"Ain't No Sunshine" by Bill Withers
A regular life as a regular guy
“Ain't no sunshine when she's gone / It's not warm when she's away / Ain't no sunshine when she's gone, and she's always gone too long / Anytime she goes away”
This was Bill’s first hit. According to Wikipedia, he was installing toilets in 747’s when the song went gold. Even after the record company presented him with a celebratory golden toilet seat, he kept his day job.
“Wonder this time where she's gone / Wonder if she's gone to stay / Ain't no sunshine when she's gone, and this house just ain't no home / Anytime she goes away”
Booker T. produced the original track, but don’t sleep on the Michael Jackson cover. This song is another one of those gems, it entirely speaks for itself. There are questions about whether Bill received royalties for the recording, so it goes. He eventually walked away from the music business, having made his mark but preferring to lead “a regular life as a regular guy”.
“And I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know, I know / Hey, I oughtta leave young thing alone, but ain't no sunshine when she's gone”
But Bill, do you know?
“Ain't no sunshine when she's gone / Only darkness every day / Ain't no sunshine when she's gone, and this house just ain't no home / Anytime she goes away / Anytime she goes away / Anytime she goes away / Anytime she goes away”
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