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.
Low Down
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Low down, low down dirty shame
I've had nothing but the blues
Since I heard your name
No more, no more blues today
No more, no more blues today
I've been fond of you baby
But you got me crying everyday
Waiting, waiting so long for you
It was good news sometimes
And then sometimes, it was bad news
Low down, low down dirty shame
Low down, low down dirty shame
I've had nothing but the blues
Since I heard your name
I've been crying, crying, crying all night long
Crying, crying all night long
I had nothing but the blues
Since you came along
Low down, low down dirty shame
Low down, low down dirty shame
In J.J. Cale's song "Low Down," the singer expresses their feelings of sadness and betrayal after learning about the actions of someone they cared about. The repeated phrase "low down dirty shame" emphasizes the depth of the singer's disappointment and frustration. They've been filled with nothing but the blues since hearing the person's name, indicating that the betrayal has impacted their overall emotional state. The singer briefly expresses some hope that things might get better - "no more blues today" - but quickly moves back into their sadness, unable to escape the pain caused by the other person's actions. The lines "I had nothing but the blues since you came along" suggest that the singer's emotional turmoil has been ongoing since the other person entered their life.
Throughout the song, the singer also touches on themes of waiting and uncertainty. They've been waiting a long time for something - presumably for the other person to reciprocate their feelings or show up in some way - but the news they receive is often mixed. This reinforces the idea that the singer is stuck in a difficult situation with no clear way out. Despite their sadness, the singer seems to be reflecting on their emotions with some degree of composure, acknowledging their feelings rather than lashing out at the person who caused them.
Overall, "Low Down" is a poignant look at the pain and uncertainty that can accompany complicated relationships. The repetition of the song's central phrase underscores the intensity of the singer's emotions and the depth of the betrayal they've experienced.
Line by Line Meaning
Low down, low down dirty shame
This situation is shameful and deceitful.
Low down, low down dirty shame
This situation is shameful and deceitful.
I've had nothing but the blues
I have been feeling extremely sad and depressed.
Since I heard your name
Ever since I became aware of your presence, I have been feeling worse.
No more, no more blues today
I am determined to stop feeling sad today.
No more, no more blues today
I am determined to stop feeling sad today.
I've been fond of you baby
I have had deep affection for you.
But you got me crying everyday
But your actions have caused me to feel so emotional that I cry every day.
I've been waiting, waiting so long for you
I have been waiting patiently for you for a very long time.
Waiting, waiting so long for you
I have been waiting patiently for you for a very long time.
It was good news sometimes
Occasionally there was some positive news or developments.
And then sometimes, it was bad news
But then there were other times when the news was discouraging or negative.
Low down, low down dirty shame
This situation is shameful and deceitful.
Low down, low down dirty shame
This situation is shameful and deceitful.
I've been crying, crying, crying all night long
I have been feeling so emotional and upset that I have been crying throughout the entire night.
Crying, crying all night long
I have been feeling so emotional and upset that I have been crying throughout the entire night.
I had nothing but the blues
I have been feeling extremely sad and depressed.
Since you came along
Ever since you entered my life, I have been feeling worse.
Low down, low down dirty shame
This situation is shameful and deceitful.
Low down, low down dirty shame
This situation is shameful and deceitful.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fernando Benavides
Ese " toque " de guitara solo es privilegio del GREAT JJ Cale, sencillamente inigualable, the BEST...........
robertm2000
Pure JJ Cale! Simple words, groove laid-back but insistent as anything, and unusual lead guitar, but it fits!
petervdveenmuis
What a master he was.... Miss you man.
Blue Shore Creative
A genius at good time music. Love this guy!!
Vera Lucia Pinto Rios
Sensacional!!!
Edi Fahl
Absolutely great song
Lawrence Wenzel
great rhythm and beat, love that quitar
Sylvio Bertoli
Great song. It made my day! Thank you
mardelste
we love you jj
DOMENICO ADONINI
sublime