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.
It's Hard To Tell
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a casual look
Can you read his mind
Like an open book
When you cross the room
Can you feel his eyes
Is he the one
Gonna make your night
Where your next love lies
It's hard to tell
If the feeling's there
Do you seize the moment
Or should you beware
Is he the one
Does it feel just right
When you're face to face
Should you act surprised
It's hard to tell
Where your next love lies
Will he want your number
Will he want your name
Are you going to panic
Or play the game
Will he call tomorrow
Will he call tonight
It's hard to tell
Where your next love lies
It's hard to tell
If he's for real
Mysterious ways
He makes you feel
Is he the one
Does it feel just right
It's hard to tell
Where your next love lies
In J.J. Cale's song It's Hard To Tell, he sings about the uncertainty and ambiguity that comes with meeting someone new and trying to figure out if there is potential for love. The lyrics reflect the nervous excitement and trepidation that can often accompany new romantic encounters. Cale asks if we can tell what someone is thinking just by looking at them, if we can feel their gaze, and if we can distinguish between a true connection and just a passing feeling. He sings about the difficulty of knowing if we should take a chance and seize the moment or if we should hold back and exercise caution. The chorus repeats the song's title as a kind of refrain, acknowledging the fact that ultimately, it's hard to predict where our next love may come from or what form it may take.
Overall, the lyrics convey a sense of vulnerability and uncertainty when it comes to matters of the heart. The song captures the complex emotions that can arise when we are drawn to someone new, and the ways in which we try to navigate that initial attraction to determine if it is worth pursuing further. Ultimately, Cale suggests that as much as we might try to read signs or interpret signals, the path to love is often unpredictable and elusive.
Line by Line Meaning
It's hard to tell
Determining the authenticity of someone or something is challenging.
With a casual look
Judging based on a quick and relaxed observation.
Can you read his mind
Can you understand his thoughts and feelings without him expressing them verbally?
Like an open book
Is he easy to read, or are his emotions and intentions ambiguous?
When you cross the room
When you move nearer or approach him, what vibes do you get?
Can you feel his eyes
Do you feel his gaze on you or his attention directed at you?
Is he the one
Is he the person who will fulfill your desire for love or companionship?
Gonna make your night
Will he provide you with an exciting experience or make the time spent with him worthwhile?
Where your next love lies
Where or who you will find your next romantic partner is unclear and unknown.
If the feeling's there
If you sense an emotional connection between you and him.
Do you seize the moment
Do you take advantage of the opportunity and act boldly?
Or should you beware
Or should you be cautious and hesitant?
Does it feel just right
Does your interaction feel natural, comfortable, and perfect?
When you're face to face
When you are in each other's presence and making eye contact.
Should you act surprised
Should you fake astonishment or conceal your emotions?
Will he want your number
Will he ask you for your phone number?
Will he want your name
Will he ask you for your name or to introduce yourself?
Are you going to panic
Will you become nervous, anxious or scared?
Or play the game
Or will you use your charm, flirtation, and tactics to interact with him?
Will he call tomorrow
Will he contact you the next day after your encounter?
Will he call tonight
Will he contact you later the same night?
If he's for real
If he is sincere and truthful in his intentions and actions.
Mysterious ways
His behavior is difficult to explain or understand fully.
He makes you feel
He elicits emotions within you that you cannot explain or control.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: J J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Vera Lucia Pinto Rios
Maravilhoso ❤
Jacob de Jong
...sigrid K. moet heeeel wat nadenken over met wie te 💃...