His songs have been performed by a number of other musicians including "After Midnight" and "Cocaine" by Eric Clapton, "Bringing It Back" by Kansas, "Call Me the Breeze" and "I Got the Same Old Blues" by Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Travelin' Light" and "Ride Me High" by Widespread Panic.
Cale was born on December 5, 1938, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Some sources incorrectly give his real name as "Jean Jacques Cale". A Sunset Strip nightclub owner employing Cale in the mid-1960s came up with the "JJ" moniker to avoid confusion with the Velvet Underground's John Cale[citation needed]. In the 2006 documentary, To Tulsa and Back: On Tour with J.J. Cale, Rocky Frisco tells the same version of the story mentioning the other John Cale but without further detail.
Cocaine
JJ Cale Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You've got to take her out, cocaine
If you want to get down,
Get down on the ground, cocaine
She don't lie,
She don't lie,
She don't lie, cocaine
You want to kick them blues, cocaine
When your day is done
And you got to run, cocaine
She don't lie,
She don't lie,
She don't lie, cocaine
If your thing is gone
And you want to ride on, cocaine
Don't forget this fact,
You can't get it back, cocaine
She don't lie,
She don't lie,
She don't lie, cocaine
The lyrics to JJ Cale's "Cocaine" allude to the powerful and addictive nature of the drug. The song paints a picture of a lover who demands cocaine as the price of her company, and a substance that can make bad news disappear and alleviate the burden of a long day. It describes how the feeling of the drug is so potent that it's hard to not succumb to its temptation once one's "thing is gone" or when they "want to ride on." The repetition of the phrase "she don't lie" emphasizes the sense of trust the drug can engender, despite the danger and recklessness of its use.
The song ultimately provides a stark warning about the dangers of cocaine addiction. "Don't forget this fact, you can't get it back," Cale warns, alluding to the inevitable toll that cocaine addiction takes on both the body and the mind. While the song's lyrics could be seen as glorifying the drug, they ultimately suggest that the high of cocaine is fleeting and ultimately leads to loss and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
If you want to hang out,
If you want to spend time with someone,
You've got to take her out, cocaine
You have to use cocaine to have a good time with her
If you want to get down,
If you want to party,
Get down on the ground, cocaine
Use cocaine to enhance your partying experience
She don't lie,
Cocaine is always reliable
She don't lie,
Cocaine doesn't deceive you
She don't lie, cocaine
Reiterating that cocaine is always reliable and doesn't deceive you
If you got bad news,
If you have received negative information,
You want to kick them blues, cocaine
Use cocaine to alleviate the negative feelings associated with the bad news
When your day is done
At the end of the day,
And you got to run, cocaine
Use cocaine to give yourself a boost when you need to hurry somewhere
She don't lie,
Cocaine is always reliable
She don't lie,
Cocaine doesn't deceive you
She don't lie, cocaine
Reiterating that cocaine is always reliable and doesn't deceive you
If your thing is gone
If something important to you is missing,
And you want to ride on, cocaine
Use cocaine to avoid confronting the loss and to continue on with life
Don't forget this fact,
Remember this important information,
You can't get it back, cocaine
Cocaine cannot replace or fix what has been lost
She don't lie,
Cocaine is always reliable
She don't lie,
Cocaine doesn't deceive you
She don't lie, cocaine
Reiterating that cocaine is always reliable and doesn't deceive you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: J.J. CALE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kendrickmuller1
I'm 15 years old. My dad just introduced me to J.J. Cale's music and I fell in love with it. Greetings from Germany!
@massimilianobianchi2665
Grandissimo saluti da Milano
@mrpoltiano4343
Pozdrowienia z Poznania
@facekoter2176
Grüße zurück 🤌👋😎
@Altenurgy
Hat tip to your dad. Look for Paul Benjamin. Another Tulsa artist performing today who's doing a great job of building on the "Tulsa Sound".
@Retroscoop
But stick to the music only, not to the topic of the song....
@lasselippert3892
Clapton could never be as cool as J.J.
@kathrynhenderson375
This song always gets me going-J J Cale should be recognized for his talents-I’m 71 & still listening!
@LenapeSF
67 yo & still listening. Classic!
@lesbonnick5335
@@LenapeSF So am I friend. The only music