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).
She's Lonely
Bill Withers Lyrics
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She's not often understood
She's a doin' kind of lady
And what she's doin' does some good
But she lonely
But she lonely
She lonely
Free and easy kind of lady
And the books she reads are good
Let me be me kind of lady
And she's being what she should
But she lonely
She lonely
Pretty little girl is lonely
She lonely
Yeah, pretty little girl is lonely
It's a well kept secret
Pretty little girl is lonely
Pretty little girl is lonely
She's a different kind of lady
She's not often understood
She's a doin' kind of lady
And what she's doin' does some good
But she lonely
But she lonely
She lonely
But she lonely
In "She's Lonely," Bill Withers describes a woman who is independent and confident, but also deeply lonely. The song emphasizes the contradiction of her personality, as she is a woman who is "different" and "not often understood." Despite her admirable qualities of being a "doin' kind of lady" who reads "good books" and is true to herself, ultimately, she is "lonely." The repetition of this word serves to emphasize the depth of her solitude and the emotional weight that it holds.
The song can be interpreted as a commentary on the societal pressure to conform, the restrictions placed on women's behavior, and the resulting loneliness that can come from not fitting in with mainstream expectations. Although she is a "different" kind of lady who is true to herself, this deviation from societal norms may isolate her from others. At the core of the song is the idea that despite her independence and strength, she still yearns for human connection and the comfort of companionship.
Overall, "She's Lonely" is a poignant song that captures the bittersweet experience of living out of step with what is considered normal or accepted. Withers elegantly portrays the complexity of the human psyche, revealing the sadness that can coexist with strength and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a different kind of lady
She doesn't fit the typical mold of what society expects a lady to be like
She's not often understood
People don't always comprehend her actions and decisions
She's a doin' kind of lady
She is proactive and takes action without hesitation
And what she's doin' does some good
Her actions have a positive impact on the world around her
But she lonely
Despite her positive traits, she is still struggling with loneliness
Free and easy kind of lady
She is carefree and doesn't conform to societal norms
And the books she reads are good
She enjoys literature that is enriching and enlightening
Let me be me kind of lady
She desires the freedom to express herself fully
And she's being what she should
She is living authentically and true to herself
Pretty little girl is lonely
Despite her beauty, she is still struggling with loneliness
It's a well kept secret
Her loneliness is something she keeps hidden from others
She lonely
Once again, the singer reminds the listener that the woman is lonely despite her good qualities
She lonely
The repetition emphasizes the singer's point about her loneliness
She lonely
Another repetition to drive home the theme of loneliness
But she lonely
The last line is a reminder that even though the woman is admirable in many ways, she is still lonely
Contributed by Adalyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.