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.
Ride Me High
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sexy things you do
Baby, baby, baby,
Let me talk to you
I just love to whisper
In your sexy ear
Tell you that I love you,
Take away your fear
Ridin' back the day
Low-down, slow down,
Keeping low down
In that funky way
Higher, higher, higher,
How high can you go
Ride me high this morning,
Ride me high some more
The way you move your body,
It is a crying shame
I won't tell nobody
If you will do the same
If you leave tomorrow,
One thing that's for sure
The more you get,
The more you've got,
The more you want some more
Higher, higher, higher,
How high can you go
Ride me high this morning,
Ride me high some more
Higher, higher, higher,
How high can you go
Ride me high this morning,
Ride me high some more
The opening lines of J.J. Cale's "Ride Me High" paint a picture of someone feeling down and the enticing things they do to get out of that headspace. Cale sings about a tempting love interest he wants to talk to and whisper sweet nothings to. He wants to show them that he loves them and reassure them that they don't have to be afraid. The repetition of "low-down" and "funky" suggests that this is a gritty, back-to-basics kind of love. It's not about flashy promises or grand romantic gestures but about finding solace in each other's arms.
As the song progresses, Cale explores the physical side of this relationship, particularly the way his partner moves their body. He admits that he's not the only one enjoying their time together but promises that he won't tell anyone if they don't. The chorus urges the listener to keep pushing higher, keep striving for more. It's a call for hedonism, a reminder that in this moment, everything else can fade away.
Overall, "Ride Me High" is a celebration of sensuality and escapism. It's about letting go of our inhibitions and indulging in the things that make us feel alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Low-down way you're feeling,
Your demeanor is downtrodden and dismal
The sexy things you do
Your seductive actions and mannerisms
Baby, baby, baby,
A term of endearment used to address you
Let me talk to you
Allow me to have a conversation with you
I just love to whisper
I enjoy speaking softly and intimately
In your sexy ear
Into the ear that elicits feelings of seduction
Tell you that I love you,
Expressing my feelings of love for you
Take away your fear
Removing your anxieties and apprehensions
Destroy your inhibitions,
Eliminating your reservations and hesitations
Ridin' back the day
Reflecting on the past and nostalgia
Low-down, slow down,
A lifestyle of minimalism and leisure
Keeping low down
Maintaining a modest and discreet lifestyle
In that funky way
Living with groove and rhythm
Higher, higher, higher,
Ascending to new levels
How high can you go
What is the upper limit you can achieve
Ride me high this morning,
Elevate me and bring me to new heights
Ride me high some more
Take me even higher and elevate me further
The way you move your body,
Your physical movements and actions
It is a crying shame
It's a pitiful and unfortunate situation
I won't tell nobody
I will keep your secrets confidential
If you will do the same
If you reciprocate and keep my secrets confidential
If you leave tomorrow,
If you depart and are no longer here
One thing that's for sure
Something that is definite and certain
The more you get,
The greater your possessions and experiences
The more you've got,
Your accumulation grows even larger
The more you want some more
The more you desire additional possessions and experiences
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J.J. CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cannashiva9719
Low-down way you're feeling,
The sexy things you do
Baby, baby, baby,
Let me talk to you
I just love to whisper
In your sexy ear
Tell you that I love you,
Take away your fear
Destroy your inhibitions,
Ridin' back the day
Low-down, slow down,
Keeping low down
In that funky way
Higher, higher, higher,
How high can you go
Ride me high this morning,
Ride me high some more
The way you move your body,
It is a crying shame
I won't tell nobody
If you will do the same
If you leave tomorrow,
One thing that's for sure
The more you get,
The more you've got,
The more you want some more
Higher, higher, higher,
How high can you go
Ride me high this morning,
Ride me high some more
Higher, higher, higher,
How high can you go
Ride me high this morning,
Ride me high some more## JJCale
@WilliamMassey-ld9gk
Arrangements are absolutely phenomenal unbelievable
@mikey-b-1978
JJ could groove man
@Newtonian40059
One of the best
@Newtonian40059
Everyone covered his songs. Sick...
@axedaddyx
J.J. Cale passed away today...he was 74 years old...We have lost one of the best ever...fine song writer...and he sang from the experience of "Doing"....he lived large...I love his easy rockin' beautiful guy....we'll truly miss you J.J. R.I.P
@BrianCarnevaleB26
And I only learned about him last year. Some of my reading brought me into a Clapton interview and he really talked about how he influenced him, how special he was. Now I have a playlist of his excellent compositions. such a great grove here!
But he was not on the radio and that is a shame.
@brianfreel1473
Not forgotten bro
@BIGMOUTHLOUIS
No covid shit to deal with for him.
@dimitriwolfs9370
The more you get ,the more you got ,the more you want some more ...
Thannk you JJ.
@anthonychavez2930
He was "the breeze" for sure. Simple straightforward no bs songwriting and recording. The riff at the fade of this tune.... total highway guy! RIP!