Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1971
Grandma's Hands
Buy Grandma's Hands now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Grandma's Hands
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Bill Withers
| album = Just as I Am
| B-side = Sweet Wanomi
| released = 1971
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soul
| length =
| label = Sussex
| writer = Bill Withers
| producer = Booker T. Jones
| prev_title = Ain't No Sunshine
| prev_year = 1971
| next_title = Lean on Me
| next_year = 1972
| misc =
}}
"'Grandma's Hands'" is a song written by Bill Withers about his grandmother. It was included on his first album 'Just as I Am' (1971), and was released as a single, reaching number 18 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart and 42 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100.[ Bill Withers Billboard Singles] on allmusic.com In Canada it reached No. 37 in the RPM Magazine charts. The song was produced by Booker T. Jones and also featured drummer Al Jackson Jr. and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn from Booker T. & the M.G.'s.
Lyrics
Withers' maternal grandfather, Gracchus Monroe Galloway (18551937), had been born into slavery. In his youth, Withers attended church with his maternal grandmother, Lula (18681953), where she would sing and clap along with the hymns. He later said: "It was spontaneous singing, there was nothing programmed. People got up and sang and everybody would join in. It was my favorite kind of singing."
A central theme of the song is the protective and nurturing force of the hands, as expressed in the last verse:
:"Grandma's hands used to hand me piece of candy.
:Grandma's hands picked me up each time I fell.
:Grandma's hands, boy they really came in handy
:She'd say, "Mattie don't you whip that boy.
:What you want to spank him for?
:He didn't drop no apple core,"
:But I don't have Grandma anymore,
:If I get to heaven I'll look for
:Grandma's hands.
:Um, mm, mm."
Cover versions
The song has since been covered by many other artists, including Keb' Mo', Al Jarreau, Kristy Lee, Meg Mac, Merry Clayton, Livingston Taylor, The Staple Singers, Gladys Knight, Tony Orlando, Barbra Streisand, Gregory Porter, Will Downing, Take 6, Josh Garrels, Marti Pellow, Simply Red, Starsailor, Gil Scott-Heron, Everlast, Jeff Lorber, Paddy Casey in Today FM's Even Better Than The Real Thing and Ron Kenoly. It is also sampled for the hook of Blackstreet's "No Diggity" and "Shout" by Shout for England.
References
Category:Songs written by Bill Withers
Category:1971 singles
Category:Songs about old age
Category:Barbra Streisand songs
Category:Bill Withers songs
Category:Sussex Records singles
Category:1971 songs
Category:Meg Mac songs
Buy Grandma's Hands now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1971