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.
Carry On
J.J. Cale Lyrics
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Carry on, carry on
With darkness all about, you want to scream and shout
Carry on, carry on
Don't cry baby, look at where you've been
Everybody knows you just need a friend
Please, please, please, if you're down on your knees
Carry on, carry on
Your head is full of doubt, you can't figure it out
Carry on, carry on
Between the time it takes to make all those mistakes
Carry on, carry on
It don't matter what you say or do
It just seems to work out if you want it to
Let out all the slack, take it off your back
Carry on, carry on
Let me bend your ear, never shed a tear
Carry on, carry on
Carry on, carry on
J.J. Cale's "Carry On" is a song that speaks about the power of perseverance and resilience during tough times. Life is full of ups and downs, and when things seem to be falling apart, it's essential to keep moving forward. The song acknowledges that challenging moments can cause feelings of hopelessness, but it encourages listeners to push through regardless. When darkness is all around, and it feels like shouting and screaming are the only options, the song advises that one should carry on. Cale reminds us that life is not always easy and that we often make mistakes along the way, but it's crucial to keep going.
The lyrics suggest that there is light at the end of the tunnel and that we only need a friend to help us carry on. The song explicitly says, "Don't cry baby, look at where you've been/Everybody knows you just need a friend." This lyric captures the power of companionship and understanding during tough times. The song tells its listeners not to give up hope when we face difficult and uncertain times. Instead, we should take our minds off our problems and let go of any doubt. There's no need to shed tears, just take it off your back, and carry on.
Line by Line Meaning
If life's little downs they keep coming around
When life keeps getting difficult and unpleasant,
Carry on, carry on
Keep going and persist through the struggle.
With darkness all about, you want to scream and shout
When everything seems hopeless and scary,
Carry on, carry on
Keep moving forward and don't give up.
Don't cry baby, look at where you've been
Don't be upset, instead reflect on the past and how far you've come.
Everybody knows you just need a friend
Everyone needs a support system and someone to rely on.
Please, please, please, if you're down on your knees
When you're feeling helpless and desperate,
Carry on, carry on
Don't give up and keep persevering.
Your head is full of doubt, you can't figure it out
When you're unsure of what to do next and feel lost,
Carry on, carry on
Keep pushing forward, even in the uncertainty.
Between the time it takes to make all those mistakes
During the process of making and learning from mistakes,
Carry on, carry on
Don't stop and keep going in spite of the errors.
It don't matter what you say or do
No matter what you do or how hard you try,
It just seems to work out if you want it to
If you're determined and work hard, things have a way of working themselves out.
Let out all the slack, take it off your back
Release the stress and burden from your mind and body.
Carry on, carry on
Don't let the weight of life bring you down and keep moving forward.
Let me bend your ear, never shed a tear
Let me listen and provide support, and refrain from crying and negativity.
Carry on, carry on
Persist and persevere through every challenge.
Carry on, carry on
Concluding message to stay strong and continue in the face of adversity.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dolores Mary O'Riordan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind