Withers, the youngest of six children, was born in the small coal-mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, on July 4, 1938. He was the son of Mattie (Galloway), a maid, and William Withers, a miner. He was born with a stutter and later said he had a hard time fitting in. His parents divorced when he was three, and he was raised by his mother's family in nearby Beckley, West Virginia. He was 13 years old when his father died. Withers enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 17, and served for nine years, during which time he became interested in singing and writing songs.
He left the Navy in 1965, relocating to Los Angeles in 1967 to start a music career. His debut release was "Three Nights and a Morning" in 1967. Arranged by Mort Garson, the song went unnoticed at the time but was later reworked by Withers as the track "Harlem".
Withers worked as an assembler for several different companies, including Douglas Aircraft Corporation, IBM and Ford, while recording demo tapes with his own money, shopping them around and performing in clubs at night. When he returned with the song "Ain't No Sunshine" in 1971, he refused to resign from his job because he believed the music business was a fickle industry. In early 1970, Withers's demonstration tape was auditioned favorably by Clarence Avant, owner of Sussex Records. Avant signed Withers to a record deal and assigned former Stax Records stalwart Booker T. Jones to produce Withers' first album. Four three-hour recording sessions were planned for the album, but funding caused the album to be recorded in three sessions with a six-month break between the second and final sessions. Just as I Am was released in 1971 with the tracks, "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Grandma's Hands" as singles. The album features Stephen Stills playing lead guitar. On the cover of the album, Withers is pictured at his job at Weber Aircraft in Burbank, California, holding his lunch box.
Withers was known for his "smooth" baritone vocals and "sumptuous" soul arrangements. He wrote some of the most covered songs of the 1970s, including "Lean on Me" and "Ain't No Sunshine". The former entered the Hot 100 chart through multiple versions, including Club Nouveau's 1987 cover, which made the composition one of nine songs to have led the chart via different acts. With "Lovely Day", he set the record for the longest sustained note on a chart hit on American charts, holding a high E for 18 seconds. Editors from The Guardian considered that Withers' songs are "some of the most beloved in the American songbook," citing, "'Ain't No Sunshine' is regarded as one of the all-time great breakup tracks, while 'Lean on Me', an ode to the supportive power of friendship ..." For the same newspaper, Alex Petridis noticed "[he] laid pain and paranoia under his deceptively gentle songs, and retired early having conquered gospel, funk, blues, disco and more." In Rolling Stone, writer Andy Greene noted that several of his songs "are embedded in the culture and have been covered countless times."
Writing for The New York Times, Giovanni Russonello considered Withers "[a] soulful singer with a gift for writing understated classics", adding, "the ultimate homespun hitmaker, he had an innate sense of what might make a song memorable, and little interest in excess attitude or accoutrements. Ultimately Withers reminded us that it’s the everyday that is the most meaningful: work, family, love, loss." A Billboard article considered that Withers "stands as one of R&B/soul music's most revered singer-songwriters." In the same magazine, writer Gail Mitchell acknowledged "Withers' legacy has flourished in the decades since, thanks to a cross-section of artists who have covered/sampled his songs or cited him as a major influence." Musician and music journalist Questlove referred to Withers' post-breakup 1974 album +'Justments as "a diary [...] [it] was a pre-reality-show look at his life. Keep in mind this was years before Marvin Gaye did it with Here, My Dear." The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson deemed him "a songwriter's songwriter". Musicians Sade, D'Angelo, Justin Timberlake, John Legend and Ed Sheeran have credited Withers as a music inspiration.
Withers died from heart complications in Los Angeles on March 30, 2020, at age 81; his family announced his death four days later. He is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills).
Ain'n no sunshine
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not warm when she's away.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
and she's always gone too long
anytime she goes away.
Wonder this time where she's gone,
wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
anytime she goes away.
And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know
Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
but ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
only darkness everyday.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
and this house just ain't no home
anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away
The lyrics to “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers describe the feeling of emptiness and loneliness that is left behind when someone you love is not around. The singer is in deep despair, and he feels that nothing can relieve him of this feeling. He tries to come up with ways of keeping himself occupied or distracted, but ultimately concludes that nothing compares to having his loved one around. The repetition of “ain’t no sunshine” reinforces the idea that the singer is in a dark place and cannot seem to find his way out of it. The guitar chords and the slow tempo of the song add to its melancholic feel.
The second stanza of the song adds a layer of uncertainty to the singer's emotions. He wonders where his loved one has gone and whether she will ever return. This creates a sense of anxiety and desperation as he tries to grapple with his loss. The singer is then presented with the bleak reality that his home does not feel like one without his partner. The third stanza is where the singer admits to himself that he should probably move on from his young love, but he cannot bear to do it because of the way she makes him feel, even when she's not around. The final stanza brings the song to a close, emphasizing that there is no relief from the darkness that he feels when his lover is gone.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.
Life becomes dull and gloomy in the absence of the woman he loves.
It's not warm when she's away.
Her warmth and presence creates a lively and happy environment.
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone
and she's always gone too long
anytime she goes away.
The woman is frequently absent for prolonged periods, worsening his mood.
Wonder this time where she's gone,
wonder if she's gone to stay
He's curious and concerned about her whereabouts, and fears she might not come back.
And this house just ain't no home
anytime she goes away.
Without her, his home feels empty and lifeless.
And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know
He repeatedly acknowledges that he's fully aware of how much he depends on her presence to be happy, yet feels powerless to change.
Hey, I ought to leave the young thing alone,
but ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
ain't no sunshine when she's gone,
only darkness everyday.
Acknowledging his strong attraction to her, he ultimately decides he can't bear to be without her.
Anytime she goes away.
The repetition of this line emphasizes how significant her presence is in his life and how much he misses her when she's not around.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@arpitabanerjee7306
Wonder this time where she's gone
Wonder if she's gone to stay
Ain't no sunshine where she's gone
And this house ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
I know, I know, I know, I know
I know, know, know, know, know
I know, I know,
Hey I ought to leave
I ought to leave her alone
Ain't no sunshine where she's gone
Ain't no sunshine where she's gone
Only darkness everyday
Ain't no sunshine where she's gone
And this house just ain't no home
Anytime she goes away
@jamoflys
The talent is unbelievable, outrageous for a 13 year old to sing like this!
@SmartestRick13
The first time i heard micheal it was like a spirit passing through my body. Strange feeling
@powpow9560
he also did outrageous things to 13 year olds
@kudugod795
@@powpow9560this was actually a 13 day old comment wth 😹😹
@melindapringle11
Yes!
@melindapringle11
They lied about him and ….
@bilgehanyucesoy8190
This is why MJ is the best. Pure talent at this age. Magnificient, Unbealieavable.
@tenderpawsm473
He is not going to outperform Bill Withers with this song.
@Alexander_Kobzar
he did@@tenderpawsm473
@deshawnmyers
Facts