Grandma's Hands - Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - October 1972

Withers grew up in the rural town of Slab Fork, West Virginia, and his Grandma Galloway was a huge influence in his life, nurturing him and telling him that others would someday appreciate what he had to offer. As the lyrics say, she really did look after unwed mothers in the area as well as her own family. In the 2009 documentary Still Bill, Withers explains, "I learned how to really love somebody from just a nice old lady. My favorite thing that I've written has to be about this favorite old lady of mine." Withers had a stuttering problem and got picked on a lot as a kid. He adds, "Grandmothers tend to gravitate toward the weak kid. I wonder what it would have been like if my grandmothers had been on crack. You can tell how much difference it makes in people’s lives when they get good ones." (check out our interview with Bill Withers)

Withers was 32 years old when he started recording, and he had no ambitions of stardom. Recording for the small label Sussex Records, he was able to make music on his terms. This allowed him to write about what was important to him, without concern for how marketable his songs would be. When Sussex records went out of business and Withers started recording for Columbia, he struggled with the corporate culture and pressure from the A&R staff. Withers cites this as an example of a song that he never could have recorded with Columbia, since songs about grandmothers were not on their agenda.

This song about a kindly grandmother resonated with many musicians who have covered it over the years. It has been recorded by Barbra Streisand, Esther Williams, Tony Orlando, Al Jarreau, Will Downing, Gladys Knight, Keb' Mo', Gil Scott-Heron, Livingston Taylor, and The Staple Singers.