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.
Tijuana
JJ 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"
JJ Cale's song "Tijuana" is a depiction of the atmosphere and culture of Tijuana, Mexico, located just south of San Diego, California. The song talks about the land of broken dreams and the lives of the people who reside there. The senoritas dancing in the moonlight with their flashing Spanish dark eyes, young men standing with pride, and the palace to the kingdom of Tijuana called the heritage. The song sets the mood up to describe the making of a complex tale that is about innocence, danger, deceit, and adventure being offered to the gringo.
The lyrics of the song describe how Tijuana, the border town, is filled with its unique splendor that entices outsiders. The dark-eyed locals try to convince the gringo to take them along across the border by fabricating relationships, one way or another, while young men feel responsible to guard the kingdom that is their heritage. It represents how the newcomers enter the land of broken dreams, combining the innocence and dangerous deceit with Tijuana's facade of welcomed charms.
The song's beauty lies in how JJ Cale describes the entrancing spell of Tijuana city and its lively inhabitants with an upbeat melody that draws the listener into a world of mystery and romanticism. This song tells a story of a different lifestyle that exists with its own set of customs and traditions, and how living in Tijuana changes people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Just below San Diego
Located near San Diego
Tijuana, land of broken dreams
Tijuana is a place where people's dreams are shattered
Senoritas dancing in the moonlight
Women dancing under the moonlight
Flashing Spanish dark eyes to everyone, it seems
Women giving seductive looks with their dark Spanish eyes to everyone present there
They say "Hey, gringo
Can you take us across the border
Just tell them I'm your daughter
Of a local."
Women are asking the man to smuggle them across the border, pretending to be his daughter
Down the backstreets, through the alleys
Moving through the narrow streets and passages
All the young men stand with pride
Proud young men stand guard
They guard the palace to the kingdom
They protect the palace of Tijuana, the area they consider their own
Called Tijuana, their heritage they decide
They consider Tijuana their cultural heritage
They say "Hey, gringo
Can you take us across the border
We'll work for just a quarter
On the other side"
Young men request to be smuggled across the border for work, willing to work for a lower wage
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
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