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.
Tijuana
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tijuana, land of broken dreams
Senoritas dancing in the moonlight
Flashing Spanish dark eyes to everyone, it seems
They say "Hey, gringo
Can you take us across the border
Just tell them I'm your daughter
Of a local."
All the young men stand with pride
They guard the palace to the kingdom
Called Tijuana, their heritage they decide
They say "Hey, gringo
Can you take us across the border
We'll work for just a quarter
On the other side"
J.J. Cale's song "Tijuana" paints a picture of the city just south of San Diego and its people. The lyrics depict Tijuana as a place of broken dreams where young women dance in the moonlight, hoping to catch the eyes of men who can take them across the border to a better life. The song shows the desperation of the city's residents who are willing to do whatever it takes to escape their current predicament. They beg the "gringo" to take them across the border and tell immigration officials that they are his daughters.
The lyrics also mention the pride that the young men of Tijuana take in guarding their city. They view it as their heritage and are willing to work for just a quarter on the other side of the border. The song paints a picture of a city that is hopeful yet struggling, with its residents dreaming of a better life across the border.
Overall, "Tijuana" is a sobering look at the struggles faced by the people of this city. It showcases their drive and determination to overcome their situation while highlighting the challenges they face, both internal and external. The lyrics are insightful and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a unique corner of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Just below San Diego
Tijuana is located in close proximity to San Diego.
Tijuana, land of broken dreams
Tijuana is a place where people's aspirations often go unfulfilled.
Senoritas dancing in the moonlight
Women dance under the moonlight in Tijuana.
Flashing Spanish dark eyes to everyone, it seems
Women are flirting with everyone around them by flashing dark, Spanish eyes.
They say "Hey, gringo
The locals address foreigners as "gringo".
Can you take us across the border
The locals request foreigners to take them across the border.
Just tell them I'm your daughter
The locals ask foreigners to lie and claim they are their daughters to cross the border.
Of a local."
The locals want foreigners to pretend to be their daughters by claiming they are of local descent.
Down the backstreets, through the alleys
The locals take foreigners through hidden routes to cross the border.
All the young men stand with pride
Young men show their pride while guarding the area.
They guard the palace to the kingdom
The young men guarding the area consider it their kingdom and are fiercely protective of it.
Called Tijuana, their heritage they decide
The locals take pride in Tijuana and consider it their heritage.
We'll work for just a quarter
The locals are willing to work for very little money.
On the other side"
The locals are willing to work across the border for meager wages.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J J CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rav66c65
J.J. was one of the best songwriters the U.S. has ever known. Along with Townes Van Zant and Dylan you can't go wrong.
@countblue
I will trow Sixtu Rodriguez into the mix.
@pierluigiservida6256
dont forget Jack Hardy, unfortunately he never became a celebrity but he was a great songwriter. And Jim Croce too, he died too soon.
@steelyman08
What a great sound he conjured up here. Minimalism at it's very best. That's what he did better than anyone. He got a bit more polished with Grasshopper & later albums, but those straight up JJ Cale songs always kept popping up until the end. Absolutely captured the vibe of what he was describing here. Thanks for the upload ♥
@johnmckinlay67
2 chords. E and F. Simplicity @ its best from a master. Great album "Travel-Log". Thanks for the post,Jensjcm.
@quitanero
It's all about creating an atmosphere. And he was a master, also because of the fact that he was a sound engineer before he was a songwriter.
@thelegaloccupier
Always loved his music. Ever since I discovered dark morrocan in 85. RIP man 👌
@adrianihringer5176
Christine Lakeland’s backing vocals within this song really brings it alive.
I’ve seen a couple of live versions of this song and it really is moody
@ObscureMusicInCatalan
this man is amazing in all of his tracks!
@jrt6242
visca catalunya i jj cale