John Weldon Cale (5 December 1938 – 26 July 2013), known as JJ Cale or J.… Read Full Bio ↴John Weldon Cale (5 December 1938 – 26 July 2013), known as JJ Cale or J.J. Cale, was a Grammy Award-winning American singer, musician, and songwriter. Cale was one of the originators of the Tulsa Sound, a loose genre drawing on blues, rockabilly, country, and jazz influences. Cale's personal style has often been described as "laid back".

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 Rider
J.J. Cale Lyrics

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She is my low rider
She is my low rider
Some say she's bad,
But she's better than no rider
She carries a .45 on her hip
She takes no bother, she takes no lip
So put your hands on my rider today
She is my low rider

She is my low rider
Some say she's bad
But she's better than no rider
In the morning, I get my kicks
When she shows me all her tricks
A love of mine,
You know she's fine, I say
She is my low rider
She is my low rider

Some say she's bad
But she's better than no rider

Overall Meaning

J.J. Cale's song "Low Rider" is an ode to a woman who is both dangerous and alluring - she is his "low rider". The idea of a "low rider" is often associated with a car that has been modified to ride close to the ground, giving it a sleek and stylish appearance. In this song, however, the term is applied to a woman - one who is unconventional, perhaps a bit of an outlaw, but ultimately irresistible.

The opening lines of the song set the tone: "She is my low rider / Some say she's bad / But she's better than no rider". Here, we see that the woman in question is not necessarily well-regarded by society, but to Cale, she is worth the risk. He goes on to describe her as carrying a .45 on her hip, indicating that she is both tough and prepared for whatever may come her way. Despite this, he clearly holds her in high esteem and is proud to be associated with her.

Line by Line Meaning

She is my low rider
The woman referred to in the song is the singer's significant other, and he affectionately calls her his 'low rider.'

Some say she's bad,
Some people may judge the singer's girlfriend poorly, but he thinks differently.

But she's better than no rider
Even if other people don't like his girlfriend, the singer is happy to have her as his companion.

She carries a .45 on her hip
The artist's girlfriend is not to be messed with, as she carries a gun for protection.

She takes no bother, she takes no lip
The artist's girlfriend doesn't put up with any nonsense, and stands up for herself.

So put your hands on my rider today
The singer is proud of his girlfriend and encourages others to take notice of her.

In the morning, I get my kicks
The singer enjoys spending time with his girlfriend and finds joy in their relationship.

When she shows me all her tricks
The artist is impressed by his girlfriend's abilities or talents.

A love of mine,
The artist has strong feelings of affection for his girlfriend, which he expresses through the song.

You know she's fine, I say
The artist thinks his girlfriend is attractive and desirable.

Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN W CALE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind