The members of The Band first worked together as The Hawks, the backing band of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 until 1963. Shortly afterwards, Bob Dylan came to Toronto and recruited the quintet for his history-making 1965/1966 world tour. The Band also worked with Dylan on the initial Blonde on Blonde sessions which, bar two tracks, were ultimately abandoned in favour of versions recorded with Nashville session musicians.
After a motorcycle accident in mid-1966, Dylan retreated from the public eye to his country house near Woodstock, New York. He was joined by the Band for some informal jam sessions starting in the autumn of 1967, nearly all of which were recorded. After being heavily bootleged, Columbia Records finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, a selection of the better tracks recorded during the sessions along with new recordings by The Band.
Bob Dylan and The Band were reunited in 1974, recording Planet Waves for Asylum Records, Dylan's first album recorded for a record label other than Columbia. Although the album was released under Dylan's name alone, The Band joined Dylan for his first tour in eight years in support of Planet Waves, with some of the material recorded and released on the 1975 concert record Before the Flood.
Columbia Records finally released The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete in November 2014, featuring every surving recording from the original sessions in Woodstock.
Ain't No More Cane
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
You shoulda been on the river in ninteen-and-ten
Oh, oh, oh-oh
They were driving the women just like they drove the men
Go down old Hannah, don'cha rise no more
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day is for sure
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Captain, don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well ya drove that bully 'till he went stone blind
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
The lyrics of Bob Dylan and The Band's "Ain't No More Cane" refer to the harsh conditions and exploitation of laborers in the early 20th century, particularly those working on the Brazos river in Texas. The song paints a picture of a time when cane was a valuable crop and the labor force, including women, was brutally driven to maximize production. The song highlights the dehumanizing conditions and the captain's brutal treatment of the workers, including Shine, who was driven to blindness.
The song's chorus, "Ain't no more cane on the Brazos, it's all been ground down to molasses," serves as a metaphor for the depletion of resources and the exploitation of the labor force. The line speaks to the idea that the crops have been so overworked and overharvested that there is nothing left. The molasses, a byproduct of the cane, represents the only value left, and even then, it is a result of a broken system.
The song's final verse, "Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head. Well, you may get a pardon, and then you might drop dead," speaks to the idea that despite the harsh conditions and exploitation, the workers had to wake up each day and try to survive. They had to hold their heads high in the face of brutal treatment, and even if they were granted a pardon or some relief, they may still face early death due to the harsh conditions they endured.
Overall, "Ain't No More Cane" is a poignant and powerful song that reflects on the abuse of laborers, the depletion of resources, and the unjust systems that perpetuate these injustices.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
There is no more sugarcane in the region of Brazos.
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's an audio tune used to beautify the song.
It's all been ground down to molasses
The sugarcane has been wholly processed into molasses.
You shoulda been on the river in ninteen-and-ten
If you had been present at the river during 1910,
They were driving the women just like they drove the men
They were treating women the same way they treated men.
Go down old Hannah, don'cha rise no more
Hannah should calm down and not bother herself anymore.
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day is for sure
She should stay put and wait for the last day.
Captain, don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Captain should not treat me the same way he treated poor old Shine.
Well ya drove that bully 'till he went stone blind
You made him work tirelessly until he could not function again.
Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head
Live your life and take responsibility for your actions.
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead
You may receive pardon or forgiveness, but that won't prevent death.
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
There is no more sugarcane in the region of Brazos.
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's an audio tune used to beautify the song.
It's all been ground down to molasses
The sugarcane has been wholly processed into molasses.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: AMY HELM, ANTHONY LEONE, BYRON ISAACS, FIONA MCBAIN, GLENN PATSCHA, UNKNOWN PD WRITER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@peacelove7787
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
You shoulda been on the river in ninteen-and-ten
Oh, oh, oh-oh
They were driving the women just like they drove the men
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Go down old Hannah, don'cha rise no more
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Don't you rise up til Judgment Day is for sure
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Captain, don't you do me like you done poor old Shine
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well ya drove that bully 'till he went stone blind
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Wake up on a lifetime, hold up your own head
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Ain't no more cane on the Brazos
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It's all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
@Oceanmachine27
"Ain't No More Cane" is absolutely one of the Band's finest moments. Singing like a whole damn carnival.
@ericcampbell6370
A verse each from Levon, Robbie, Rick and Richard, in that order, then Garth's accordion takes us home.
It really doesn't get any better than this.
@user-jg9zw5fq5d
Wow! I didn’t no Robbie could sing that well.
@seanodwyer4859
Any idea who it is then? I’ve always been curious
@grahamsquires6964
It is Robbie.
@z1205
I thought the 2nd verse was Dylan.
@ericcampbell6370
@@z1205 Dylan's not on this track. It was actually recorded for Music From Pink as a standby track, in case they didn't have enough originals.
@BDB78
Danko’s voice just pierces me to the core!
@paddytanager5258
RIP Robbie Robertson
@craigsimon7658
The BAND!!👍