Souther was greatly influenced by Texan Roy Orbison. Following his move to Los Angeles in the late 1960s, he met a young guitarist from Detroit named Glenn Frey. They bonded over their Detroit roots and a common love of country and R&B music. In short order, they began working together while sharing a small apartment in Los Angeles' Echo Park area (their downstairs neighbor was Jackson Browne with whom both Souther and Frey would collaborate on numerous projects).
Shortly after meeting, Souther and Frey formed a folk duo called Longbranch Pennywhistle. Their lone album, released in 1970 on Jimmy Bowen's Amos Records, featured significant contributions from guitarists James Burton and Ry Cooder, fiddler Doug Kershaw, drummer Jim Gordon, pianist Larry Knechtel and bassist Joe Osborn.
After recording an eponymous solo album in 1972, persuaded by David Geffen, Souther formed the Souther Hillman Furay Band with Chris Hillman and Richie Furay. The group released two albums, but creative tensions and lack of record sales, not to mention Furay's discomfort at playing secular music after a conversion to Christianity, led to the band's demise.
Souther is probably best known for his well crafted songwriting abilities, especially in the field of country rock. He co-wrote some of the biggest hits for The Eagles, including "Best of My Love", "Victim of Love", "Heartache Tonight", and "New Kid in Town". In 2008 "The Eagles" charted with "How Long" which was on his "John David Souther" album in 1972 (but written by Jack Tempchin, who also wrote "Peaceful Easy Feeling"). Souther avoided the spotlight deciding to not be one of "The Eagles" when they first formed! Nevertheless, he joined The Eagles on numerous occasions live on stage. As such and because of his significant songwriting contributions, he became known as "the secret Eagle".
He also wrote songs for several of Linda Ronstadt's multi-platinum albums, including "Faithless Love" from "Heart Like a Wheel" album and "White Rythm and Blues" included in her "Living in the USA" album. Linda once said JD was the best songwriter in the world. He also recorded several notable duets with Ronstadt including "Sometimes You Can't Win" and "Prisoner in Disguise". He also wrote for Bonnie Raitt including "Home" on her album "Sweet Forgiveness."
His biggest hit as a solo artist was the 1979 Orbison-influenced song "You're Only Lonely" from the album of the same name which reached the top 10 of the Billboard Charts. A collaboration with James Taylor called "Her Town Too" from Taylor's "Dad Loves His Work" reached number 11 on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart.
He was a Contributor on the Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night 1987 concert and video, and sang The Platters' "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" in the 1989 movie Always!
Come What May
J.D. Souther Lyrics
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Looking for her man but I been late
While she been at workin' on a double shift
I been out pedaling a mixtape
Wen i come back it's such a headache
Cause shell be yelling to me get my shit straight
But Snapping on me that's a mistake
Cause ima never stop going insane
Why i feel like we forever stressed
Someone's patience always being tested
Someones always saying this it
I know this ain't whatcha did expect
Only seeing me for 30 mins
Think I'm selfish but In my defense
I Only leave the crib to hit a lick
This shit ain't bout us this is my career
Before u came I had put in years
If u don't have the heart to give up years
Then you don't have the right to interfere
You can waste away with all ya fears
Ima play this chase no matter where
You can try and shift me I won't veer
So Take this now or leave it I don't care
When I lie
She just cry
Makes me wanna die
I'd go back
Every time
Cause I did it right
I can't live without my friend and valentine
She come back every night
Guess I did it right
And I'm lost
No I don't know how far away we are from
Our next chapter
And then what comes after?
The lyrics of J.D. Souther's song Come What May tell a story of a man who is dedicated to his music career, but he is having problems with his relationship. His girlfriend is upset that he comes home late and doesn't seem to prioritize their relationship. She belittles him and accuses him of being selfish, but he still wants to pursue his passion. He believes that this is his calling and the reason he was put on this earth. His girlfriend doesn't understand his dedication and isn't willing to give up years of her life for him. He knows that they have a strained relationship and is unsure about their future together.
The first verse highlights the difference in priorities between the man and his girlfriend. While she is working hard on a double shift, he is out trying to promote his music. When he comes back, she berates him for not taking their relationship seriously. However, he is determined to keep going regardless of her opinion. He sees music as his career and his life's purpose, and he doesn't want her to interfere.
The second verse shows the man's frustration with his girlfriend's lack of support for his music career. He has been working on this for years, and he doesn't want her to derail his efforts. He doesn't want to waste away with fears and doubts; he would instead pursue his dreams and take risks. He knows that his girlfriend isn't happy with him, but he can't live without her. He wants to make things right and be with her through thick and thin.
Line by Line Meaning
Shawty came home had a shit day
My significant other returned home from work feeling miserable.
Looking for her man but I been late
My significant other expected me to be home by now, but I'm running late.
While she been at workin' on a double shift
My significant other has been working double shifts at their job.
I been out pedaling a mixtape
I've been busy promoting my music by selling mixtapes.
Wen i come back it's such a headache
When I finally come back home, my significant other is stressed and confronts me about my absence.
Cause shell be yelling to me get my shit straight
My significant other will yell at me for being unreliable and disorganized.
But Snapping on me that's a mistake
Reacting negatively towards me is not the solution.
Cause ima never stop going insane
I will always be passionate and persistent about my music career.
Girl u know how we always gonna get
We always seem to be arguing and struggling with our relationship.
Why i feel like we forever stressed
We always feel stressed, and it seems like it will never end.
Someone's patience always being tested
One of us is always testing the other's patience.
Someones always saying this it
One of us is always saying that this is the end of our relationship.
I know this ain't whatcha did expect
I know this isn't the relationship you expected to have with me.
Only seeing me for 30 mins
We only spend a short amount of time together.
Think I'm selfish but In my defense
You think I'm selfish, but I have a reason for my actions.
I Only leave the crib to hit a lick
I only leave the house to work on my music career.
This shit ain't bout us this is my career
This isn't about our relationship, it's about my career.
Before u came I had put in years
I had been working on my music career long before we got together.
If u don't have the heart to give up years
If you're not willing to support me for the years it takes to build my career, then you shouldn't interfere.
Then you don't have the right to interfere
If you can't support me, you don't have the right to interfere with my career.
You can waste away with all ya fears
You can stay scared and worried about our relationship and my career if you want.
Ima play this chase no matter where
I'm going to pursue my music career no matter what.
You can try and shift me I won't veer
You can try to change my mind, but I won't give up on my career goal.
So Take this now or leave it I don't care
You can either accept my dedication to my career or leave the relationship.
When I lie
When I'm dishonest with my significant other.
She just cry
She becomes emotional and cries.
Makes me wanna die
Seeing her upset makes me feel terrible and guilty.
I'd go back
I wish I could go back in time and change my actions.
Every time
This happens repeatedly.
Cause I did it right
I made the right choices in terms of my music and career goals, but I have failed in my relationship.
I can't live without my friend and valentine
Despite our struggles, I can't imagine my life without my significant other.
She come back every night
My significant other comes back to me every night, despite our issues.
Guess I did it right
Despite everything, I must have done something right to keep our relationship together.
And I'm lost
I'm feeling lost and uncertain.
No I don't know how far away we are from
I don't know where we stand in our relationship.
Our next chapter
What will happen in our relationship in the future.
And then what comes after?
What happens after this chapter in our relationship is unclear.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Julian Irizarry, Timothy Perdoch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind