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.
Too Much For Me
J.J. Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Had this woman and I still feel right
Some kind of feeling up and down my spine
Plays with my head and mess with my mind
She tickled my toe and she kissed my ear
Told me not to worry, told me not to fear
Oo-wee, she felt good to me
Gotta have another, just like the other
I felt like a junkie couldn't score no dope
I buzzed the brass then I lost all hope
Laying down woman, she got me too hot
We had a little drink, and we smoked a little pot
All I knew was something happened to me
I was unsuspicious as anyone could be
She set me on fire, I'm telling you
Let me tell you brother, I didn't know what to do
Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's not
Sometimes you get it and sometimes you're got
Oo-wee, it felt good to me
Gotta have another, just like the other
Last night brother was too much for me
J.J. Cale's song "Too Much for Me" is a bluesy, soulful tune that tells the story of a man who has a wild night with a woman and is left feeling unable to handle the intensity of their encounter. The lyrics describe the physical and emotional sensations he experiences as she touches him, kisses him, and messes with his mind. He finds himself unable to resist the woman's allure, and even though he knows he's in over his head, he can't help but want more.
The song is a testament to the power of human desire and the sometimes overwhelming nature of intimacy. It explores the fine line between pleasure and pain, and the way that we can sometimes be consumed by our own desires. At its heart, "Too Much for Me" is a celebration of the unpredictable, passionate, and sometimes dangerous nature of love.
Overall, the song is a masterful example of J.J. Cale's songwriting talent. The simple, straightforward lyrics are imbued with deep emotion and powerful imagery, while the bluesy guitar and slow, melancholy tempo perfectly capture the mood of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody touched me late last night
I was touched by someone last night when it was already late.
Had this woman and I still feel right
I feel good after being with this woman.
Some kind of feeling up and down my spine
I felt a strange sensation that moved up and down my back.
Plays with my head and mess with my mind
The sensation confused me and made me feel disoriented.
She tickled my toe and she kissed my ear
She touched me in a playful way; tickling my toe and kissing my ear.
Told me not to worry, told me not to fear
She comforted me and told me not to be scared.
Oo-wee, she felt good to me
I really enjoyed being with her.
Gotta have another, just like the other
I want to experience that feeling again.
Last night brother was too much for me
Last night was overwhelming.
I felt like a junkie couldn't score no dope
I felt like a drug addict who couldn't get any drugs.
I buzzed the brass then I lost all hope
I tried to get some relief, but it didn't work.
Laying down woman, she got me too hot
Being with her made me feel very excited and passionate.
We had a little drink, and we smoked a little pot
We shared some alcohol and marijuana.
All I knew was something happened to me
I felt like something had changed in me.
I was unsuspicious as anyone could be
I wasn't expecting anything to happen.
She set me on fire, I'm telling you
Being with her ignited intense feelings in me.
Let me tell you brother, I didn't know what to do
I was overwhelmed and didn't know how to handle my emotions.
Sometimes it's hard, sometimes it's not
Sometimes it's difficult to deal with these feelings, sometimes it's not.
Sometimes you get it and sometimes you're got
Sometimes you experience these feelings, sometimes they take over you.
Oo-wee, it felt good to me
I really enjoyed being with her.
Gotta have another, just like the other
I want to experience that feeling again.
Last night brother was too much for me
Last night was overwhelming.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: J. J. CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind