His songs have been performed by a number of other musicians including "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton,"Cajun Moon" by Randy Crawford, "Clyde" and "Louisiana Women" by Waylon Jennings, "Magnolia" by Jai, "Bringing It Back" by Kansas, "Call Me the Breeze" and "I Got the Same Old Blues" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "I'd Like to Love You, Baby" by Tom Petty, "Travelin' Light" and "Ride Me High" by Widespread Panic, "Tijuana" by Harry Manx, "Sensitive Kind" by Carlos Santana, "Cajun Moon" by Herbie Mann with Cissy Houston, and "Same Old Blues" by Captain Beefheart.
Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was raised in Tulsa and graduated from Tulsa Central High School in 1956. Along with a number of other young Tulsa musicians, Cale moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s, where he first worked as a studio engineer.
The Leathercoated Minds was a 1966-67 psychedelic studio-based band masterminded largely by Snuff Garrett and J J Cale. The band produced one album, A Trip down the Sunset Strip, co-produced by Cale and Garrett
Finding little success as a recording artist, he later returned to Tulsa and was considering giving up the music business until Clapton recorded "After Midnight" in 1970. His first album, Naturally, established his style, described by Los Angeles Times writer Richard Cromelin as a "unique hybrid of blues, folk and jazz, marked by relaxed grooves and Cale's fluid guitar and laconic vocals. His early use of drum machines and his unconventional mixes lend a distinctive and timeless quality to his work and set him apart from the pack of Americana roots-music purists."
Some sources incorrectly give his real name as "Jean-Jacques Cale". In the 2006 documentary, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, Cale talks about Elmer Valentine, co-owner of the Sunset Strip nightclub Whisky à GoGo, who employed him in the mid-1960s, being the one that came up with the "JJ" moniker to avoid confusion with the Velvet Underground's John Cale. Rocky Frisco tells the same version of the story mentioning the other John Cale but without further detail.
His biggest U.S. hit single, Crazy Mama, peaked at #22 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972. During the 2006 documentary film To Tulsa and Back Cale recounts the story of being offered the opportunity to appear on Dick Clark's American Bandstand to promote the song, which would have moved the song higher on the charts. Cale declined when told he could not bring his band to the taping and would be required to lip-sync the words to the song.
Cale died on Friday, July 26, 2013, at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, California, after suffering a heart attack.
Call the doctor
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I think I'm sick
Ain't had my medicine
In over a week
My mind's fine but
My body feels weak
Call the doctor,
I think I'm sick
A shady lady took
All my bread
Ravished my body, lord,
And messed with my head
I don't know but
I've had my fill
Call the doctor
And tell him I'm ill
My money's gone and
I've got no place to go
I don't believe
I've ever felt so low
If you've got the time
While you hang around
Call the doctor
And tell him I'm down
The lyrics to J.J. Cale's song "Call The Doctor" revolve around feelings of sickness and desperation. The first verse sees the singer feeling physically unwell and in need of medical attention. He hasn't had his medicine in over a week and his body feels weak, leading him to call for help. While his mind might be okay, his body isn't keeping up with his needs. The second verse paints a bleaker picture, describing how he's been taken advantage of by a woman who has taken all his money and left him with nothing. The singer feels used and abused by the whole situation, and regardless of how he got there, he's in dire need of help.
The third and final verse shows just how low he's feeling. With no money or place to go, the singer has hit rock bottom. This is emphasized in the line, "I don't believe I've ever felt so low." The song comes full circle when he again calls for the doctor, but this time it's not just his physical health that he's concerned about. He's down and out, and the only option left is to call for help.
Overall, the song is about vulnerability, desperation, and a need for help. It's a cry for assistance from someone who has hit rock bottom and has nowhere else to turn.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody call for the doctor,
The singer is experiencing some sort of sickness or illness and is in need of medical attention.
I think I'm sick
The singer is not feeling well and believes that they are ill.
Ain't had my medicine
The singer has not taken their prescribed medication in over a week.
In over a week
It has been more than seven days since the artist last took their medication.
My mind's fine but
The artist's mental state is normal, but they are experiencing physical symptoms of illness.
My body feels weak
The singer's body is lacking in strength and energy.
Call the doctor,
The singer is urgently requesting someone to contact a medical professional.
A shady lady took
An untrustworthy woman has taken from the artist.
All my bread
The woman has taken all of the artist's money.
Ravished my body, lord,
The woman has taken advantage of the artist in a sexual manner.
And messed with my head
The woman has had an impact on the singer's mental state.
I don't know but
The artist is unsure but has some suspicion or belief.
I've had my fill
The singer has had enough and is fed up with the current situation.
Call the doctor
The singer is again requesting someone to contact a medical professional.
And tell him I'm ill
The singer wants the person contacting the doctor to inform them of their illness and need for medical attention.
My money's gone and
The artist has run out of money.
I've got no place to go
The artist does not have a place to stay or live.
I don't believe
The singer is unsure but has some suspicion or belief.
I've ever felt so low
The singer is currently experiencing a very low point in their life.
If you've got the time
The artist is making a request for someone else's time.
While you hang around
The artist is suggesting that the other person wait or stay nearby for a period of time.
Call the doctor
The artist is once again requesting someone to contact a medical professional.
And tell him I'm down
The singer wants the person contacting the doctor to inform them that they are feeling low and in need of medical attention.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind