Weight
Band (The) Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just need some place where I can lay my head
Hey, mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said.
[Chorus]
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me
I picked up my bags, I went looking for a place to hide
When I saw old Carmen and the Devil, walking side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, c'mon, let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go, but my friend can stick around"
[Chorus]
Go down, Miss Moses, ain't nothin' you can say
It's just old Luke, and Luke's waiting on the judgment day
Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Annalee
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and keep Annalee company"
[Chorus]
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
Said, "I will fix your rag, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "Wait a minute Chester, you know, I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can"
[Chorus]
Catch the cannonball, now to take me down the line
My bag is sinking low, and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here, with her regards for everyone
[Chorus]
The song "The Weight" by The Band is a classic example of Americana music that embodies the sound and lyrics of the time. The song is about a drifter who has pulled into a town called Nazareth, feeling exhausted, and who seeks a place to rest his weary head. He approaches a man for help, and the man declines, but suggests he finds a nearby friend named Fanny. The phrase "take a load off, Fanny, and you put the load right on me" in the chorus implies that the singer is asking Fanny to take some of his burden.
As he continues his journey, he meets a woman named Carmen and the devil, but Carmen declines to go with him downtown. Instead, he meets Luke, a friend of his, who's waiting for the judgment day. He asks him to stay and keep Annalee company. In the following verse, Crazy Chester offers to fix his rag if he takes care of his dog Jack. Finally, the singer catches the cannonball to make his way to Miss Fanny, who sent him there to help people with their loads.
"The Weight" is filled with biblical allusions, and the lyrics are incredibly poetic. The song is packed with religious symbolism, such as the instance where the singer meets Crazy Chester, who has a dog named Jack. The musician Robbie Robertson, who wrote the song, never disclosed the true meaning of the lyrics, which adds to its mystique.
Line by Line Meaning
I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead
I arrived at Nazareth, tired and worn out
I just need some place where I can lay my head
I just need a place to sleep
Hey, mister, can you tell me, where a man might find a bed?
Excuse me, sir, could you tell me where I can find a place to sleep?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said
He smiled and shook my hand, but said there was no place for me to sleep
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Relax and let Fanny carry your problems and worries for you
Take a load off Fanny, and you put the load right on me
If you let Fanny take your problems, then the burden falls on me
I picked up my bags, I went looking for a place to hide
I grabbed my belongings and searched for a hiding spot
When I saw old Carmen and the Devil, walking side by side
I spotted Carmen and the Devil walking together
She said, "I gotta go, but my friend can stick around"
Carmen said she had to leave but her friend could stay
Go down, Miss Moses, ain't nothin' you can say
Don't argue with Miss Moses, she won't listen
It's just old Luke, and Luke's waiting on the judgment day
Luke is just here waiting for judgment day
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and keep Annalee company"
Luke asked me to stay and keep Annalee company
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
Crazy Chester followed me and found me in the fog
Said, "I will fix your rag, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
Chester offered to help me if I agreed to take care of his dog
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can"
Chester said it's fine if I feed his dog when I can
Catch the cannonball, now to take me down the line
Catch the train to take me further along my journey
My bag is sinking low, and I do believe it's time
My bag is getting heavy, and I think it's time to go
Who sent me here, with her regards for everyone
Fanny sent me here and said to say hello to everyone
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Solidbuilthomes
@T Brown I grew up in Jacksonville, FL/ & Atlanta and had the greatest experience... Best childhood... had friends of different races, we all played together... I went to UF, and all was fine... I got into Construction and built homes for all kinds of successful people of many different races.... honestly, everything seemed great.
I lived all over the world, and I always felt America was the best.
Then, around 2010, things just started going downhill- fast.
I mean fast.
And here we are today.
These classic songs just remind me of a wonderful time.
People worked hard and truly seemed to want a better world.
Many expressed it in their songs, through stories and experiences.
For people to learn from and grow.
Now, I don't even know where to begin, but something tells me you already know.
We can live in joy and hope for the best, or live in fear and plan for the worse... either way, the story will play out the same.
Just wish we could all be good to each other as you casually mentioned.
🤙
@brokemyhip2356
My father's last night on earth was Dec 18 1997. I got the call he was being made to be comfortable. I walked in an knew it was going to the last night. This was one of his favorite songs. So I loaded my portable CD player and played this song using my headphones. I set the headphones are N top of his head. My father absolutely relished this song into his soul. This was a comfort that I could offer as it was my way of saying goodbye pops...he laid there smiling. It was an unexpecting surprise because very few people knew it was his favorite song. He passed away 4 hours. I hope that this song resonated through eternity though the outer limits of time. Miss you always Dad. See you on the flip side.
@carterwasson7181
Beautiful thing to do. Poignant
@amygwenn4220
so thoughtful,I only hope someone could do that for me....when..
@plutunes
love that sooooo much...
@brentgartsidejr1139
😎
@SamuraiJeff
Dang when did it start raining in here...
@jerrykohrs6317
I'm a 70 year old man and I have listened to this song for over 50 years! It will never grow old❤
@rivabenzikri77
And , did you see old Carmen looking for a place to hide
@mackydog99
With you there Jerry 06/12/53
@stevosteve
2yrs behind ya, eternal song.