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.
Crazy Mama
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
You've been hiding out, I know that's true
Crazy mama, I sure need you
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Standing on the corner, looking for you, babe
Standing on the corner, looking for you, babe
that crazy mama coming back to me?
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
The song Crazy Mama by J.J. Cale is about a man who is desperately searching for his lover who has been away for a long time. He seems to be missing her terribly and cannot fathom where she could have gone. The repetition of the line 'Crazy mama, where you been so long?' emphasizes the sense of longing and despair that the man feels. He knows that she has been hiding out somewhere, but he cannot determine the reason behind her absence. He makes it clear that he needs her and that she is the only one who can bring him happiness.
The second verse of the song has the singer standing on the corner, awaiting the return of his 'crazy mama'. He seems to be pleading to a higher power, saying 'Lord have mercy, can I see, that crazy mama coming back to me?'. This line brings a sense of vulnerability to the singer, suggesting that he is willing to do whatever it takes to bring his lover back to him.
Overall, the song Crazy Mama is an emotional plea for the return of a loved one. The repetition of the title line and the singer's desperation highlights the power of love and how it can consume and control us.
Line by Line Meaning
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Asking an emotionally distant partner where they've been
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Reiterating the previous question to emphasize the absence
You've been hiding out, I know that's true
Accusing the partner of purposely avoiding the singer
Crazy mama, I sure need you
Expressing the importance and dependency on the partner
Standing on the corner, looking for you, babe
Actively searching for the partner in public places
Standing on the corner, looking for you, babe
Repeating the previous line to reiterate the search
Lord have mercy, can I see,
Expressing desperation and imploring for divine intervention
that crazy mama coming back to me?
Hoping for the partner's return despite their actions
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Concluding the song with a repetition of the first two lines for emphasis
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@connieschwarz6023
i just read your comment about Jj.
and i thought you might want to know a little more about that song and JJ.
way back then i was in my 20’s and i was throwing a party at my apartment.
i’m from nashville tennessee.
i grew up in the music industry.
i had a friend named Christine and she was also a singer and musician.
okay…. so everyone was dancing in my kitchen.
my friends had just wrapped up a recording session and they were there.
we’re having a really good time!
i noticed this guy standing in the corner of my kitchen.
really quite kind of guy.
well it was JJ.
JJ was in intrested in Christian .
so they leave together and the rest was history.
anyway…. Eric Clapton had heard JJ’s song After Midnight and he loved it!
so he paid JJ To let him record the song his way.
before i knew it Christine pulls up at my house in a brand new corvette with a license plate on the front that said Crazy Mama!
Christine and i would drive all around nashville in the corvette that JJ had bought for her with some of the money that Eric had paid him.
it was CRAZY! it was beautiful!
just thought you might want to know.
@smokinjz
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
You've been hiding out, I know that's true
Crazy mama, I sure need you
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Standing on the corner, looking for you, babe
Standing on the corner, looking for you, babe
Lord have mercy, can I see,
that crazy mama coming back to me?
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
@joaofalcao8559
One, two, three, four
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
You've been hidin' out
I know that's true
Crazy mama, I sure need you
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
Standin' on the corner
Lookin' for you, babe
Standin' on the corner
Lookin' for you, babe
Lord, have mercy
I can not see
Crazy mama comin' back to me
Crazy mama, where you been so long?
@sterlingdoughty843
one of the greatest songs of the time
@imonlyyou
Still astounding that an album of southern folk music set to a primitive beatbox stood toe to toe with Zepplin and the Stones and Yes and Bowie and all the other heavies back in 1972. RIP for now, J.J. Cale, thank you forever.
@kerryanncompany5408
❤️🎶🙏
@delaineshay37
Love this song—awesome smooth beat
@Morganasnotarobot0
Very similar cool n sweet vibes, As in mb same league Golden hits As popular As LZ ❤too Many cool melody's 🎶in All myriad styles soulfullyblues,,✨ 🎤✨🎸of JJcale LZ so many Once traversed the limelight ✨these perhaps Incredible Greats Outlive em to stay in great rocknrolhistoryOfACoolzAlAlphastylesNo1s hittn charts Of
TopMankindsfame🎼~❤~🎼
@mikewilliams8951
❤ remember in Lovers Lane 🌸👌
@connieschwarz6023
i just read your comment about Jj.
and i thought you might want to know a little more about that song and JJ.
way back then i was in my 20’s and i was throwing a party at my apartment.
i’m from nashville tennessee.
i grew up in the music industry.
i had a friend named Christine and she was also a singer and musician.
okay…. so everyone was dancing in my kitchen.
my friends had just wrapped up a recording session and they were there.
we’re having a really good time!
i noticed this guy standing in the corner of my kitchen.
really quite kind of guy.
well it was JJ.
JJ was in intrested in Christian .
so they leave together and the rest was history.
anyway…. Eric Clapton had heard JJ’s song After Midnight and he loved it!
so he paid JJ To let him record the song his way.
before i knew it Christine pulls up at my house in a brand new corvette with a license plate on the front that said Crazy Mama!
Christine and i would drive all around nashville in the corvette that JJ had bought for her with some of the money that Eric had paid him.
it was CRAZY! it was beautiful!
just thought you might want to know.
@juanoperez5266
Great LP. One of the best vinils of J.J.Cale 1972. Great artist, a GIANT.
@brianallancobb
Best song of '72. Best slide, ever. Rest in peace, J.J. Your songs won't die while I have breath to sing.
@chunderwunderwhinger1331
I'm playing it NOW ...30 Nov 2022 15.06 european time ..