Duane "Skydog" Allman is generally regarded as one of the greatest rock and roll guitarists, noted for his mastery of the slide guitar as well as intensity and soulfulness on "standard" lead and rhythm guitar in a variety of styles. He was a noted session musician, was a founding member and the leader of The Allman Brothers Band, and also had a major role on the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, by Derek and the Dominos, a 1970-71 band led by Eric Clapton.
Howard Duane Allman was born in Nashville, Tennessee on November 20, 1946. Duane, as he was known, and his brother, Gregg, were raised by their mother Geraldine Allman after their father, Willis, was murdered when Duane was just 3-years-old. Geraldine, "Mama A" moved with her boys to Daytona Beach, Florida in 1957. Once Gregg heard a neighbor playing guitar, he decided that he needed to learn the instrument. Duane soon followed suit, and became an even better player than his brother. The boys were influenced by the bluesy music of artists such as B.B King, whom they saw in concert while teenagers.
Duane dropped out of high school to stay home and practice guitar and when Gregg graduated from Sea Breeze High School in 1965, the young men formed their first official band, the Allman Joys. When the Allman Joys became The Hour Glass in 1967, the group moved to Los Angeles. During this time, Duane perfected his electric slide guitar technique, using an empty Coricidin glass bottle over his ring finger as a slide
Duane simply loved to play the guitar, and was a much in-demand session musician for acts such as Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Percy Sledge, Boz Scaggs, and Herbie Mann. When he grew frustrated by the limits of being a session musician, Allman headed back to Florida with a few musicians. In March 1969, the Allman Brothers Band was formed, featuring Jaimoe Johanson, Dickie Betts, Berry Oakley, Reese Wynans, and Duane and Gregg Allman. Their debut self-titled album dropped in 1969 and the band began to tour.
A huge fan of Eric Clapton, Duane Allman was surprised and thrilled to be asked to play on Clapton's album "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs." Clapton was, in turn, a huge Duane Allman fan. In addition to touring with his band, Allman was known to drop in on recording sessions to jam with whomever happened to be recording. Allman often received cash payments but rarely album credit, so it is impossible to know exactly how many recordings of his work exist.
He was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 24. Shortly after his death Ronnie Van Zant of Lynyrd Skynyrd dedicated the song "Free Bird" to his memory. Despite his short career the Rolling Stone magazine in 2003 named Duane Allman as number two on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.
Discography:
The Hour Glass The Hour Glass 1967 studio album
Power of Love The Hour Glass 1968 studio album
The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band 1969 studio album
Boz Scaggs Boz Scaggs 1969 studio album
Hey Jude Wilson Pickett 1969 studio album
The Dynamic Clarence Carter Clarence Carter 1969 studio album
Instant Groove King Curtis 1969 studio album
More Sweet Soul Arthur Conley 1969 studio album
Southern Fried John P. Hammond 1969 studio album
Two Jews Blues Barry Goldberg 1969 studio album
Mourning in the Morning Otis Rush 1969 studio album
Idlewild South The Allman Brothers Band 1970 studio album
New Routes Lulu 1970 studio album
Ronnie Hawkins Ronnie Hawkins 1970 studio album
Spirit in the Dark Aretha Franklin 1970 Recorded in 1969-1970 studio album
To Bonnie from Delaney Delaney & Bonnie 1970 studio album
Ton-Ton Macoute! Johnny Jenkins 1970 Recorded in 1969-1970 studio album
This Girl's in Love with You Aretha Franklin 1970 Recorded in 1969 studio album
Christmas and the Beads of Sweat Laura Nyro 1970 studio album
Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs Derek and the Dominos 1970 studio album
5'll Get You Ten Cowboy 1971 studio album
Hard and Heavy Sam Samudio 1971 studio album
Motel Shot Delaney & Bonnie 1971 studio album
Push Push Herbie Mann 1971 studio album
At Fillmore East The Allman Brothers Band 1971 live album
An Anthology Duane Allman 1972 Recorded in 1968-1971 compilation album
D&B Together Delaney & Bonnie 1972 Recorded in 1969, 1971 studio album
Dialogs Duane Allman 1972 Recorded in 1970, 1972
Duane & Greg Allman Duane and Greg Allman 1972 Recorded in 1968 studio album
Eat a Peach The Allman Brothers Band 1972 Recorded in 1971 studio album
Early Allman – Featuring Duane and Gregg Allman The Allman Joys 1973 Recorded in 1966 studio album
The Hour Glass The Hour Glass 1973 Recorded in 1967-1968 compilation album
An Anthology Volume II Duane Allman 1974 Recorded in 1968-1971 compilation album
The Road Goes On Forever The Allman Brothers Band 1975 Recorded in 1969-1973 compilation album
The Best of Duane Allman Duane Allman 1979 compilation album
Dreams The Allman Brothers Band 1989 Recorded in 1966-1988 compilation album
The Layla Sessions: 20th Anniversary Edition Derek and the Dominos 1990 Recorded in 1970 studio album
Live at Ludlow Garage: 1970 The Allman Brothers Band 1991 Recorded in 1970 live album
A Decade of Hits 1969–1979 The Allman Brothers Band 1991 Recorded in 1969-1979 compilation album
The Fillmore Concerts The Allman Brothers Band 1992 Recorded in 1971 live album
Fillmore East, February 1970 The Allman Brothers Band 1996 Recorded in 1970 live album
Mycology: An Anthology The Allman Brothers Band 1998 compilation album
All Live! The Allman Brothers Band 1998 Recorded in 1971-1975 live album
20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of the Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band 2000 Recorded in 1969-1979 compilation album
American University 12/13/70 The Allman Brothers Band 2002 Recorded in 1970 live album
Live at the Atlanta International Pop Festival: July 3 & 5, 1970 The Allman Brothers Band 2003 Recorded in 1970 live album
S.U.N.Y. at Stonybrook: Stonybrook, NY 9/19/71 The Allman Brothers Band 2003 Recorded in 1971 live album
Southbound The Hour Glass 2004 Recorded in 1967-1969 compilation album
Gold The Allman Brothers Band 2005 Recorded in 1969-1979 compilation album
Boston Common, 8/17/71 The Allman Brothers Band 2007 Recorded in 1971 live album
Skydog: The Duane Allman Retrospective[5] Duane Allman 2013 Recorded in 1965-1971 7 Disc Box Set
The Weight
Duane Allman 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 girl might find a bed
He just grinned and shook my hand, no was all he said
Take a load off Fanny, take the load for free
Take a load off Fanny and, and, and you put the load right on me
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walking side by side
I said, hey Carmen come on let's go downtown
She said I gotta go but my friend can stick around
Take a load off Fanny, take the load for free
Take a load off Fanny and, and, and you put the load right on me
Go down Moses there's nothing you can say
It's just old Luke waiting, waiting on the judgement day
Well Luke my friend what about Anna Lee
He said do me a favor stay and keep Anna Lee from company
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny and, and, and you put the weight on me
Catch me a cannonball now take me on down the line
My bag is sinking low and I believe that it's about time
Get in touch with Fanny you know that she's the one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free
Take a load off Fanny
The opening verse of The Weight by Duane Allman takes us on a journey with a protagonist seeking a place to rest, feeling half dead. He approaches a man in Nazareth asking for a bed, only to be turned down. Allman paints the picture of a weary traveler searching for a place of refuge, but ultimately being met with rejection. The chorus then kicks in, with the iconic phrase "Take a load off Fanny, take the load for free." This phrase is repeated twice, emphasizing the importance of finding someone who can take on your burden, your "load," and help you through life's struggles.
