I know I’m late to the party, but I’ve been thinking about Withers these past few days, and decided to say something about my favorite song of his: “Ain’t No Sunshine.” I tried making a short film driven by this song, but the pandemic hit, and I wasn’t able to shoot it. In general, I feel and have seen that this song is very cinematic, as it’s been used in quite a number of films, documentaries, and short films. I really don’t know why they picked to sing “Lean On Me” during the Hall of Fame concert/speech, I feel that although “Lean On Me” is the most famous of his work, I think his genius really comes out in Sunshine. Anyways, the analysis and my opinion. Let’s go.
Let’s first clarify the best cover of this song. Jackson’s version of “Ain’t No Sunshine” is a terrific song with a classic sound. He has a great voice and was clever to have a modulation at 2:35, I really didn’t see it coming. Michael is accompanied by a great number of singers, musicians and sound, which also contributes to the classic sound of the period. Despite all this, I believe that Bill Withers has the timeless sound that Jackson lacks. “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Withers) can be listened to without question, relevant and appropriate even today.
The umami that gets me here is the strings. Their entrance sometimes gives me shivers, cinematic, emotional, and contrasting from the beginning of the song. They push the song forward at 0:27, assisted by another genius of Withers, the drums. If you have a hard time singling them out, the drums can be most heard at the ‘I know’ section (0:51). “Use Me,” another great song by Withers, has this classic beat as well, which is very very similar to Kendrick Lamar’s “Sing About Me, Dying of Thirst” (an incredible song, btw). I’m not joking with these references, you should definitely give them a listen. I think that he uses a closed hi-hat, muffled/muted bass drum, and the rim of a drum. Maybe? I’m not completely sure, but the drums here are, simple, crisp, and satisfying.
In conclusion, Bill Withers was an amazing artist. “Ain’t No Sunshine” is clear evidence to that. I loved his decision to keep the ‘I know’ section, it spoke of where he came from at the time, which was factory work. “Ain’t No Sunshine” is a perfect balance between the classic soul tempo and the delicate touch of strings.
