His songs have been performed by a number of other musicians including "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton, "Bringing It Back" by Kansas, "Call Me the Breeze" and "I Got the Same Old Blues" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Travelin' Light" and "Ride Me High" by Widespread Panic.
Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Some sources incorrectly give his real name as "Jean Jacques Cale". A Sunset Strip nightclub owner employing Cale in the mid-1960s came up with the "JJ" moniker to avoid confusion with the Velvet Underground's John Cale[citation needed]. In the 2006 documentary, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, Rocky Frisco tells the same version of the story mentioning the other John Cale but without further detail.
Cocaine
J.J.Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got to take her out, cocaine
If you want to get down,
Get down on the ground, cocaine
She don't lie,
She don't lie,
She don't lie, cocaine
You want to kick them blues, cocaine
When your day is done
And you got to run, cocaine
She don't lie,
She don't lie,
She don't lie, cocaine
If your thing is gone
And you want to ride on, cocaine
Don't forget this fact,
You can't get it back, cocaine
She don't lie,
She don't lie,
She don't lie, cocaine
Cocaine, written and performed by J.J.Cale in 1976, has a deceptively dark subject matter. The song talks about the fictional persona's addiction to cocaine and how it has taken hold of his life. Despite its foreboding lyrics, the music is upbeat and lively, a juxtaposition that reinforces the addictive nature of the drug.
The lyrics "If you want to hang out, you've got to take her out" refers to how the singer sees cocaine as a female entity in his life. He personifies the drug as a woman that he needs to spend time with, take out, and entertain before she will allow him to enjoy her company. The singer also references how the drug is his solace whenever he's depressed or facing bad news. The line "she don't lie" is an allusion to how cocaine can make someone feel like they are invincible and are on top of the world when they use it.
However, the song takes a dark turn towards the end, where he warns his listeners that once the high is gone, it is gone forever. The lyrics, "If your thing is gone and you want to ride on, cocaine, don't forget this fact, you can't get it back, cocaine," imply that the drug will eventually become an addiction that the persona can't escape, and that once his control is gone, it's gone forever.
Line by Line Meaning
If you want to hang out,
If you want to spend time with her,
You've got to take her out, cocaine
You have to be willing to consume cocaine if you want to hang out with her.
If you want to get down,
If you want to enjoy life,
Get down on the ground, cocaine
You have to ingest cocaine if you want to enjoy life with her.
She don't lie,
Cocaine is always the same and won't deceive you.
She don't lie,
Cocaine is always the same and won't deceive you.
She don't lie, cocaine
Cocaine is always the same and won't deceive you.
If you got bad news,
If you're feeling sad or upset,
You want to kick them blues, cocaine
Consuming cocaine can make you forget about your problems or worries.
When your day is done
When your work or activities are finished for the day,
And you got to run, cocaine
You can use cocaine to feel energized and keep going.
If your thing is gone
If something that was important to you is now gone,
And you want to ride on, cocaine
You can use cocaine to feel better and forget about it.
Don't forget this fact,
Remember this important truth,
You can't get it back, cocaine
You can't recover what is lost by consuming cocaine, even though it might make you feel better temporarily.
She don't lie,
Cocaine is always the same and won't deceive you.
She don't lie,
Cocaine is always the same and won't deceive you.
She don't lie, cocaine
Cocaine is always the same and won't deceive you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: J.J. CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kendrickmuller1
I'm 15 years old. My dad just introduced me to J.J. Cale's music and I fell in love with it. Greetings from Germany!
@massimilianobianchi2665
Grandissimo saluti da Milano
@mrpoltiano4343
Pozdrowienia z Poznania
@facekoter2176
Grüße zurück 🤌👋😎
@Altenurgy
Hat tip to your dad. Look for Paul Benjamin. Another Tulsa artist performing today who's doing a great job of building on the "Tulsa Sound".
@Retroscoop
But stick to the music only, not to the topic of the song....
@lasselippert3892
Clapton could never be as cool as J.J.
@kathrynhenderson375
This song always gets me going-J J Cale should be recognized for his talents-I’m 71 & still listening!
@LenapeSF
67 yo & still listening. Classic!
@lesbonnick5335
@@LenapeSF So am I friend. The only music