Album cover to Just As I Am by w:Bill Withers, w:Sussex Records, 1971.

The above album sleeve features a photograph of Withers next to a brick building, supposedly the factory that he was working in at the time the album was recorded, where he installed airplane toilets. He wears a yellow T-shirt and jeans and holds a lunchbox. It was taken by Norbert Jobst.

Di had a good prompt idea and after a quick search I realized I wanted a song about my grandma, who was a steady caregiver who always made me feel loved. I spent so much of my childhood at grandma and grandpa’s house with my cousin and best friend, Susie. We played outside much of the time but we also helped with various chores. My grandma had a fragile health status and was bedridden a fair amount when company wasn’t over. My grandma’s hands had arthritic joints that caused her a lot of pain. She still managed to comb the knots out of my unruly hair and was gentle about it. I don’t want to leave grandpa out of this. He was a stoic by the time I was growing up, but he always made me feel welcome in small ways.

“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. In Canada, it reached No. 37 on the RPM magazine charts. The song was produced by Booker T. Jones. 

Personnel:
Bill Withers – vocals, guitar
Stephen Stills – guitar
Booker T. Jones – guitar, keyboards, arrangements
Donald “Duck” Dunn, Chris Ethridge – bass guitar
Al Jackson Jr., Jim Keltner – drums
Bobbye Hall – percussion

Source:  wikipedia

“Grandma’s Hands” was recently re-imagined in picture book form, published by Bill Withers’ wife Marcia, daughter Kori, and Freedom Three Publishing. I’m guessing the following video was created with images from the book.

Grandma's Hands

Grandma's hands
Clapped in church on Sunday morning
Grandma's hands
Played a tambourine so well
Grandma's hands
Used to issue out a warning
She'd say, Billy don't you run so fast
Might fall on a piece of glass
Might be snakes there in that grass
Grandma's hands

Grandma's hands
Soothed a local unwed mother
Grandma's hands
Used to ache sometimes and swell
Grandma's hands
Used to lift her face and tell her
She'd say, Baby, grandma understands
That you really love that man
Put yourself in Jesus' hands
Grandma's hands

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, Matty don' you whip that boy
What you want to spank him for?
He didn' drop no apple core
But I don't have grandma anymore

If I get to heaven I'll look for
Grandma's hands
Hmm-mmh 

Songwriter:  Bill Withers

Jim Adams is the host of Song Lyric Sunday. This week the theme is to find a song that mentions a family member such as mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, grandparent, or cousin suggested by Di of pensitivity101.