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).
Everbody's Talkin'
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't hear a word they're sayin'
Only the echoes of my mind
People stop, starin' at me
I don't even see their faces
Only the shadow of their eyes
Going where the sun keeps shinin'
Through the pourin' rain
Bankin' off the a northeast wind
Sailin' on a summer breeze
Skippin' over the ocean like a stone
Why, why, why, why?
Why, why, why, why?
I said, everybody keeps talkin' at me
I don't hear a word they're sayin'
Only the echoes of my mind"
People stop, starin' at me
I don't even see their faces
Only the shadow of their eyes
Skippin', skippin', skippin', skip, skip
Over the ocean like a stone
I say, why, why, why?
Why, why?
The lyrics of the song "Everybody's Talkin'" by Bill Withers express the singer’s thoughts about feeling disconnected from the world and lost in his own thoughts. The song opens with the singer expressing his inability to listen to or process the chatter around him. He is so enveloped in his own thoughts that everything else fades into the background. He only hears the echoes of his own mind.
The second verse describes the people around the singer as strangers, with no individual features or faces. He only sees the shadow of their eyes. The singer then describes his desire to travel and move away from where he is, to a place where he can be himself regardless of the environment. He plans to travel wherever he wants, independent of the weather and destination.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of sadness and disconnection that is conveyed, with the singer looking for meaning in a noisy and chaotic world. The repeated "why" at the end of each verse suggests a deep longing for answers or understanding.
Overall, "Everybody's Talkin'" is a commentary on the feeling of disconnection and loneliness that can arise even when surrounded by others, and the longing for a sense of purpose and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody's talkin' at me
There are many voices around me, but they're not addressing me specifically.
I don't hear a word they're sayin'
The voices around me are not clear to me; I can't make out what they're saying.
Only the echoes of my mind
Even though there are many voices around me, my mind is preoccupied with my own thoughts and concerns.
People stop, starin' at me
I am the focus of attention amongst the people around me.
I don't even see their faces
Despite being the focus of attention, I'm not really present in this moment and I'm not engaging with the people around me.
Only the shadow of their eyes
I'm not really interacting with the people around me; I'm only observing their reactions.
Going where the sun keeps shinin'
I'm searching for a place or situation that is consistently positive and hopeful.
Through the pourin' rain
Despite any setbacks or challenges, I'm committed to finding a positive situation.
Goin' where the weather suits my clothes
I'm looking for a place where I can fit in comfortably and be myself, without judgment or criticism.
Bankin' off the a northeast wind
I'm letting the forces around me guide me towards finding a positive situation; I'm open to new experiences and opportunities.
Sailin' on a summer breeze
I'm going with the flow and enjoying the journey towards finding a positive situation.
Skippin' over the ocean like a stone
I'm moving quickly and nimbly towards finding a positive situation.
Why, why, why, why?
Despite my determination to find a positive situation, I'm still questioning why I'm not content with my current situation.
I said, everybody keeps talkin' at me
Despite my desire to find a positive situation, I'm still feeling overwhelmed by the many voices around me.
I don't hear a word they're sayin'
The many voices around me are still not clear to me, and I'm not really present in this moment to engage with them.
Only the echoes of my mind
Despite the many voices around me, I'm still preoccupied with my own thoughts and concerns.
People stop, starin' at me
I'm still the focus of attention amongst the people around me, but I'm not really engaging with them.
I don't even see their faces
Despite being the focus of attention, I'm not really present in this moment and I'm not interacting with the people around me.
Only the shadow of their eyes
I'm still observing the reactions of the people around me, rather than engaging with them directly.
Skippin', skippin', skippin', skip, skip
I'm still moving quickly and nimbly towards finding a positive situation.
Over the ocean like a stone
The journey towards finding a positive situation is still a swift and decisive one.
I say, why, why, why?
Despite my efforts to find a positive situation, I'm still questioning why I'm not content with my current situation.
Contributed by Madison V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.