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.
New Lover
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's on the grounds, that's what they say
I heard the news only yesterday
She's on the prowl like a siamese cat
I hope I'm where it's at
She's got a lover
It's a guarantee
It ain't me
She's got a lover
That's what I'm told
She got a lover
I'm out in the cold
She's on the grounds, that's what they say
I heard the news only yesterday
She's on the prowl like a siamese cat
I must not be where it's at
She's got a lover
Puts her in a trance
She's got a lover
I ain't got a chance
She's got a lover
It's a guarantee
That her new lover
It ain't me
She's got a lover
That's what i'm told
She got a lover
I'm out in the cold
In J.J. Cale's song New Lover, the singer is lamenting the fact that the woman he desires has found a new lover. The lyrics describe how he's only just heard about it and it's clear that he's upset about the situation. He likens her state of mind to that of a Siamese cat, indicating her prey-like behaviour as she pursues her new love interest. The repeated refrain "She's got a lover, it ain't me" highlights the singer's sense of rejection and loss. It's interesting that, while he's clearly upset about the situation, he's focused on her, commenting only briefly on his own situation when he says "I'm out in the cold". He doesn't seem to have any harsh feelings towards the woman, which shows a certain level of emotional maturity.
The simple instrumentation and the laid-back delivery of the lyrics add to the sorrowful, resigned tone of the song. The lack of anger or bitterness further showcases the singer's maturity as he accepts the situation and takes responsibility for his part in the outcome. The use of the word "Guarantee" in reference to the woman's new lover indicates that the singer knows he's now competing with someone who can provide a certain kind of emotional security that he can't. The song seems to be about coming to terms with lost love, recognising the role that one's own actions play in relationships and moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
She's on the grounds, that's what they say
According to the rumors, she's around somewhere nearby
I heard the news only yesterday
I just found out about this recently
She's on the prowl like a siamese cat
She's out looking for something or someone, like a cat on the hunt
I hope I'm where it's at
I hope I'm the one she's looking for
She's got a lover
She's involved with someone else
It's a guarantee
It's definite, there's no doubt about it
That her new lover
The person she's currently involved with
It ain't me
It's definitely not me
That's what I'm told
That's the information I've received from others
I must not be where it's at
I'm probably not the one she's looking for
Puts her in a trance
He has a strong effect on her, she's enamored with him
I ain't got a chance
I have no hope of winning her over
I'm out in the cold
I'm completely left out or excluded
Contributed by Amelia C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Canna Shiva
She's on the rounds, that's what they say
I heard the news only yesterday
She's on the prowl like a Siamese cat
I hope I'm where it's at
She's got a lover, it's a guarantee
That her new lover, it ain't me
She's got a lover, that's what I'm told
And she's got a lover, I'm out in the cold
She's on the rounds, that's what they say
I heard the news only yesterday
She's on the prowl like a Siamese cat
I must not be where it's at
She's got a lover, puts her in a trance
She's got a lover, I ain't got a chance
She's got a lover, it's a guarantee
That her new lover, it ain't me
And she's got a lover, that's what I'm told
She's got a lover, I'm out in the cold ###AYJJ
FUBARSALTDOG
Killer jam!!!!!
lali rahima
💖💖💖
FUBARSALTDOG
How the fuck do only 38 people like this. Wake up globe. Wake up people.
Better late than never to explore Cale.
Edi Fahl
🤟
Eddy Vanderhellen
😍
david ormes
Tune 👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧😎😎😎😇😇💕💞💞💞💞🇺🇲🇺🇲Go JJ Cale