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.
Jailer
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But these steel bars spoil the view
You know that jailer thinks I'm guilty
He don't know that I'm passing through
Ain't no service in this prison
Ain't no women I can see
Doin' my time now, I been waiting
For that jailer, set me free
Like he owns my very soul
You know that jailer's got the key
Be so easy, let me go
In the song "Jailer" by J.J. Cale, the singer appears to be imprisoned unjustly, as he describes looking out through bars at the moonlight. He seems to be a transient or perhaps someone caught in a wrongful arrest, as he sings "He don't know that I'm passing through." Cale's lyrics suggest that while the singer is doing his time, he is still waiting to be set free by the jailer. The imagery of the jailer owning the singer's soul and holding the key to his freedom paints the picture of a powerless prisoner who has no say about when he can leave. The singer's longing for both human connection and freedom is conveyed through the lyrics "ain't no service in this prison, ain't no women I can see."
Overall, "Jailer" speaks to themes of imprisonment, powerlessness, and longing for freedom. The song's lyrics paint an evocative portrait of someone who is trapped inside four walls, being controlled by a jailer who has complete power over him. Yet, in contrast to that darkness, the singer's vocals maintain a degree of hope throughout. Despite the situation, he never loses sight of the idea that someday, he will be released and no longer under the heavy hand of the jailer.
Line by Line Meaning
Low-light moonlight comes through my window
There's barely any light in my cell, but what little there is comes from the moon through the window.
But these steel bars spoil the view
The bars on the window prevent me from being able to fully enjoy the little bit of moonlight that does come in.
You know that jailer thinks I'm guilty
The guard assigned to my cell believes that I'm a criminal who deserves to be locked up.
He don't know that I'm passing through
The jailer doesn't realize that I'm only here temporarily and will soon be released.
Ain't no service in this prison
There's no help or comfort available to me while I'm in this prison.
Ain't no women I can see
There are no female prisoners, visitors, or staff in this part of the prison for me to interact with.
Doin' my time now, I been waiting
I'm currently serving my sentence, and I'm just biding my time until it's over and I can go home.
For that jailer, set me free
I'm waiting for the guard to unlock my cell and let me out of this prison.
Lord that jailer, walks around here
The guard assigned to my cell often comes by and walks around the area.
Like he owns my very soul
The guard seems to have complete power and control over my life while I'm in prison.
You know that jailer's got the key
The guard has the only key that can unlock my cell and set me free.
Be so easy, let me go
It would be a simple task for the jailer to unlock my cell and allow me to leave, but it's not happening yet.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J. J. CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ramiz110
Low-light moonlight comes through my window
But these steel bars spoil the view
You know that jailer thinks I'm guilty
He don't know that I'm passing through
Ain't no service in this prison
Ain't no women I can see
Doin' my time now, I been waiting
For that jailer, set me free
Lord that jailer, walks around here
Like he owns my very soul
You know that jailer's got the key
Be so easy, let me go
jjohnston94
Let's name all the movies shown here! I'll start:
0:02 Cool Hand Luke
0:09 The Shawshank Redemption
0:16 Oldboy (original Korean version)
0:22 American History X
0:30 The Fugitive
0:37 Escape from Alcatraz
0:46 Brubaker
0:53 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
0:58 ?
1:06 Cool Hand Luke
1:13 ?
1:20 ?
1:28 ?
1:34 Papillon
1:42 The Green Mile
1:48 ?
1:55 Con Air
2:02 Midnight Express
2:10 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
2:17 The Great Escape
2:24 Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
2:32 The Shawshank Redemption
Paula Jane
I love everything about your music forever 🎼🎸❤🎶💯
music-is-mylife
RIP & thank you for all the great music you have given us to always remember you with....
ramiz110
Low-light moonlight comes through my window
But these steel bars spoil the view
You know that jailer thinks I'm guilty
He don't know that I'm passing through
Ain't no service in this prison
Ain't no women I can see
Doin' my time now, I been waiting
For that jailer, set me free
Lord that jailer, walks around here
Like he owns my very soul
You know that jailer's got the key
Be so easy, let me go
Ros G J
Thanks for txt. Regards 🇫🇷
Nadya Nadya
Yeas
Vincent Crochet
ramiz110 thanks
Navajo intheDNA
I'm really enjoying listening to his music, BRAVO!
Laurent Guinness
For some personal reasons "Number 10" is my favorite JJ album. I think the guitar solo in "Artificial Paradise" is one of his best.
The King of Mojacar
Such a nice song from one of the best songwriter and a good answer about the problems with the law.... :)
We miss you J.J....
Peter Rentenberger
Really cool everything blends so well together