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.
Clyde
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Plays it with finesse and grace
Sit on the porch without no shoes
A-picking the bass and singing the blues
Misery loves company
And his old dog sings harmony
Tambourine tied to his tail
You can hear him moan, you can hear him wail
Jody May, she got a dollar
Down the road you can hear her holler
"Get up Clyde, we got something to do
That old dog can sing the blues"
He don't move, he don't flinch
Clyde, he don't move an inch
Just sit on the porch without no shoes
Picking his bass and singing the blues
In J.J. Cale's song "Clyde," the singer describes a musician named Clyde who plays electric bass with finesse and grace. Clyde is often found sitting on his porch without shoes, picking his bass and singing the blues. However, he is not alone - his old dog sings harmony with a tambourine tied to his tail. The lyrics suggest that misery loves company, as Clyde and his dog both moan and wail in their songs.
The second verse introduces another character named Jody May, who "got a dollar" and wants Clyde to join her in doing something. But Clyde doesn't move, he doesn't flinch - he just sits on his porch and plays his bass. His dedication to his music is apparent, as he continues to sing and play despite the potential distractions around him.
Overall, the song paints a picture of a relaxed, bluesy lifestyle where music is the focus. Clyde and his dog are content to sing the blues on their porch, and nothing can distract them from their passion.
Line by Line Meaning
Clyde plays electric bass
Clyde is skilled at playing the electric bass guitar
Plays it with finesse and grace
Clyde plays the bass smoothly and elegantly
Sit on the porch without no shoes
Clyde sits on his porch barefoot
A-picking the bass and singing the blues
Clyde plays his bass guitar while singing sad songs
Misery loves company
Sad people often seek the company of others who are also unhappy
And his old dog sings harmony
Clyde's dog accompanies him by howling in harmony
Tambourine tied to his tail
A tambourine is attached to the dog's tail
You can hear him moan, you can hear him wail
The dog makes sad sounds along with Clyde's music
Jody May, she got a dollar
A woman named Jody May has some money
Down the road you can hear her holler
Jody May is shouting from a distance
"Get up Clyde, we got something to do
Jody May is asking Clyde to do something with her
That old dog can sing the blues"
Jody May thinks Clyde's dog is a good singer
He don't move, he don't flinch
Clyde stays still and does not react
Clyde, he don't move an inch
Clyde remains motionless
Just sit on the porch without no shoes
Clyde continues to sit barefoot on his porch
Picking his bass and singing the blues
Clyde plays the bass guitar and sings sad songs
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@priscillagood6279
JJ Cale, America's best kept secret, one of the best songwriters ever!
@tinamcintosh160
Yes yes yes
@costasgiotakis3895
Priscilla Good DAMN RIGHT!
@janitorbill7654
Big facts
@GrahamByrne63
He sure is 👌
@rickyjgoody4205
You got that right!
@michaelrose560
This the song that in '71 introduced me into JJ Cale and is still my favorite. JJ Cale many times copied but never equaled. Thank you
@sansocie
Gone but always in the breeze. Thanks for the tunes,smiles and joy.
@kevinfrancis6033
One of the coolest songs 🎶😎
@jeremygreen2198
simply one of the best singer songwriters and guitarists there's ever been!