Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine” | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 114^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2022), we recollect and reflect on “Ain’t No Sunshine” by legendary soul artist, Bill Withers. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome – we don’t discriminate ‘round here! In the 114^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2022), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Ain’t No Sunshine”, performed by legendary soul artist, 🎙 Bill Withers.

Theme & Lyrics ✍ 

“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone / It’s not warm when she’s away,” 🎙 Bill Withers sings emotionally in the first verse of his beloved classic, 🎵 “Ain’t No Sunshine”. “Ain’t No Sunshine” appears as the second track on the legendary musician’s 1971 album, 💿 Just As I Am.  Withers won his first of three Grammys (Best Rhythm & Blues Song) for “Ain’t No Sunshine.”  As far as the widespread success of the record, “Ain’t No Sunshine” peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, charting for 16 weeks.  Furthermore, it was certified gold by the RIAA.

“Ain’t No Sunshine” doesn’t need extensive analysis.  Thematically, it’s self-explanatory.  Bill Withers is devastated “when she’s gone.” The heartbreak and heartache do a serious number on him.  He asks himself, “Wonder this time where she’s gone / Wonder if she’s gonna stay /… This house just ain’t no home / Anytime she goes away.”  Perhaps even more famous than the verses of this lush, minor key soul gem is the bridge, specifically the phrase, “I know.” Withers famously sings it 26 times.  It has it’s intended effect, particularly when he finishes the thought: “Hey, I oughta leave the young thing alone / but ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.”

Final Thoughts 💭

It’s amazing that Bill Withers would top himself a year later after releasing 🎵 “Ain’t No Sunshine”. That definitive hit, of course, was 🎵 “Lean on Me”. Amazingly, “Lean on Me” wouldn’t win a 🏆 Grammy until 1987… his version, of course arrived in 1972.  A win is a win, right? Anyways, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” the focus of this write-up, marked the beginning for the icon, who passed away at 81 in 2020. “Ain’t No Sunshine” lives on into its fifth decade.

🎙 Bill Withers • 💿 Just As I Am • 🏷 Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 1971

Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 114 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, Gerhard G., JL G via Pixabay,  Karl Hörnfeldt via Unsplash,  The Musical Hype, Sony Music Entertainment]