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,
Any Open Winidow
Gov't Mule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Too far from home
The more we try to pull you in
The further down the road you're gone
But you can always come back
You can always come on home
You remember what to do
Any open window
I don't know what happened, baby
I don't really care
All that matters right now
Is the love we share
You've always been a friend of mine
And you're always gonna be
Whatever's got a hold on you now
I know that you can break free and climb on through
Any open window
I used to spend all my time
Trying to build a bridge back to you
You told me I could always come back
Now I'm telling you
You can always come back to me too
Just climb on through
Any open window
Climb on through
Climb on through
Climb on through
The first verse of Gov't Mule's song "Any Open Window" talks about how everybody around the person is saying that they are lost and too far from home. The more they try to pull the person back, the further they seem to go. However, there is a message of hope in the chorus, as the lyrics say that the person can always come back, and they remember what to do - to rise on up and climb on through any open window. In the second verse, the singer says that they don't really know or care what happened to the person, as all that matters is the love they share. The singer reassures the listener that they will always be a friend and can break free from whatever is holding them back by climbing through any open window.
The song seems to be a message of hope and encouragement to someone who is struggling with something in their life, whether it be addiction, mental illness, or any other obstacle. The lyrics are telling the listener that they are not alone and that there is always a way to come back to hope and love. The metaphor of climbing through an open window is a powerful one, as it suggests that there is always a way out, even if it might not seem apparent at first.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody says you're lost
People are saying you are directionless and have gone far away from home
Too far from home
You have strayed too far from your roots and your family
The more we try to pull you in
We are trying to bring you back and help you find your way
The further down the road you're gone
But the more we try, the harder it is to get you back on track
But you can always come back
Despite everything, you still have a chance to return to your roots
You can always come on home
You are always welcome to return to where you came from
You remember what to do
You know how to get back on track, you just need to put in the effort
Just rise on up and climb on through
All you need to do is make the effort and come back, we will welcome you with open arms
Any open window
There are countless opportunities for you to make your way back
I don't know what happened, baby
I am not sure what went wrong, but it doesn't matter at this point
I don't really care
What's more important is that we have love between us right now
All that matters right now
In this moment, nothing else matters
Is the love we share
Our love for each other is the most important thing at this moment
You've always been a friend of mine
You have been a good friend to me for a long time
And you're always gonna be
No matter what happens, you will always be my friend
Whatever's got a hold on you now
Whatever is stopping you from coming back
I know that you can break free and climb on through
I have faith in you that you can overcome these challenges and find your way back
I used to spend all my time trying to build a bridge back to you
I was trying hard to reconnect and help you find your way back to us
You told me I could always come back
But now it's your turn to be reminded that you have a place to come back to
Now I'm telling you
I want you to know that you can always come back to me too
Just climb on through
Just make the effort and come back to us
Climb on through
Keep putting in the effort and don't give up
Climb on through
Opportunities for you to return are endless, keep trying
Contributed by Max R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.