John Weldon Cale (5 December 1938 – 26 July 2013), known as JJ Cale or J.… Read Full Bio ↴John Weldon Cale (5 December 1938 – 26 July 2013), known as JJ Cale or J.J. Cale, was a Grammy Award-winning American singer, musician, and songwriter. Cale was one of the originators of the Tulsa Sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz influences. Cale's personal style has often been described as "laid back".

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.

Doctor Told Me
J.J. Cale Lyrics

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Well my heart ain't in it
My mind is blank
Can't seem to function
Can't seem to think
Doctor told me cure your ills
Get yourself a woman boy that will pay your bills
Have her clean your house, make your bed
Rub your bottom down, hold your head

Get yourself a lover, a friend and a wife
Get yourself a woman boy, get yourself a life
Doctor told me [Repeat: x1]
Doctor told me get yourself a life
Well, I got out on the street and I looked around
here come a woman, she was fine and brown
I said "Come here baby, my name is Bob
I'm a long, tall lover, but I ain't got no job"
Doctor told me (I told her)
Doctor told me
Doctor told me get yourself a life
Well she looked at me with a sparkle in her eye
Told me I was crazy, told me I was high
"Get outta here", she said, "or I'll cut you with my knife"
You better be gone boy, get yourself a life
Doctor told me
Doctor told me (I told her)
Doctor told me get yourself a life
Here I'm standin' 'round a lonesome old house
Ain't got nobody, ain't got no spouse
I sure fell bad, i sure feel blue
One thing I sure feel, I'm sure needin' you

Doctor told me [Repeat: x1]
Doctor told me get yourself a life

Overall Meaning

The song "Doctor Told Me" by J.J. Cale can be interpreted as a reflection of the singer's state of mind. He is feeling disconnected from life and struggles to function, as expressed through the lines "my heart ain't in it" and "my mind is blank." The idea of seeking a woman to alleviate his problems is suggested by the doctor, who advises him to "get yourself a woman boy that will pay your bills" and "Get yourself a lover, a friend, and a wife." However, his attempts to do so are met with rejection and he is left alone and feeling blue.

The singer's desperation to find someone to fill the void in his life is palpable throughout the song. He is seeking not just any woman, but someone who can provide him with financial support as well as emotional companionship. The repetition of the line "Doctor told me get yourself a life" emphasizes the importance of finding someone to help him overcome his troubles. However, the singer's search ultimately proves unsuccessful and he is left standing outside a "lonesome old house," still struggling with his loneliness and disconnection from life.

Overall, "Doctor Told Me" portrays a bleak picture of a man trying to find his way back to a fulfilling life. The lyrics suggest a sense of hopelessness and despair that is only alleviated by the possibility of a new relationship. However, it remains uncertain whether the singer will ever find the companionship he seeks.

Line by Line Meaning

Well my heart ain't in it
I am not interested in anything

My mind is blank
I cannot think or concentrate

Can't seem to function
I am unable to operate normally

Can't seem to think
I cannot produce any thoughts

Doctor told me cure your ills
The doctor advised me to improve my life

Get yourself a woman boy that will pay your bills
Find a woman who can support you financially

Have her clean your house, make your bed
Make her do domestic chores for you

Rub your bottom down, hold your head
Have her give you massages and support you emotionally

Get yourself a lover, a friend and a wife
Find someone who can fill different roles in your life

Get yourself a woman boy, get yourself a life
Find a woman in order to improve your life

Doctor told me get yourself a life
The doctor advised me to change my lifestyle