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).
You Just Can't Smile It Away
Bill Withers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Its much more than passion
Oh its love
And I've heard some people say
They've seen love move mountains
You just can't laugh it away
Its too deep inside
you feel it
Not just some game you can play
no laugh and then go on your way
Lets sit and talk it over
And work it out
I love you so
Can't we just talk it over
And see what we can do?
You just can't pass it away
Like some silly fashion, no its love
And love comes eager to stay
It just won't leave you that way
Lets sit and talk it over
and work it out
I love you so
can't we just talk it over
and see what we can do
The lyrics to Bill Withers's song "You Just Can't Smile It Away" are a poignant reminder of the power of love. The song begins with the line, "You just can't smile it away," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer goes on to explain that love is much more than passion, and that it's something that can't be laughed or passed away. Love is too deep inside, and it lingers even when you try to ignore it.
The singer talks about love being something that can move mountains, something powerful and transformative. Love is not just a game that you can play for a while and then move on from. It's something that stays with you, and it requires work and effort to make it last. The singer implores the listener to sit down and talk about their problems, to work things out, because they love each other and want to make things right.
The chorus is a plea for communication and understanding. The singer wants to talk things over and see what they can do to make things better. Love is not just a fleeting emotion; it's something that needs to be nurtured and cared for.
Overall, "You Just Can't Smile It Away" is a powerful testament to the enduring nature of love. Love is not just something you can brush away; it's something that stays with you and requires work to make it last.
Line by Line Meaning
You just can't smile it away
No matter how hard you try, you can't hide or ignore your true feelings
Its much more than passion
It's not just physical attraction or momentary desire
Oh its love
It's a deep, profound emotion that connects two people
And I've heard some people say
Others have witnessed the power of love
They've seen love move mountains
Love has the capability to overcome significant obstacles
You just can't laugh it away
You can't pretend like your feelings aren't there because they run too deep
Its too deep inside
Love is profound and exists beyond surface-level emotions
you feel it
It's an emotion that you experience intimately
Not just some game you can play
Love is serious and can't be treated like a temporary amusement
no laugh and then go on your way
You can't treat your emotions flippantly and then move on as if nothing happened
Lets sit and talk it over
We should have a conversation to discuss our true feelings
And work it out
We should put in the effort to resolve any issues or problems that arise
I love you so
My feelings for you are genuine and intense
Can't we just talk it over
Let's go back to discussing our emotions and working to resolve any conflicts
And see what we can do?
Let's explore options to move forward in our relationship
You just can't pass it away
You can't dismiss love or discard it like an old piece of clothing
Like some silly fashion, no its love
Love is substantial and meaningful, not something temporary or superficial
And love comes eager to stay
Love is a long-lasting emotion that wants to stay in your life
It just won't leave you that way
Love won't simply disappear or fade away without a fight
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILL WITHERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind