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).
For My Friend
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's have a drink and talk it over. I want to keep you for my friend
We're here to day and gone tomorrow
None of us knows when life will end
But I want to keep you for my friend
One of us has to say he's ssorry
We will never be friends again
Let's have a little drink and talk it over
I want to keep you for my friend
We're here today and gone tomorrow.
None of us knows when life will end
I said some nasty things that caused you sorrrow
But I want to keep you for my friend
The song "For My Friend" by Bill Withers is a heartfelt plea to salvage a friendship that has been broken by hurtful words. The first two lines of the song reveal the crux of the matter: "One of us has to say he's sorry or we will never be friends again/Let's have a drink and talk it over. I want to keep you for my friend." The singer acknowledges that a mistake has been made, but he doesn’t specify who was at fault. However, he is willing to take the first step towards reconciliation and suggests that they have a drink and talk things over.
In the second verse, Withers reminds us of the fragility of life and how none of us can really predict what will happen in the future. He sings, "We're here today and gone tomorrow/None of us knows when life will end." This is a poignant reminder that life is short, and we should not waste it holding onto grudges or bitterness. The singer acknowledges that he said some hurtful things that caused his friend sorrow but wants to mend their relationship, saying, "I said some things that caused you sorrow/But I want to keep you for my friend."
Overall, Bill Withers's song "For My Friend" is a moving tribute to the power of forgiveness and the importance of preserving meaningful friendships. It's a reminder that we all make mistakes and say things we regret, but if we're willing to take responsibility for our actions and make amends, we can maintain the bonds that make life worth living.
Line by Line Meaning
One of us has to say he's sorry or we will never be freinds again
In order for us to maintain our friendship, one of us needs to apologize for our wrongdoing.
Let's have a drink and talk it over. I want to keep you for my friend
Let's sit down and have a conversation about what happened so we can move past it and continue our friendship.
We're here to day and gone tomorrow
Life is short and unpredictable, so it's important to mend broken relationships while we still have the chance.
None of us knows when life will end
We cannot predict when our time on Earth will be up, so we should strive to resolve conflicts and cherish our relationships while we can.
I said some things that caused you sorrow
I regret the hurtful things I said and am sorry for the pain I caused.
But I want to keep you for my friend
Despite our disagreement, I value our friendship and want to repair it.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL WITHERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alfred Heath
What I love about Bill Withers is he writes about LIFE. Not just love songs. LIFE songs. Simple, soulful music and lyrics, and THAT VOICE. Love it.
Dorinda Forever
Gorgeous..I love this guy...beautiful lyrics Gorgeous voice...awesome..an underdog
Paul Dumbrell
This was a man that could pen a tune.......funky and literate man he was...
Mark James Meli
Paul Dumbrell He is
carmen abark
My father sent this song to me yesterday on my B-day k.i.m we haven't talked in years but when i listen to this song Lord i had chill running up n dwn my body. Idk mybe its God im not sure but what a song
Unitas Quick
Bill is the shit & 'nats da' truth! Digg those pipes & roll that groove!
Etelvino Nunes
The Gretest of soul, RIP Bill
TheBrakedown
When I'm groovin to this, I get this indescribable feeling like, "yeah MFer this is the truth!"
Beverly Dwyer
Let’s be friends and have a “ Lovely Day “
Charlie Apple
RIP... Just found out.