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).
The Best You Can
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What does living mean to me
All that I can ever be is just a man
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
Riding on the world go round
Being me and a what I am
What I am, I'm just a man
Bridge:
And what I've found is mostly worth it all
The wisdom of the future is the past
In city brouges and wise old southern drawls
The words that say the most say things that last
Riding on the world go round
Being me and a what I am
And what I am, I'm just a man
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
The lyrics of Bill Withers's song "The Best You Can" are a reflection on the meaning of life and the limitations of human existence. Withers begins by contemplating the question of what living means to him, and concludes that all he can ever be is just a man. The central theme of the song is the importance of doing one's best, regardless of the obstacles that life presents. Withers acknowledges that the world can be a confusing and difficult place to navigate, but encourages listeners to make the most of their lives by striving to be their best selves.
In the second verse, Withers expands on this idea by acknowledging his own limitations as a human being. He repeats the phrase "what I am, I'm just a man" several times, emphasizing the fact that we are all vulnerable to the whims of fate and the limitations of our own bodies and minds. Despite this, Withers maintains that doing one's best is the most that anyone can ever do. The bridge adds a note of optimism to the song, suggesting that the wisdom of the past can help guide us into the future. Withers references both "city brouges" and "wise old southern drawls," suggesting that wisdom can be found in diverse places and perspectives. The lyrics conclude with a repetition of the chorus, reiterating the importance of doing one's best and accepting our limitations as a part of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking at what I see
Examining my surroundings and current situation
What does living mean to me
Reflecting on the purpose and significance of my existence
All that I can ever be is just a man
I can only be a human being with limitations and imperfections
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
The only thing I can strive for is to do my best with what I have and who I am
Riding on the world go round
Navigating through life's ups and downs
Being me and a what I am
Embracing my true self
What I am, I'm just a man
Simply acknowledging my humanity
And what I've found is mostly worth it all
Reflecting on the valuable experiences and lessons learned throughout life
The wisdom of the future is the past
Hindsight is a powerful teacher for shaping future decisions and actions
In city brouges and wise old southern drawls
Recognizing the diversity and depth of wisdom found in different cultures and regions
The words that say the most say things that last
The most impactful words are those that endure and resonate with us over time
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
Reiterating the importance of doing one's best despite limitations and challenges
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
Restating the central message of the song
And the most you can ever do is the best you can
Final reinforcement of the key theme
Contributed by Emily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.