Bill withers - grandma's hands - Lyrics Meaning

Written by bill withers about his own grandmother "Galloway", a bestselling soul single in 1971 was a massive hit it in the 70's and was covered by many other musician such as Barbra Streisand, Gil Scott Heron and many more still continuing to cover this still remaining classic hit of all time it was used in the 1996 Blackstreet hit No Diggity is based on a sample from this song.

The song's lyrics are quite literal as bill talks about him and his grandmother Galloway growing up in rural town of Slab Fork, West Virginia.

Withers explains from an interview, "I learned how to really love somebody from just a nice old lady, mentioning all the things she did for him and the lessons she taught him and what she would do for other people for example he states "grandmas hands soothed a local unwed mother" obviously meaning a neighbour or friend that is a single parent.

And his grandmother is no longer here, he mentions if he gets to heaven he will look for her maybe implying he might not make it to heaven if does not listen to grandmas past lessons.