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).
KISSING MY LOVE
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When I'm kissing my love
Yeah thump a thumping in my head
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
I close my eyes and see a pretty city
With a million flowers babe
Now I can hear the angels sing
Songs that only angels sing
She's such a pretty thing
That I can feel my heart
Just a thumping and a skipping
When I'm kissing my love
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
Feel the blood a pumping in my veins
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
She's such a tender sender
With her sweet young friends
She's so good at what she does
All she wants to do is kiss and hug
She's got me in love
And I can feel my heart
Just a thumping and a skipping
When I'm kissing my love
[Repeat x8]
Put your foot on the rock and pat your foot,
Don't stop, put your foot on the rock
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
Feel the blood a pumping in my veins
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
She's such a tender sender
With her sweet young friends
Whoa now
She's so good at what she does
All she wants to do is kiss and hug
She's got me in love
And I can feel my heart
Just a thumping and a skipping
When I'm kissing my love
The song "Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers is a soulful and upbeat love song that celebrates the joy and excitement of being in love. The song's lyrics describe the physical and emotional sensations that the singer experiences when kissing his lover. The thumping in the singer's head, the angels singing, and the pounding of his heart are all symbols of the intense passion and love that he feels for his partner.
The lyrics also describe a dreamlike imagery that the singer sees when he closes his eyes. He imagines a beautiful city with a million flowers, which is a symbol of his lover's beauty and grace. The singer's partner is described as a "tender sender," who is very good at what she does and only wants to love and hug him. The song's repetitive chorus of "put your foot on the rock and pat your foot, don't stop, put your foot on the rock" is a fun and catchy way to encourage listeners to dance and let loose.
Overall, "Kissing My Love" is a beautiful celebration of the physical and emotional sensations of being in love, and the pleasure and joy that comes from sharing those feelings with someone special.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa now
This moment is intense and exciting
When I'm kissing my love
When I'm with my love and we are physical
Yeah thump a thumping in my head
My heartbeat is strong and excited
I close my eyes and see a pretty city
I imagine a beautiful sight when I am with my love
With a million flowers babe
A breathtaking, overwhelming sight
Now I can hear the angels sing
I experience pure joy and pleasure
Songs that only angels sing
This feeling is rare and extraordinary
She's such a pretty thing
My love is beautiful both inside and out
That I can feel my heart
My emotions are powerful and intense
Just a thumping and a skipping
My heart beats with enthusiasm and happiness
Feel the blood a pumping in my veins
I am alive and invigorated
She's such a tender sender
Her tenderness is overwhelming
With her sweet young friends
The people she surrounds herself with are kind and gentle
She's so good at what she does
My love is talented and skilled
All she wants to do is kiss and hug
My love desires affection and intimacy
She's got me in love
I am deeply in love with her
Put your foot on the rock and pat your foot, Don't stop, put your foot on the rock
A moment of celebration and joy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL WITHERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pauld3201
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
Yeah thump a thumping in my head
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
I close my eyes and see a pretty city
With a million flowers babe
Now I can hear the angels sing
Songs that only angels sing
She's such a pretty thing
That I can feel my heart
Just a thumping and a skipping
When I'm kissing my love
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
Feel the blood a pumping in my veins
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
She's such a tender sender
With her sweet young friends
She's so good at what she does
All she wants to do is kiss and hug
She's got me in love
And I can feel my heart
Just a thumping and a skipping
When I'm kissing my love
Put your foot on the rock and pat your foot,
Don't stop, put your foot on the rock
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
Feel the blood a pumping in my veins
Whoa now
When I'm kissing my love
She's such a tender sender
With her sweet young friends
Whoa now
She's so good at what she does
All she wants to do is kiss and hug
She's got me in love
And I can feel my heart
Just a thumping and a skipping
When I'm kissing my love
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bill Withers
Kissing My Love lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
@jamesdevine02
One of my all time favourite drum grooves. Seems simple on the surface, but dig deeper and you will notice that it exists in this strange but extremely funky purgatory between straight and swung rhythm. It is maintained with impeccable and unwavering consistency throughout, and is so far in the pocket I'm pretty sure it's torn a hole and fallen out of my trouser leg. Despite the relative simplicity and repetition of the overall arrangement, it remains practically inimitable. It compliments the song perfectly and provides a listening experience akin to that of gliding a hot knife through butter, or driving on a perfectly flat road. All of this allows the groove to permanently burn itself into the memory of the listener. Let's give James Gadson the respect and reverence that he deserves!
@thesimplyagapeproject6342
Truly a great groove with the shuffle on top kind of a 12/8 feel.
@chrisbardolph264
James Gadson on drums, I believe. Pocket monster.
@MOJO-RIDNSOLO
MATE YOU ARE A CHAMPION YOU PAINTED A PEICE OR ART WITH YOUR REPLY..
RESPECT 😎
@jamesdevine02
@@MOJO-RIDNSOLO haha thank you very much my friend! Have a good day :))
@irasthel638
Thanks for the insight.
@brittneywagner6842
this the kinda jam you put on your bread every morning
@fredericboxx8048
LOL .. That's good!
@tommyspring1904
Love this !!!!! Xx
@idsh00
I prefer this over strawberry jam ;)