In the second verse, the singer encounters Carmen and the Devil walking side-by-side. He implores Carmen to go with him downtown, but she refuses, stating that her friend will remain. It's not clear if Carmen is meant to be a romantic interest or simply a friend, but the devil's presence implies danger and temptation. The singer then finds himself in the company of Luke, who speaks of Anna Lee and asks him to stay and keep her company.
Throughout the song, the repeating chorus serves as a reminder that we all have moments when we need someone to take on our load, to help us through life's challenges. The seemingly random encounters and characters in each verse suggest that help can come from unexpected sources, and that we should remain open to the possibility of receiving aid from others.
Line by Line Meaning
I pulled in to Nazareth was feelin' 'bout a half past dead
Arriving in Nazareth, I was feeling very tired.
I just need some place where I can lay my head
I was just looking for a place to rest.
Hey mister, can you tell me where a girl might find a bed
I asked a man if he knew of a place where a woman could sleep.
He just grinned and shook my hand, no was all he said
He just smiled and refused to help me.
Take a load off Fanny, take the load for free
Let Fanny help you carry your burden, at no cost to you.
Take a load off Fanny and, and, and you put the load right on me
Let Fanny carry your burden, and I will take on the load myself.
I picked up my bag I went lookin' for a place to hide
I gathered my belongings and searched for a hiding spot.
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walking side by side
As I was searching, I saw Carmen walking with the Devil.
I said, hey Carmen come on let's go downtown
I asked Carmen to go downtown with me.
She said I gotta go but my friend can stick around
She refused but offered her friend's company instead.
Go down Moses there's nothing you can say
There's nothing left to be said or done, similar to the biblical story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt.
It's just old Luke waiting, waiting on the judgement day
Luke is just waiting for the day of judgement.
Well Luke my friend what about Anna Lee
I asked Luke about Anna Lee.
He said do me a favor stay and keep Anna Lee from company
He asked me to stay with Anna Lee and keep her from being alone.
Take a load off Fanny and, and, and you put the weight on me
Again, let Fanny help you carry the burden and I will take on the weight myself.
Catch me a cannonball now take me on down the line
I want to catch a train and travel down the line.
My bag is sinking low and I believe that it's about time
My belongings are becoming heavy and I need to leave soon.
Get in touch with Fanny you know that she's the one
I recommend contacting Fanny as she is the one who can help.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
Fanny sent me on this journey with her regards to everyone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Linda Bayer
I've never heard this version of The Weight! I love it! Aretha and Duane are in the Lord's house together now singing up a storm!
LS57
I remember when they used to play it on the radio in '69. Aretha's version sold more than the original version by The Band.
Shelly Watson
I can always recognize Skydog's music. His distinct sound, especially on slide, sounds like no other! My favorite guitarist ever. Gone too soon. RIP! Gregg and Aretha are THEE voices! I may be much younger than them, but I recognize good talent when I hear it. IMMENSELY TALENTED LEGENDS, all three of them!
Matt BT
Skydog and Wilson Pickett was 🔥🔥 too
Don Jennings
SKYDOG! NO. 1
JC
Same. Though I'm lucky enough to share middle names with Howard Duane Allman, thanks to my Dad, his 2nd biggest fan next to me 😁 I'm only 40 myself. Duane had been gone 10 years when I was born. Doesn't seem that long when I consider my own daughter was born 9 yrs ago.
She'd be 9 this year. Sadly, I buried my only child in 2014 at the age of 22 months old. Matter of fact, she was 1 yr 9 months and 20 days old. 9-20 also happens to be the date of my birthday. When the preacher said that during her wake, I completely lost it and I'm about to lose it now 🥺😭
Justice Mcdonald
Thank you . I hate when people say here. U can play and sound lime him . umm.gyfo of here no one can sound like skydog
Virginia Kusmisz
Hell yeah...
Matt BT
Aretha & Skydog + The Swampers & Rick Hall = GOLD!
Rick Potts
My God, tryin’ to figure out how I am 52 years old and never knew this masterpiece existed.