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).
Friend Of Mine
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Might be that we have, different views sometimes, whoa
But that's alright, you're still a friend of mine
Sometimes you go your way
Sometimes I go mine, whoa, but that's alright
You're still a friend of mine
But that's alright
You're still a friend of mine
Hey, you're still a friend of mine
Hey, you're still a friend of mine
Still a friend of mine
You're still a friend of mine
You're still a friend of mine
You're still a friend of mine
You're still a friend of mine
You're still a friend of mine
Come on y'all, to the thing
You changed my cloudy days to sunshine
I'm so glad you're a friend of mine
You make clear water out of muddy
I'm so thankful that you're my buddy
You're a friend of mine
Hey, hey now, you a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
Let me introduce you to some friends of mine
On piano, we got Ray Jackson, a friend of mine
On, uh, percussion, we got us a lady, Bobby Hall on percussion
On drums, we got my good friend, Mr. James Gatson
On guitar, we got Mr. Bernard Blackburn
And on bass, we got old, cool, Melvin Dunlap
Melvin's so quiet, he said 8 words last year, and 6 of those were airport
You're a friend of mine
You a friend of mine
Hey now, you're a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
Let's go to thing
You changed my cloudy days to sunshine
I'm so glad you're a friend of mine
You make clear water out of muddy
I'm so thankful that you my buddy
Now, you're a friend of mine
Hey now, you a friend of mine
You a friend of mine
You're a friend of mine
And now, you're a friend of mine
Now, you're a friend of mine
Thank you
The lyrics of Bill Withers's song "Friend of Mine" speak to the enduring nature of friendship despite occasional disagreements and differences. The opening lines acknowledge that sometimes friends may have different views, but that doesn't affect the bond between them. The chorus repeats the sentiment that even if you don't like each other's significant others, or you may not always see eye to eye, you are still friends. The verses also highlight the positive influence friends have on each other, as the lyrics thank the friend for bringing sunshine into cloudy days and clarity to muddy waters.
The song's upbeat tempo and catchy melody reinforce the theme of friendship, and the use of different instruments and musicians in the bridge adds to the festive feel. Bill Withers even takes the time to introduce each musician by name, emphasizing the collaborative and communal nature of music and friendship.
Overall, "Friend of Mine" is a celebration of the power of friendship and camaraderie, and a reminder that even when life gets tough, friends remain a constant source of support and joy.
Line by Line Meaning
Might be that we have, different views sometimes, whoa
We may not always agree on everything
But that's alright, you're still a friend of mine
However, that doesn't change the fact that you are still my friend
Sometimes you go your way
At times you may follow your own path
Sometimes I go mine, whoa, but that's alright
And at times I may follow mine, but that's okay too
Might not like your lady, you might not like mine, whoa
We may have different taste in significant others
Hey, you're still a friend of mine
But once again, we are still friends regardless
You changed my cloudy days to sunshine
You have a positive impact on my life, making my tough days brighter
I'm so glad you're a friend of mine
Your friendship means a lot to me
You make clear water out of muddy
You help me navigate through the difficult situations
I'm so thankful that you're my buddy
I am grateful to have you as my friend
Let me introduce you to some friends of mine
Allow me to make introductions to my other friends
You're a friend of mine
You too are now a part of my circle of friends
On piano, we got Ray Jackson, a friend of mine
This is my friend Ray Jackson who is playing the piano
Melvin's so quiet, he said 8 words last year, and 6 of those were airport
Melvin, our bassist, is known for his silence and doesn't speak often
Now, you're a friend of mine
I am happy to add you as a new friend
Thank you
Expressing gratitude for the people in his life
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind