I recorded this 1972 tune by the great Bill Withers. (whom we lost this year) on an album produced by the Grammy nominated trombonist Wayne Wallace. Tonight I played it for the first time on my #YamahaGenos!
I got to see a live interview in person with Bill Withers and Aloe Blacc at the ASCAP EXPO in Hollywood a few years ago. This song song was used in American Beauty (1999), Anchorman (2004) and Starsky & Hutch (2004).
A little about Mr. Withers from Wikipedia: William Harrison “Bill” Withers Jr. (July 4, 1938 – March 30, 2020) was an American singer-songwriter and musician. He recorded several major hits, including “Ain’t No Sunshine” (1971), “Grandma’s Hands” (1971), “Use Me” (1972), “Lean on Me” (1972), “Lovely Day” (1977), and “Just the Two of Us” (1981). Withers won three Grammy Awards and was nominated for six more. His life was the subject of the 2009 documentary film Still Bill. Withers worked as a professional musician for just 15 years, from 1970 to 1985, after which he moved on to other occupations.
Use Me
My friends
Feel it’s their appointed duty
They keep tryin’ to tell me
All you want to do is use me
Ah-huh but my answer
Ah-huh
They know all that use me stuff
Ay-ay-ay
Yes I want spread the news
That if it feels this good gettin’ used
Oh you just keep on usin’ me
Until you use me up
My brother
Sit me right down and he talked to me
He told me
That I ought not to let you just walk on me
And I’m sure he meant well
Yeah but when our talk was through
Said brother if you only knew
You’d wish that you were in my shoes
You just keep on usin’ me
Until you use me up
Sometimes
It’s true you really do abuse me
Ah you get me crowd of high class people
Then you act real rude to me
But oh baby baby baby baby
When you love me I can’t get enough
Ah-huh and I wanna spread the news
That it feels this good gettin’ used
Oh you just keep on usin’ me
Until you use me up
Talkin’ ’bout you usin’ people
It all depends on what you do
It ain’t too bad the way you’re usin’ me
‘Cause I sure am usin’ you to do the things that you do
To do the things that you do.
2 comments
Chela says:
Feb 13, 2022
Love it! This is one of my favorite songs of ALL TIME. Alexa, your voice fits this so well.
Alexa Weber Morales says:
May 3, 2022
That’s so sweet, Chela!