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.
People Lie
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talk to a prince
Talk to a preacher or the president
Some people lie, some people lie and deceive
When they say one thing,
They mean something else completely
I had me a woman, love me to the end
Some people lie, some people lie and deceive
But sometime later, they'll get theirs, yes sirree
Well, I bought me a new car, a lemon, no doubt
The wheels fell off, the salesman he was out
People lie, people lie and deceive
When they say one thing,
They mean something else completely
The bottom line, you understand
When some people talk,
You can't believe what they're saying
People lie, people lie and deceive
When they say one thing,
They mean something else completely
The lyrics of J.J. Cale's "People Lie" reflect the artist's perception of the duplicity of human nature. He highlights how individuals in positions of authority or influence, such as governors, princes, preachers or presidents, can often lie and deceive, despite being trusted by society. Even the people who are closest to us, like romantic partners, can betray us in ways that we never anticipated. The song emphasizes how the truth is often distorted and people's intentions are obscured, with their words hiding ulterior motives or their actions failing to match their words. Finally, the lyrics express a belief that everyone eventually gets what they deserve, even if it takes time for their actions to catch up with them.
In "People Lie," J.J. Cale's musical style is evident. His understated vocal style, combined with a bluesy guitar riff, conveys the song's message without being overly dramatic. The song is a reminder of J.J. Cale's contribution to the development of the "Tulsa Sound," which was a mixture of blues, country, and rock music.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you can talk to the governor,
Even if you talk to someone with a high status or power, it doesn't mean they won't lie
Talk to a prince
Even someone who is royalty can be dishonest
Talk to a preacher or the president
Even religious and political leaders can be deceitful
Some people lie, some people lie and deceive
There are always people who will lie to you and try to trick you
When they say one thing,
When they tell you something
They mean something else completely
They are actually intending to convey a different message than their words suggest
I had me a woman, love me to the end
I had a woman who loved me very much and was committed to me
Two days later she was with another man
However, she betrayed me and left me for someone else very quickly
But sometime later, they'll get theirs, yes sirree
Eventually, these dishonest people will receive the consequences for their actions
Well, I bought me a new car, a lemon, no doubt
I purchased a brand new car that turned out to be faulty and unreliable
The wheels fell off, the salesman he was out
The car became completely unusable and the person who sold it to me was nowhere to be found
The bottom line, you understand
The main point is
When some people talk,
When certain individuals speak
You can't believe what they're saying
It's difficult to trust and accept their words as truthful
People lie, people lie and deceive
People commonly tell lies and try to trick others
When they say one thing,
When they express a particular statement
They mean something else completely
Their real intentions differ from the literal meaning of their words
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: J. J. CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Shannon Tharpa Doyle
God knows I love this shit.
Just had to say it.
Eugene Weaver
JJ my main man, 1st time my Memphis ass heard him I wuz blown away , E.C. said JJ was one of his favorites, u know JJ n Leon kinda came up together n were raised in Tulsa
Slava Gudemc
))) Super!! ...
William Fever
The person who disliked this video - lied.