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).
Grandma's Hands
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clapped in church on Sunday morning
Grandma's hands
Played a tambourine so well
Grandma's hands
Used to issue out a warning
She'd say, "Billy, don't you run so fast
Might fall on a piece of glass
Grandma's hands
Grandma's hands
Soothed a local unwed mother
Grandma's hands
Used to ache sometimes and swell
Grandma's hands
Used to lift her face and tell her
She'd say "Baby, Grandma understands
That you really love that man
Put yourself in Jesus hands"
Grandma's hands
Grandma's hands
Used to hand me piece of candy
Grandma's hands
Picked me up each time I fell
Grandma's hands
Boy, they really came in handy
She'd say, "Matty don' you whip that boy
What you want to spank him for?
He didn't drop no apple core"
But I don't have Grandma anymore
If I get to Heaven I'll look for
Grandma's hands
The song "Grandma's Hands" by Bill Withers is a tribute to the singer's grandmother, who had a significant impact on his life as a child. The lyrics depict the singer's fond memories of his grandmother and the various ways she influenced his upbringing. The song begins with the singer remembering his grandmother's hands clapping in church on Sunday morning and playing a tambourine so skillfully. He describes how she used to caution him against running too fast, warning that there might be snakes or broken glass in the grass. The song's title and chorus, "Grandma's Hands," are a recurring motif that underscores the importance of the grandmother and her loving touch.
As the song continues, the singer remembers how his grandmother used to comfort a young, unmarried mother in their community. Her hands would ache and swell, but she would still reach out to lift the woman's face and reassure her that she was understood and loved. The singer recalls how his grandmother also used to give him candy and pick him up whenever he fell, demonstrating her unwavering support and care for him. Finally, the song concludes with the acknowledgment that the singer's grandmother has passed away, and he hopes to see her again in heaven.
Overall, "Grandma's Hands" is a touching tribute to the impact of a grandmother's love on a child's life. The song's lyrics emphasize the importance of caring for others, comforting those in need, and remembering the loved ones we have lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Grandma's hands
The singer is reflecting on their memories of their grandmother's hands.
Clapped in church on Sunday morning
The singer remembers hearing their grandmother's hands clapping in worship during church services on Sunday mornings.
Played a tambourine so well
The singer recalls their grandmother's musical talent, specifically her ability to play the tambourine.
Used to issue out a warning
The artist remembers how their grandmother would caution them about potential dangers, such as running too fast or encountering snakes in the grass.
She'd say, "Billy, don't you run so fast
Might fall on a piece of glass
Might be snakes there in that grass"
The grandmother warns the artist, nicknamed Billy, about the possible consequences of running too fast and not paying attention to their surroundings.
Soothed a local unwed mother
The singer remembers how their grandmother provided comfort to a woman in their community who was unmarried and pregnant.
Used to ache sometimes and swell
The singer recalls their grandmother's hands occasionally feeling pain and swelling, likely due to arthritis or other health issues.
Used to lift her face and tell her
The grandmother would lift the pregnant woman's face and speak to her directly.
She'd say "Baby, Grandma understands
That you really love that man
Put yourself in Jesus hands"
The grandmother speaks words of empathy and encouragement to the pregnant woman, recognizing her love for the man who fathered her child and urging her to trust in God.
Used to hand me piece of candy
The artist remembers how their grandmother would give them candy as a treat.
Picked me up each time I fell
The singer recalls how their grandmother would help them up whenever they stumbled or fell.
Boy, they really came in handy
The artist reflects on how useful their grandmother's hands were in providing aid and comfort.
She'd say, "Matty don' you whip that boy
What you want to spank him for?
He didn't drop no apple core"
The grandmother defends the boy, named Matty, from his mother's punishment and questions why he is being reprimanded for a minor infraction.
But I don't have Grandma anymore
The singer acknowledges that their grandmother has passed away and they can no longer experience her presence or comfort.
If I get to Heaven I'll look for
Grandma's hands
The singer expresses a desire to see their grandmother again in the afterlife and experience her comforting touch.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@turvus2
Lyrics:
Grandma's hands
Clapped in church on Sunday morning
Grandma's hands
Played a tambourine so well
Grandma's hands
Used to issue out a warning
She'd say, "Billy don't you run so fast
Might fall on a piece of glass
"Might be snakes there in that grass"
Grandma's hands
Grandma's hands
Soothed a local unwed mother
Grandma's hands
Used to ache sometimes and swell
Grandma's hands
Used to lift her face and tell her,
She'd say "Baby, Grandma understands
That you really love that man
Put yourself in Jesus hands"
Grandma's hands
Grandma's hands
Used to hand me piece of candy
Grandma's hands
Picked me up each time I fell
Grandma's hands
Boy, they really came in handy
She'd say, "Matty don' you whip that boy
What you want to spank him for?
He didn't drop no apple core"
But I don't have Grandma anymore
If I get to heaven I'll look for
Grandma's hands
@joeycampbell3512
2024 anybody?
@nightviber2097
respect to everyone's grandmother
@AB-jc3gd
yeah, and to all parents and grandparents
giving their best to make the young ones becoming good humans.
@anonymousl591
❤
@theanonymoushelpline7248
💖
@myabullock7591
Yes sir I respect grandma's
@slickrick8279
@@AB-jc3gd all respect to those who give all ... no respect to the ones who do the opposite
@AEMoreira81
RIP Bill Withers...now I hope he really has found Grandma's hands in heaven.
@karenhallman6342
Adam, I hope he has, too!...I love you, Bill...Rest in Peace and Comfort now and always....
@sprinterproductionshd3061
Beautifully said