The complete lyrics to Freddie King 's rendition of are provided below. While originally written and performed by Bill Withers , King released his blues-infused cover on the 1972 album Texas Cannonball .
Watch Freddie King deliver a soulful live performance of the song from 1973: Freddie King with "Ain`t No Sunshine When She`s Gone" Freddie King Ain`t No Sunshine When She`s Gone.
Well, I got a little young thing aloneAin't no sunshine when she's goneAin't no sunshine when she's goneOnly darkness everyday The complete lyrics to Freddie King 's rendition
: King typically performs the song in C minor , whereas the original is in A minor , giving it a slightly different tonal weight. Ain't no sunshine when she's goneIt's not warm
Ain't no sunshine when she's goneIt's not warm when she's awayAin't no sunshine when she's goneAnd she's always gone too long
While King stays mostly faithful to the original lyrics, his version is distinguished by several musical shifts:
: He replaces the acoustic soul feel with his signature "stinging" guitar leads and heavy, slow-burn blues.