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 Same Love That Made Me Laugh
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hard to gain, and hard to hold
Like a rose that's soft to touch
Love has gone, and it hurts so much
Well and why
Must the same love that made me laugh
Well, now you think of love as sitting on a mountain
Think of it as being a great big rock
Won't you think before you started to roll it down
Because once you start it, you can't make it stop
I've given all I have to give
And if you don't want me
I don't wanna live
Well and why
Must the same love that made me laugh
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me wet my pillow
And just cryin' like a weeping willow
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry? Why? Oh, why?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me mess up my pillow
I'm just cryin' like a weeping willow
Now, why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
In Bill Withers's song "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh", the artist beautifully expresses the bittersweetness of love. The first stanza initially praises love by comparing it to a valuable chunk of gold. However, the following line reveals the darker side of love, as it is hard to gain and even harder to hold. Withers then proceeds to compare love to a soft rose, as it feels good to touch, yet it leaves behind pain when it fades away.
The chorus poses a very raw and unanswered question: why must the same love that made me laugh, make me cry? This line embodies the dichotomy of love, as it is capable of evoking both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The second verse then turns love into a metaphorical mountain and warns to think before rolling it down because once it starts, it's unstoppable. This line implies that the repercussions of falling in love go beyond one's control, and they are not always pleasant.
The final verse reveals the desperation one feels when their love is no longer reciprocated. The lyrics express the idea that the loss of love is unbearable to the point where they don't want to exist without it. The repetition of "Why you wanna make me cry" drives the point of the enormity of the pain already expressed in the lyrics.
Overall, the song impresses the listener with its relatable lyrics, mellow groove, soulful harmonies, and Withers's deep, resonating voice. It invites one to contemplate the joys and sorrows of love, a feeling that is both beautiful and devastating.
Line by Line Meaning
Your love is like a a chunk of gold
Your love is precious and valuable, but not easy to attain or maintain.
Hard to gain, and hard to hold
It takes effort to obtain and keep your love.
Like a rose that's soft to touch
Love is tender and delicate.
Love has gone, and it hurts so much
Losing love is painful.
Well and why
Questioning why things are the way they are.
Must the same love that made me laugh
Wondering why the love that brought joy and happiness is now causing pain.
Make me cry?
Why is this love causing tears and sadness?
Well, now you think of love as sitting on a mountain
Love is viewed as a large obstacle or challenge.
Think of it as being a great big rock
Love is solid and unyielding.
Won't you think before you started to roll it down
Be careful before taking action that could lead to negative consequences.
Because once you start it, you can't make it stop
Once a situation is set in motion, it cannot be easily undone.
I've given all I have to give
I have given my all in this relationship.
And if you don't want me
If you do not desire to be with me,
I don't wanna live
I cannot bear the thought of living without your love.
Why you wanna make me cry?
Asking why you are causing me pain and tears.
Why you wanna make me wet my pillow
Why are you causing me to cry so much that my pillow is damp?
And just cryin' like a weeping willow
I am crying uncontrollably like a willow tree.
Why you wanna make me mess up my pillow
Why are you making me cry so hard that I am ruining my pillow?
Now, why you wanna make me cry?
Reiterating the question of why this love is causing tears and pain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bill Withers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@stevenwilliams3829
Your love is like a a chunk of gold
Hard to gain, and hard to hold
Like a rose that's soft to touch
Love has gone, and it hurts so much
Well and why
Must the same love that made me laugh
Make me cry?
Well, now you think of love as sitting on a mountain
Think of it as being a great big rock
Won't you think before you started to roll it down
Because once you start it, you can't make it stop
I've given all I have to give
And if you don't want me
I don't wanna live
Well and why
Must the same love that made me laugh
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me wet my pillow
And just cryin' like a weeping willow
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry? Why? Oh, why?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me mess up my pillow
I'm just cryin' like a weeping willow
Now, why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Why you wanna make me cry?
Source: LyricFind
@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823
I'm still working on that neat lil drum fill at the 1:30 mark. I don't just want it technically perfect, I also was that feel, that nice smooth feel.
Plus, I'm already singing it, so...yes, I know it's a funny song for a lil white girl :) people that taught me drums, known me for 17 years, had no idea I could sing there. That's the point.
My impetus is two-fold. 1) there's not a lot of female drummers. 2nd I want to be endorsed and get all my drum stuff free, then play in front of people and get paid for it. I'm with Zappa in terms of music: all the good music was already written by guys wearing wigs.
Then, my favorite sticks have been discontinued and that's extremely disturbing. I like Firth maple HS2 Highlander pipe band sticks. Very big, very light and very durable. Biggest sticks I've ever seen. Also lightest I've ever had my hands on. I don't chew up my sticks because I only have 7 pairs. If I want them chewed up, I'll give them to the dogs.
Bill, seriously, you rule. This is one of the best songs ever written. Period.
@AMARKEDCHANGE
His smooth and soulful voice brought positive message of upliftment .Rest in peace maestro Bill Withers
@jiwonchang3786
A
@nihad8105
Nobody does this kind of sophisticated music like Bill. One of the master with timeless songs
@tomcastineira
One of the greatest songs ever written
@jordanrioscreations
Criminally underrated
@peted.762
Word
@junioredge9674
Does not get the recognition he deserves
@frankiehansen4667
Yeah Right.
@lf1496
How is he underrated? He's won numberous Grammys and was named one the greatest song writers ever
@jordanrioscreations
You'd be surprised how many people have heard Bill Withers songs but don't actually realize that one man was behind what happens to be a very eclectic range of hit songs.
When I wrote that this is criminally underrated, I was talking about this amazing song and this great album which really doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. I mean this song hasn't even cracked 350,000 views on Youtube or 5,000,000 plays on Spotify for example. His other hits obviously dwarf this in views and plays. And that's the thing about Bill Withers' catalog is that his biggest hits drastically overshadow most of his best work that goes under the radar like this song. To me, this is some of the best music ever and it doesn't look like it's gotten nearly enough appreciation. People don't talk enough about how talented Bill was and how amazing his story is and how deftly he was able to change his music through the years (post-Still Bill) to not just stay relevant, but create timeless enduring songs that didn't follow trends of the time.
tldr version: Most of Bill's best work doesn't get the enough recognition and Bill doesn't get enough recognition for as much as he's given the world.