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.
Fate Of A Fool
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drinking that long black whisky down
I play the guitar, for me it's a living
Well, I know, just a hanging-around
Dancing girls, oh, they drive me crazy
All they want is a fancy name
Don't you know is I might not make it
That's the fate of a fool and a guitar man
Honky-tonk, where I come from
Smoke's so thick I can't imagine
Wine flows fast by the rule of a gun
One of these mornings it'll come up Sunday
I won't have a good time again
That time ain't now, it's a whole new dream
That's the fate of a fool and a guitar man
One more night, one more dollar
One more song, can you do it again
I don't know, I may not make it
That's the fate of a fool and a guitar man
That's the fate of a fool and a guitar man
In J.J. Cale's song "Fate Of A Fool," the lyrics depict the life of a musician constantly traveling from bar to bar, playing the guitar to make a living. The singer spends his life in a cold bar-room, drinking whiskey and playing the guitar. He is surrounded by dancing girls, but he acknowledges that they are just after a fancy name. He recognizes that he may not make it as a musician, and this is the fate of a fool and a guitar man.
The singer has been down to the palace of pleasure, the honky-tonk where he comes from. The smoke is so thick he can't imagine, and the wine flows fast by the rule of a gun. He knows that one day, he won't have a good time again. But for now, it's a whole new dream, and he continues to play for one more night, for one more dollar, and one more song. He acknowledges that he may not make it, but this is the fate of a fool and a guitar man.
The lyrics of "Fate Of A Fool" portray the harsh realities of the life of a traveling musician. Despite the glamour often associated with the profession, the song reminds us that it's not always a glamorous life. The singer recognizes the fleeting nature of success in the music industry and that, ultimately, it may not lead to riches or fame.
Line by Line Meaning
Spending my life in a cold hard bar-room
I am wasting my life in a dingy bar, doing the same thing every day.
Drinking that long black whisky down
I am drinking my sorrows away with cheap whiskey.
I play the guitar, for me it's a living
I make a living by playing the guitar.
Well, I know, just a hanging-around
I know that I am just passing time, not really living.
Dancing girls, oh, they drive me crazy
The dancing girls in the bar distract me from my worries.
All they want is a fancy name
The dancing girls only care about money and status.
Don't you know I might not make it
I am aware that my career as a musician may not be successful.
That's the fate of a fool and a guitar man
Being a struggling musician is the unfortunate fate of someone like me.
Yeah, been down to the palace of pleasure
I have been to many bars and clubs seeking pleasure and distraction.
Honky-tonk, where I come from
I come from a place where honky-tonks (bars) are common.
Smoke's so thick I can't imagine
The air in these bars is so smoky that it's hard to breathe.
Wine flows fast by the rule of a gun
Alcohol flows freely, and sometimes violently, in these places.
One of these mornings it'll come up Sunday
Eventually, I will have to face reality and my past actions will catch up with me.
I won't have a good time again
Once I face my reality, I won't be able to enjoy life like I do now.
That time ain't now, it's a whole new dream
Right now, I am living in a dreamland, but eventually I will have to wake up and face the real world.
One more night, one more dollar
I am seeking temporary pleasure by playing one more gig, for one more night of income.
One more song, can you do it again
I am hoping that by playing one more song, I can keep the dream alive for just a little while longer.
I don't know, I may not make it
I am uncertain if my career as a musician will be successful or not.
That's the fate of a fool and a guitar man
The uncertain fate of a musician like myself is often fraught with disappointment and financial hardship.
That's the fate of a fool and a guitar man
Being a struggling musician with an uncertain future is something that many people can relate to.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J. J. CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
matt bluesmain
perfect great version
whisper vocal big reverb
amazing guitar
seems a rare cut
one to play for peeps who say WHO ?
Michael Lowry
JJ lives on and will for generations until the human species (of which he was one of the best) hits the end of the cul-de-sac...
Werner Maertens
We have lost a Great Musician,and Indeed a Great man.... R.I.P JJ CALE . Werner Maertens- wmmusic
Roy Strickland
The man, JJ CALE.
Robert Weldon
Here again, who else sounds like this, and years later? It's a guy known for his story telling, the whispering voice, and the superb guitar riffs. Why Its Mr. Mark Knolfer. Who'd a thunk it? I don't want to sound rude here. I just know that J.J. Cale has been must important to me in my musical life. The power in his words and the sound of his guitar , pull emotions out of me as no other can. God, I sure miss him being with us.
kipponi
Yeah and he was a man whom everyone wants to be their pal.
john emeigh
lovely sound.
Blues Rain
wonderfull!
Samy Dylan
rip jj we love you
marshall jones
we have lost a great man