Gov't Mule is a southern rock/jam band formed in 1994 as a side project to … Read Full Bio ↴Gov't Mule is a southern rock/jam band formed in 1994 as a side project to The Allman Brothers Band, but has taken on a life of its own. Like many jam bands, Gov't Mule does not get much radio airplay but is popular due to constant touring and intense fan loyalty.

When the Allman Brothers Band reformed in 1989 in response to the popularity of the Dreams box set, Warren Haynes was added on lead guitar and Allen Woody on bass. The two shared a love for '60s power trios, like Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, and James Gang. With no bands making similar music in the 90s (except ZZ Top), Haynes, Woody, and former Dickey Betts drummer Matt Abts came together as Gov't Mule during Allman Brothers' breaks. (It is likely that Haynes and Abts first met during the recording of the Dickey Betts Band CD "Pattern Disruptive" in 1988.) They released their debut album the selftitled Gov't Mule in 1995. It was followed by Live from Roseland Ballroom.

When it became apparent that the Allman Brothers weren't planning on recording any new material, Haynes and Woody left to concentrate full-time on Gov't Mule in 1997. Dose, the studio follow up to their first studio effort, was released in early 1998. They were joined by members of the Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes, and Parliament/Funkadelic for their 1998 New Year's Eve concert. This was released in both a two and four CD version as Live ... With A Little Help From Our Friends. The band exposed some of their roots with covers of Neil Young, Free, Traffic, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Mongo Santamaria (via John Coltrane) and Frank Zappa.

In 2000, the band released Life Before Insanity to critical praise. Many thought that this would be Gov't Mule's breakthrough CD. However, Woody was found dead in New York City in August. Haynes and Abts considered breaking up the band but did stage a concert called "One for Woody" to raise money for his daughter's education. The Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes, members of the Grateful Dead, and other friends of Woody also performed at the concert.

At both the "One for Woody" performance and other shows, Haynes began appearing with the Allman Brothers Band again. With Dickey Betts' departure from the Allmans, Warren came back full time to the band at the beginning of 2001 and has continued splitting his time between the Allmans and for a period Phil Lesh and Friends and the reformed Dead as well as Gov't Mule (performing acoustic gigs with just Haynes on guitar and Abts on percussion and as The New School of Gov't Mule with Widespread Panic's Dave Schools on bass and Chuck Leavell, formerly of the Allman Brothers and known for his current work with the Rolling Stones on keyboards).

The next year, Haynes and Abts began to record a tribute CD using Woody's favorite bass players. These sessions resulted in two CDs The Deep End, Volume 1 (2001) and The Deep End, Volume 2 (2002). A documentary of the recording sessions was also made by Phish bassist Mike Gordon called Rising Low. Bass contributions to the CDs came from Jack Bruce of Cream, John Entwisle of The Who, Mike Watt of Minutemen, Les Claypool of Primus, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Chris Squire of Yes among others.

When it came to touring in support of the Deep End CDs, Haynes and Abts used a revolving door of keyboardists and bassists. Keyboardists included Chuck Leavell, Rob Barraco of Phil Lesh and Friends and Zen Tricksters, Phish's Page McConnell and Danny Louis. Bassists included among others, Dave Schools, Oteil Burbridge of the Allman Brothers, Les Claypool, Victor Wooten of the Flecktones, George Porter Jr. of The Meters, Greg Rzab formerly of The Black Crowes and the Buddy Guy Band and Andy Hess, also formerly of The Black Crowes. Louis and Hess were eventually added as permanent members of Gov't Mule. They continue to tour extensively and have become staple acts at many music festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Vegoose, and their annual New Orleans Jazzfest night show (where they filmed and recorded the last show of the Deepest End tours, with 17 guest musicians in a 6 hour show) wich was released on CD/DVD as The Deepest End, Live in Concert.

The first CD with Louis and Hess Deja Voodoo was released in September 2004. Additional material from those sessions was released in 2005 as and EP entitled Mo' Voodoo.
The new lineup's second release, titled High and Mighty, was released on August 22, 2006.
A third, Mighty High, was released in 2007 it features reggae and dub versions of classic Mule covers and originals with special guest appearances by Willi Williams, Michael Franti and Toots Hibbert,

30 Days In The Hole
Gov't Mule Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

All right, all right

Chicago Green, talkin' 'bout Red Lebanese
A dirty room and a silver coke spoon
Give me my release
Black Nepalese, it got you weak in your knees
Some seeds and dust that you got buzzed on
You know it's hard to believe

30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
Oh yeah

Newcastle Brown, I'm tellin' you, it can sure smack you down
Take a greasy whore and a rollin' dance floor
Got your head spinnin' round
If you live on the road, tell ya there's a new highway code
You take some urban noise with some durban poison
Gonna lessen your load

30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole

Oh yeah
Where ya goin' boy?
You're here for 30 days

Newcastle Brown tell you it can sure smack you down
You take a greasy whore and a rollin' dance floor
You know you're jailhouse-bound

30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole
30 days in the hole

I don't need no doctor

I don't need no doctor

I don't need no doctor
I don't need no doctor
I don't need no doctor
I don't need no doctor

I don't need no doctor
All I need is my lawyer

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Gov't Mule's song "30 Days in the Hole" depict a person who is facing a 30-day sentence in jail. The song's title refers to the 30 days the singer is going to spend in jail. The first verse talks about the different kinds of drugs the singer indulged in during his time in the outside world. The second verse explains how life on the road can be intense with encounters with shady women and drugs. The pre-chorus and the chorus reinforce the idea of imprisonment and repetition of the sentence. The bridge of the song talks about not needing a doctor, but instead needing a lawyer, possibly indicating that the singer wants to take legal action to overturn the sentence.

One of the most interesting things about this song is that it is a cover of a 1972 song by the English rock band Humble Pie. Another interesting fact is that the lyrics describe the drug culture prevalent in the 1970s. The song has been covered by several artists, including Soundgarden and Mr. Big. The song uses a 12 bar blues structure and features strong guitar riffs. "Newcastle Brown" is a reference to a popular beer brand in the UK, while "Red Lebanese" refers to a type of hashish. "Durban Poison" is a South African strain of cannabis, and "Black Nepalese" refers to hashish from Nepal.

The chords for Gov't Mule's version of "30 Days in the Hole" are as follows:
Verse - G-C-D7 (x5), G-F-C-D7 (x1)
Chorus - G-F-C-D7 (x2)
Bridge - Am-D7 (x2), F-G-Am-D7-G

Overall, the song's lyrics depict life on the edge and the consequences that come with indulging in drugs and shady behavior. The song's robust instrumentation and powerful vocals make it a classic rock track that has stood the test of time.

Line by Line Meaning

All right, all right
Things are going well

Chicago Green, talkin' 'bout Red Lebanese
Discussing drugs, specifically Red Lebanese hashish

A dirty room and a silver coke spoon
Drug use and paraphernalia in a dirty room

Give me my release
Desire to escape current situation

Black Nepalese, it got you weak in your knees
Aftereffects of using Black Nepalese hashish

Some seeds and dust that you got buzzed on
The substance that caused the high

You know it's hard to believe
The effects of drugs are almost unbelievable

30 days in the hole
A month-long prison sentence

Newcastle Brown, I'm tellin' you, it can sure smack you down
Newcastle Brown Ale can really affect you

Take a greasy whore and a rollin' dance floor
Engaging in debauchery

Got your head spinnin' round
Feeling dizzy or disoriented