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).
Lovely Day
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind
Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
And when someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world's alright with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's gonna be
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
In Bill Withers's song "Lovely Day," the lyrics describe a feeling of hopefulness and positivity that comes from being with someone you love. The song begins by describing a difficult start to the day, with the sunlight hurting the singer's eyes and a heavy weight on their mind. However, as soon as they look at their loved one, everything changes. The world becomes "alright" and they know it's going to be a lovely day. This sentiment is repeated throughout the song and is reinforced with a catchy, upbeat melody that adds to the feeling of joy.
The second verse repeats the same sentiment but adds the idea that the day ahead may feel impossible to face, and someone else always seems to know the way. But again, looking at their loved one brings a sense of comfort and assurance that everything will be okay. The repetition of the chorus reinforces the idea that no matter what lies ahead, as long as they have their loved one, it will be a lovely day.
The song is a perfect example of the power of love and how it can change a person's outlook on life. The simple and catchy melody, combined with the uplifting lyrics make it a classic feel-good song that has stood the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
When I wake up in the morning, love
Bill Withers opens the song by describing how he feels in the morning when the sunlight hurts his eyes and something weighs heavily on his mind.
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
The sunlight in the morning is too bright and it's painful to his eyes.
And something without warning, love
Bill is going through a difficult time and the feelings come on suddenly without warning.
Bears heavy on my mind
Bill is carrying a heavy burden and is struggling to cope with the weight of his thoughts.
Then I look at you
When Bill sees the person he loves, everything else fades away.
And the world's alright with me
Seeing his loved one makes Bill's problems disappear and everything seems alright.
Just one look at you
Seeing his loved one's face is all it takes to shift Bill's perspective and give him hope for a better day.
And I know it's gonna be
Just by looking at his loved one, Bill is certain that the day will be
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
Bill repeats the phrase multiple times, emphasizing the joy and hope that his loved one brings him every day.
When the day that lies ahead of me
Bill acknowledges that the upcoming day may be difficult or seem impossible to face.
Seems impossible to face
The challenges ahead of Bill seem insurmountable and he's not sure if he's up to the task.
When someone else instead of me
Bill feels like everyone else has it figured out and he's the only one who is struggling.
Always seems to know the way
Everyone around Bill seems to have direction and purpose while he feels lost and unsure.
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
Despite the challenges ahead, Bill takes comfort in the fact that he has his loved one by his side and the day will be lovely.
And when someone else instead of me
Bill repeats this phrase from the previous verse, emphasizing his feeling of inadequacy compared to others.
A lovely day (lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
Once again, Bill reminds us that the day will be lovely because he has his loved one with him.
(Lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day)
The repetition of the phrase serves as a reminder of the joy and hope that Bill feels in the presence of his loved one.
Lyrics © GOLDEN WITHERS MUSIC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Skip Scarborough, William Harrison Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind