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.
Big River
Bob Dylan and The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.
I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota).
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.
Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport,
Then you took me to St. Louis later on (down the river).
A freighter said she's been here
But she's gone, boy, she's gone.
I found her trail in Memphis,
But she just walked up the bluff.
She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone.
Now, won't you paddle down by Baton Rouge,
River Queen, rollin' on.
Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans.
Go on, I've had enough;
Dump my blues down in the gulf.
She loves you, Big River, more than me.
Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry,cry,cry
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.
In Bob Dylan's song Big River, the singer expresses the depth of his pain and heartbreak caused by a woman he loves deeply. He begins the song by saying that he taught the weeping willow how to cry and showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky. His overwhelming sadness and tears for the woman he loved will, according to him, cause the Big River to flood. He then says that he'll sit right there until he dies, emphasizing the magnitude of his heartache.
The singer then describes how he met this woman accidentally in St. Paul. Her Southern drawl, which he hears every time he thinks of her, makes it clear that she's not from the same place as him. He then heard that she had gone downstream and followed her call down the Big River. In St. Louis, he is told that she has been there but has left. He eventually finds her trail in Memphis, but she moves on alone, raising a few eyebrows.
The lyrics of Big River are a poignant depiction of a love that once was, but is now gone. The singer's pain is palpable, as he vocalizes this complex emotional experience. He feels lost and alone, as he follows the trail of this woman he loves, only to be left with a heart that's heavier than he could ever imagine. The song is a beautiful portrayal of love and loss that stands the test of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry,
I was so heartbroken that I showed a tree how to express sorrowful tears like me.
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.
I felt so empty that even the sky turned dark and dismal just like me.
And the tears that I cried for that woman are gonna flood you Big River.
My tears of despair will overflow the river and wash away everything associated with that woman.
Then I'm gonna sit right here until I die.
I have decided to stay here, in this sorrowful place, until the end of my life.
I met her accidentally in St. Paul (Minnesota).
I encountered her coincidentally in St. Paul, Minnesota.
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl, Southern drawl.
Her Southern accent made me emotionally distraught every time I heard her speak.
Then I heard my dream was back Downstream cavortin' in Davenport,
I heard that the woman I dreamed of was in Davenport, located Downstream from my current location.
And I followed you, Big River, when you called.
I followed the river and went to Davenport when I learned that she was there.
Then you took me to St. Louis later on (down the river).
Later, the river took me to St. Louis down the river.
A freighter said she's been here
A freighter informed me that she had been in St. Louis.
But she's gone, boy, she's gone.
She had already left St. Louis when I got there, unfortunately.
I found her trail in Memphis,
I managed to track her down and found some evidence that she had passed through Memphis.
But she just walked up the bluff.
She just left after passing through Memphis without leaving any clear clues about her destination.
She raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone.
People noticed her presence, but she left without any companions or further interaction.
Now, won't you paddle down by Baton Rouge,
I urge the River Queen to paddle down to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
River Queen, rollin' on.
Call out to the River Queen to continue on downstream.
Take that woman on down to New Orleans, New Orleans.
Take that woman to New Orleans, where she truly belongs.
Go on, I've had enough;
I can't take this pain anymore and I'm ready to let go.
Dump my blues down in the gulf.
Let my sorrows wash away into the Gulf of Mexico.
She loves you, Big River, more than me.
She loves the river more than she loves me, and I can never compete with that.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny R. Cash
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Basement Tapes???