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.
Don't Cry Sister
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't cry sister cry, everything'll be just fine
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright, I tell you no lie
Don't cry sister cry, don't do it, don't do it
When Old Man Trouble knocks on your door
Don't give him no key, he just wants more
He'll turn your life to misery
Kick you down, just like me
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright, it'll be alright
Don't cry sister cry, everything'll be just fine
Woke downhearted and you feel so bad
Somebody wants something of nothing you had
Love don't come too easy, you see
A little bit of you and a little bit of me
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright, it'll be alright
Don't cry sister cry, everything'll be just fine
Everything'll be just fine
Everything'll be just fine
Don't cry sister cry, don't do it, don't do it
Don't cry sister cry, don't do it, don't do it
In the song "Don't Cry Sister" by J.J. Cale and Eric Clapton, the lyrics repeatedly encourage someone not to cry and assure them that everything will be alright, despite difficult times. The song acknowledges the pain and hardships that life can deliver, but encourages the listener to keep going and not give up. The first verse reassures the listener that everything will be alright in the morning, and that they should not cry. The second verse warns against giving into troubles and letting them take over, and instead advises the listener to push on and not cry. The final verse touches on a common theme in blues and gospel music, which is that love is not easy but it is worthwhile to persevere through trying times.
The song features a laid-back, bluesy guitar style that is typical of J.J. Cale's work. Eric Clapton's guitar playing is also present throughout the song and the two artists harmonize their vocals on the refrain. The track was recorded for the 1979 collaboration album "5," which was made up of songs co-written by Cale and Clapton. The song was also included on the soundtrack to the 1993 film "Kalifornia," which starred Brad Pitt, Juliette Lewis, and David Duchovny.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright in the morning
Don't worry, sister. Whatever is troubling you now will seem better in the morning.
Don't cry sister cry, everything'll be just fine
Don't cry, sister. Everything will work out well in the end.
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright, I tell you no lie
Be confident, sister. I'm not lying when I say that everything will be okay.
Don't cry sister cry, don't do it, don't do it
Please don't cry, sister. It will only make things worse.
When Old Man Trouble knocks on your door
When you encounter difficulties in life,
Don't give him no key, he just wants more
Don't give the problem any more control over you,
He'll turn your life to misery
As long as you let it, the problem will make your life difficult,
Kick you down, just like me
The problem will knock you down, just like it has knocked me down.
Woke downhearted and you feel so bad
If you wake up feeling sad and disheartened,
Somebody wants something of nothing you had
It could be that someone has taken advantage of you,
Love don't come too easy, you see
It's not always easy to find love, as you probably know.
A little bit of you and a little bit of me
We both have to do our part in order to make love work.
Everything'll be just fine
In the end, things will work out okay.
Don't cry sister cry, don't do it, don't do it
Please don't cry, sister. It won't help anything.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mackapas1909
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright in the morning
Don't cry sister cry, everything'll be just fine
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright, I tell you no lie
Don't cry sister cry, don't do it, don't do it
When Old Man Trouble knocks on your door
Don't give him no key, he just wants more
He'll turn your life to misery
Kick you down, just like me
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright, it'll be alright
Don't cry sister cry, everything'll be just fine
Woke downhearted and you feel so bad
Somebody wants something of nothing you had
Love don't come too easy, you see
A little bit of you and a little bit of me
Don't cry sister cry, it'll be alright, it'll be alright
Don't cry sister cry, everything'll be just fine
Everything'll be just fine
Everything'll be just fine
@Sourgelo3
πολλά ελληνάκια βλέπω εδώ !! Παιδιά ένα έχω να πω, κομματάρα απο τις λίγες!!! Πραγματικά λυπάμαι που πλέον ελάχιστοι είναι τέτοιοι σπουδαίοι μουσικοί στις μέρες μας ! Απλά αφέθηκα <3
@nataliakovalova2518
Голос мягкий, приятный. Слушать приятно и легко.
@yrjomatilainen2815
I don´t understand a letter, but I agree
@rainbowbridge4766
This is the most soothing tone of music ever, perfect treble setting nothing sounds harsh every sound is nice to the ear no matter how loud.
@dennisswearman7549
The world has lost a great song writer and Clapton's friend. J J Cale will be missed by all that loved his music !
@btajpb1891
How can a 2 minute song be just so tight, so deep, so soulful, so right?
@jonathankonoi5367
JJ has always been one of my favorites. Blessings from Finland. Cale's music will forever be alive!
@jarikuukasjarvi8198
Greetings also from Finland, always loved J.J. Bless you all
@dannylemasurier5256
One of my favourite J J Cale tracks, many thanks, good sound quality too!
@MallikaMenon
How can all JJ's songs be close to perfection!