate
The ability to express oneself and tolerate new things is essential in life
rearrange and change your thing just to accommodate go there
Sometimes one needs to adjust their lifestyle to suit their new environment
be back, turn around, go back, hurry up, then wait, don't be late who knew
Life is full of contradictions and surprises that one never saw coming
i got yours, you got mine hurry up, there ain't no time exhilarate sometime this year
We need to move quickly to achieve our goals and make things happen
too much of this, not enough of that, dislocated is where we're at sign of the time is here who knew
The state of our lives is imbalanced and unpredictable
oh my, just a sigh of relief there's too much grief in this life too much strive you've got to compete or turn a new leaf or die the reason why
There's too much pain and suffering in life, and we need to adapt to survive
when you go around uptown you can't be looking down wordy rise be wise give you a joke on the wall you recognize tranquilize i compromise with you
When navigating around your surroundings, one must not look down and instead be alert for any opportunities
blank stairs everywhere don't look mad, who cares who knew
There's a lot of indifference in society, where most people don't care about each other's struggles
Contributed by William B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.