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).
Lonely Town. Lonely Street
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can walk along a crowded street
But the city really ain't no bigger
Than the friendly people, friendly people that you meet
You might be a sweet young, sweet young pretty, pretty
At the dances you can't keep your seat
But if dances don't lead to romances
You might be a sweet-toned sure 'nuff high-class talker
You might be a stone, stone expert at kissing
But it don't do too much good to be talkin'
Brother, when there ain't no, ain't nobody listenin'
And if you are shy, just not much of a talker
Don't impress the people that you meet
Might as well be a lonely walker
In a lonely town, on a lonely street
In the song Lonely Town, Bill Withers sings about the difficulties of living in a big city and feeling lonely. The opening lines suggest that even though someone may live in a crowded city and walk on a crowded street, it may not necessarily make them feel like they are part of a big community. Instead, it is the friendly people they meet along the way that truly make them feel connected. Withers suggests that someone can be beautiful and charming, but if they don't find romance or connections through dancing, they might as well have two left feet.
The second verse focuses on being a confident and skilled talker or kisser, but it ultimately doesn't matter if there is no one to listen or reciprocate those actions. Withers notes that shyness can also make it difficult to impress others and make meaningful connections in a city. This leads him to conclude that someone may as well be a lonely walker on a lonely street in a lonely town.
Overall, the song highlights the struggles of feeling disconnected and alone, even amidst a sea of people in a bustling city. Withers's lyrics remind listeners that true connections are made through meaningful interactions with others, even if they may take some effort to find.
Line by Line Meaning
You can live your life in a crowded city,
Living amongst the hustle and bustle of a city, surrounded by people, does not guarantee that you won't feel alone.
You can walk along a crowded street.
Even though there are people around you, it doesn't mean you won't feel like you're walking alone.
But the city really ain't no bigger than the friendly People, friendly people that you meet.
The size of a city doesn't determine how lonely or fulfilled you'll be. It's the people you meet and connect with that truly matter.
You might be a sweet young, sweet young pretty, pretty,
Being charming or attractive doesn't guarantee that you'll find meaningful connections with others.
And at the dances you can't keep your seat.
You might be great at dancing and socializing, but that doesn't mean you'll find love or true connections while doing so.
But, if dances don't lead to romances,
Even if you're a great dancer and have a lot of fun at social events, if you don't find someone to connect with, it's all for nothing.
You might as well be born, be born with two left feet.
The feeling of being disconnected and out of place can be just as present for someone with a lack of coordination, as someone with a lot of social skills.
You might be a sweet-toned sure ‘nuff high-class talker,
Even if you're eloquent and polished in your speech, that doesn't mean people will listen and connect with you.
You might be a stone, stone expert at kissing.
Being a great kisser or lover doesn't mean you'll find romantic connections either.
But it don't do too much good to be talkin',
All the talking and kissing skills in the world don't matter if you don't have someone to share them with.
Brother, when there ain't no, ain't nobody lis'nin'.
It doesn't matter how good you are if no one is listening or interested in what you have to say.
And if you are shy, just not much of a talker,
Even if you're not as outgoing, it's still possible to find meaningful connections.
Don't impress the people that you meet.
Being reserved or shy can make it difficult to connect with people, but it doesn't mean you won't find those who appreciate you for who you are.
You might as well be a lonely walker in a lonely town, on a lonely street.
Feeling lonely can happen no matter where you are or how many people surround you. It's the connections with others that truly make a place feel like home.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind