In 1965, Steinberg was replaced by Donald "Duck" Dunn, who played with the group until his death in 2012. Al Jackson, Jr. was murdered in 1975, after which Dunn, Cropper and Jones reunited on numerous occasions using various drummers, including Willie Hall, Anton Fig, Steve Jordan and Steve Potts.
The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2008, and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2012.
Having two white members (Cropper and Dunn), Booker T. & the M.G.'s was one of the first racially integrated rock groups, at a time when soul music and the Memphis music scene in particular were generally considered the preserve of black culture.
Formed in 1962 in Memphis, Tennessee, Booker T and the MG's ("MG" officially stood for "Memphis Group", and is usually punctuated correctly on LP covers as "M.G.") became one of the most important soul outfits in the history of music. They were indispensable as the house band for Stax Records, backing many rising artists (Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Albert King, and many others), but it was the MGs themselves that put Stax on the map with such singles as "Green Onions", which reached number three on the Pop Charts, and "Hip Hug-Her", which reached number six on the Pop Charts.
The group consisted of four core members: Booker T. Jones on keyboards and organ (as well as many other instruments), Steve Cropper on guitar, Al Jackson Jr. on drums, and Donald "Duck" Dunn on bass. Cropper and Dunn were originally in the first house band for Stax, The Mar-Keys, and later were part of the Blues Brothers, both in the band and in the movie. Various others added horns and other instruments, and a young Isaac Hayes covered the keys on at least one session.
Not only were they blazing new trails with their funky instrumental soul music, but also with their integration of races, as two of them were white (Donald "Duck" Dunn and Steve Cropper) and two of them were black (Booker T. Jones and Al Jackson), which was very unusual for 1962.
In 2007 the documentary Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story was released, with interviews and footage in which Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Wayne Jackson and Donald Duck Dunn are interviewed about the history and successes of Stax, among many others Stax' people.
Donald Duck Dunn died in his sleep at age 70 on Sunday, May 13, 2012.
Lewie Steinberg died on July 21, 2016 in Memphis at the age of 82.
(2) As the house band at Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, Booker T. & the MG's may have been the single greatest factor in the lasting value of that label's soul music, not to mention Southern soul as a whole. Their tight, impeccable grooves could be heard on classic hits by Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Carla Thomas, Albert King, and Sam & Dave, and for that reason alone, they would deserve their subsequent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But in addition to their formidable skills as a house band, on their own they were one of the top instrumental outfits of the rock era, cutting classics like "Green Onions," "Time Is Tight," and "Hang 'em High."
The anchors of the Booker T. sound were Steve Cropper, whose slicing, economic riffs influenced many other guitar players, and Booker T. Jones himself, who provided much of the groove with his floating organ lines. In 1960, Jones started working as a session man for Stax, where he met Cropper. Cropper had been in the Mar-Keys, famous for the 1961 instrumental hit "Last Night," which laid out the prototype for much of the MG's (and indeed Memphis soul's) sound with its organ-sax-guitar combo. With the addition of drummer Al Jackson and bassist Lewis Steinberg, they became Booker T. & the MG's. Within a couple years, Steinberg was replaced permanently by Donald "Duck" Dunn, who, like Cropper, had also played with the Mar-Keys.
The band's first and biggest hit, "Green Onions" (a number three single in 1962), came about by accident. Jamming in the studio while fruitlessly waiting for Billy Lee Riley to show up for a session, they came up with a classic minor-key, bluesy soul instrumental, distinguished by its nervous organ bounce and ferocious bursts of guitar. For the next five years, they'd have trouble recapturing its commercial success, though the standard of their records remained fairly high, and Stax's dependence upon them as the house band ensured a decent living.
In the late '60s, the MG's really hit their stride with "Hip Hug-Her," "Groovin'," "Soul-Limbo," "Hang 'em High," and "Time Is Tight," all of which were Top 40 charters between 1967 and 1969. Since the presence of black and white musicians made them a biracial band, the MG's set a somewhat under-appreciated example of both how integrated, self-contained bands could succeed, and how both black and white musicians could play funky soul music. As is the case with most instrumental rock bands, their singles contained their best material, and the band's music is now best appreciated via anthologies. But their albums were far from inconsequential, and occasionally veered into ambitious territory (they did an entire instrumental version of the Beatles' Abbey Road, which they titled McLemore Avenue in honor of the location of Stax's studios).
Though they'd become established stars by the end of the decade, the group began finding it difficult to work together, not so much because of personnel problems, but because of logistical difficulties. Cropper was often playing sessions in Los Angeles, and Jones was often absent from Memphis while he finished his music studies at Indiana University. The band decided to break up in 1971, but were working on a reunion album in 1975 when Al Jackson was tragically shot and killed in his Memphis home by a burglar. The remaining members were active as recording artists and session musicians in the following years, with Cropper and Dunn joining the Blues Brothers for a stint in the late '70s.
The MG's got back into the spotlight in early 1992, when they were the house band for an extravagant Bob Dylan tribute at Madison Square Garden. More significantly, in 1993 they served as the backup band for a Neil Young tour, one which brought both them (and Young) high critical marks. The following year, they released a comeback album, arranged in much the style of their vintage '60s sides, which proved that their instrumental skills were still intact. Like most such efforts, though, it ultimately failed to re-create the spark and spontaneity it so obviously wanted to achieve. Jones continued with his own musical output through the following decades, often lending his instrumental skills to other artists and occasionally issuing his own albums, such as the 2009 solo effort Potato Hole. Bassist Dunn, intermittently active with festival and tour appearances after the turn of the millennium, had been touring with Cropper and Eddie Floyd in Japan during May 2012 when he died in his sleep in a Tokyo hotel. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi
Run Tank Run
Booker T. & the MG's Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the sex is so phenomenal, and channels me into an animal
Been playing it different but can't evolve
Hard to compromise when you wrote me off
Don't bring me to violence where I'm not involved
Can't fit digital mind into analog
Teach me how to start pleasing, acting like it's so easy
Breathing without a reason
I've been open to reason
Something to believe in
Find the calming while I'm steaming
The water, the soul food, I eat it
I've been stuck on the run
Ain't nobody trapped in for fun
I can only learn from tough love
Difficult communication, yeah
Decide on a feeling, it wasn't enough
Give into wind with the drift and we up
Don't weigh me down with the heavy breathing
I didn't know that I could live any easier
Override decision take some nerve
Heat of discussion, it burns
You'll find out first hand that it burns
Only listen to the earth
Do you wanna take risk when you're with me
Do I make you feel safe, oh maybe
Promise that you'll like where I lead
Can you rewrite history
Do you wanna take risk when you're with me
Do I make you feel safe, oh maybe
Promise that you'll like where I lead
Can you rewrite history with me
I go too hard for the nana (pussy), overtired 'gon be a problem (problem)
But the sex is so phenomenal, and channels me into an animal
Been playing it different but can't evolve (can't evolve)
Hard to compromise when you wrote me off (wrote me off)
Don't bring me to violence where I'm not involved
Can't fit digital mind into analog
Teach me how to start pleasing, acting like it's so easy
More than an object, I'm freezing
Breathing without a reason
I've been open to reason
Something to believe in
Find the calming while I'm steaming
The water, the soul food, I eat it
Don't ever rely on the luck
Searching for reason that I'm stuck
Excuses created in bluff
Responsible where I end up
Moving forward demanding a plan in action is demanding my hands
It's spendthrift on my day is it never enough, that's enough
Belated return that I never can trust
And fiend on you 'bod gravitational lust
Seeking for magnetic pulse, it's a push
Gotta handle on the booty like plush
smacking it down and we lifting it up
Read what you wrote, I can't make this shit up
Challenge in growing I know that we must
Yeah, I know that we must
We do what me must
Rely on the trust
Pinprick into dust
Doesn't matter what a minute is made of
The lyrics to the song "Run Tank Run" by Booker T. & the MG's reflect themes of introspection, personal growth, and the challenges of relationships. The opening lines convey a sense of exhaustion and being overwhelmed, possibly from pursuing physical pleasure ("the nana") too intensely. Despite this exhaustion, the sexual experience is described as "phenomenal" and taking the singer into an animalistic state. The lyrics also touch on feeling stagnant and unable to evolve, facing resistance and being written off by others. The mention of an inability to fit a digital mind into an analog world could allude to struggles with adapting to changing times or conforming to societal norms.
The second verse explores the desire to learn how to please others, while emphasizing the need to be seen as more than just an object. There is a longing for something to believe in and finding solace amidst turmoil. The chorus reflects the singer's rebellious and adventurous nature, asking if the listener is willing to take risks and follow their lead. It suggests the possibility of rewriting history and creating a new path together.
The third verse touches on the idea of not relying on luck and searching for reasons behind feeling stuck. It acknowledges the responsibility one has in shaping their own future and the need for a plan of action. There is a mention of being fiendish or obsessed with someone's gravitational lure, seeking a "magnetic pulse" in a push-pull dynamic. The lyrics also reference handling a relationship with care, smacking it down and lifting it up, hinting at both challenges and affection. The song concludes with the realization that it doesn't matter how long a minute is made of, emphasizing the importance of living in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
I go too hard for the nana (pussy), overtired 'gon be a problem (problem)
I push myself to the extreme for physical pleasure, but it may lead to exhaustion and issues
But the sex is so phenomenal, and channels me into an animal
The intensity and enjoyment of the sexual experience brings out my primal instincts
Been playing it different but can't evolve (can't evolve)
I've been experimenting with my approach to life, but I'm struggling to progress or change
Hard to compromise when you wrote me off (wrote me off)
It's difficult to find common ground when you've already dismissed me or disregarded my opinions
Don't bring me to violence where I'm not involved
Don't provoke me into aggression when I have no part in the conflict
Can't fit digital mind into analog
I can't reconcile my modern way of thinking or processing information with traditional or outdated methods
Teach me how to start pleasing, acting like it's so easy
Show me how to satisfy others effortlessly and without hesitation
More than an object, I'm freezing
I feel emotionally detached or numb, no longer seen as a person but just an object
Breathing without a reason
Existing without purpose or direction
I've been open to reason
I've been willing to listen and consider different perspectives
Something to believe in
Searching for something to have faith in or hold onto
Find the calming while I'm steaming
Discover inner peace and tranquility amidst chaos or intense emotions
The water, the soul food, I eat it
Finding solace or nourishment in calming or soulful experiences
Don't ever rely on the luck
Don't solely depend on luck or chance
Searching for reason that I'm stuck
Seeking an explanation for my feeling of being trapped or stagnant
Excuses created in bluff
Fabricating excuses to avoid taking responsibility
Responsible where I end up
Accountable for the outcome or consequences of my actions
Moving forward demanding a plan in action is demanding my hands
Progressing requires taking control and actively putting a plan into motion
It's spendthrift on my day is it never enough, that's enough
My time is wasted extravagantly, and it feels like I can never accomplish or satisfy enough
Belated return that I never can trust
Delayed or overdue rewards or consequences that I can't rely on or have faith in
And fiend on you 'bod gravitational lust
I crave the physical attraction and desire that pulls us together
Seeking for magnetic pulse, it's a push
Yearning for a strong, irresistible connection or energy between us
Gotta handle on the booty like plush
I have a confident and comfortable grip on your body
Smacking it down and we lifting it up
Engaging in intense sexual activity with both forceful and uplifting moments
Read what you wrote, I can't make this shit up
Acknowledging and accepting the reality or truth of what you've expressed
Challenge in growing I know that we must
Recognizing the need to overcome challenges and evolve together
Yeah, I know that we must
Yes, I am aware that it is necessary
We do what me must
We do what is necessary or required
Rely on the trust
Depend on the trust we have in each other
Pinprick into dust
A tiny, insignificant action or event that has little impact
Doesn't matter what a minute is made of
The details or composition of a moment are irrelevant
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Zack Benicewicz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind