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,
Have A Cigar
Gov't Mule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're gonna go far, fly high,
You're never gonna die,
You're gonna make it if you try;
They're gonna love you.
Well I've always had a deep respect,
And I mean that most sincerely.
The band is just fantastic,
Oh by the way, which one's Pink?
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy,
We call it Riding the Gravy Train.
We're just knocked out.
We heard about the sell out.
You gotta get an album out.
You owe it to the people.
We're so happy we can hardly count.
Everybody else is just green,
Have you seen the chart?
It's a helluva start,
It could be made into a monster
If we all pull together as a team.
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy,
We call it Riding the Gravy Train.
The song "Have A Cigar" by Gov't Mule is a cover of Pink Floyd's song of the same name. The lyrics are addressed to a young artist who has just signed a record deal and is being congratulated on their potential success. The "dear boy" is being offered a cigar to celebrate his new success. The singer expresses admiration for the artist's talent and assures him that he will be successful if he puts in the effort. The line "You're never gonna die" can be interpreted as the idea that the artist's legacy will live on through his music.
The singer seems to have a genuine appreciation for the artist's abilities, but also reveals a superficial side when they ask "Oh by the way, which one's Pink?" This is a reference to the band Pink Floyd and shows that the singer may not have a deeper understanding of the music industry. The line "We call it Riding the Gravy Train" highlights the idea that success often comes with a price and that the artist will need to keep producing successful albums to maintain his success.
Overall, the lyrics of "Have A Cigar" offer a commentary on the music industry and the pressures that come with success. While the singer initially appears to be supportive of the artist, there is a sense that their support is conditional on the artist's continued success.
Line by Line Meaning
Come in here, dear boy, have a cigar.
Welcome, young man, into this world of music where we shall offer you success and acclaim.
You're gonna go far, fly high,
You will achieve great heights in your career and soar to success.
You're never gonna die,
You will leave a legacy and never be forgotten.
You're gonna make it if you try;
Put in the effort and you will achieve your dreams.
They're gonna love you.
The audience will adore you for your talent.
Well I've always had a deep respect,
We have a genuine admiration for the artist we are addressing.
And I mean that most sincerely.
We truly mean what we say and are not being insincere.
The band is just fantastic,
The musicians are outstanding and exceptional in their craft.
That is really what I think.
This is my honest opinion of the band's talent.
Oh by the way, which one's Pink?
A humorous reference to the famous misunderstandings regarding the band members of Pink Floyd.
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy,
Have we informed you of the way to achieve rock star success?
We call it Riding the Gravy Train.
The path to success is one of self-promotion and taking advantage of opportunities.
We're just knocked out.
We are simply amazed and impressed with the band's success.
We heard about the sell out.
We heard that the band is in high demand with sold-out shows.
You gotta get an album out.
In order to maintain success, the band must release new music.
You owe it to the people.
The fans deserve new music from the band they support.
We're so happy we can hardly count.
We cannot contain our excitement for the band's success.
Everybody else is just green,
Others in the music industry are envious of the band's accomplishments.
Have you seen the chart?
The band's album sales have been chart-topping and impressive.
It's a helluva start,
The success so far has been impressive and promising.
It could be made into a monster
With continued success, the band's accomplishments could become even more colossal.
If we all pull together as a team.
With everyone working together, the band can continue to achieve greatness.
And did we tell you the name of the game, boy,
In case you missed it, the key to success is self-promotion and opportunism in the music industry.
We call it Riding the Gravy Train.
This is the way to maintain success in the business of music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Roger Waters
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eddie Hensley
The Mule can cover anything and make it there own. I love it.
Jose Octavio Oviedo Bravo
.. me
R Rock
their*
Day Gecko Art Hawai'i
Which one is The Mule?
Zo Zepp
Eddie u r spot on
Cynthia Madrid
I love the Drummers voice....
He has lived this song...
This is the most sincere
Hardest working band....
Talent of all of them.x
Matt Simon
I love this version! People who are hating on the drummer singing have been watching way too much of the voice, where every note has to be perfect. This is live shit and not lip synced!
WhatAboutJazz
Awesome! Was looking for covers of this song for fun and as soon as I saw Govt' Mule I knew this would rock. They really put it in the pocket. The sax was brilliant. Even though Warren was obviously holding back to let the other players shine, his noodle was extremely gratifying. The drummer reading the lyrics off a sheet was totally fun. The bass and keys nail it. In today's world in which music is made using software by people that wouldn't know how to play a full scale on any instrument, this was a nice treat. Thanks for posting
JvRacingVids
the primus cover is pretty good
Joe Pickard
Matt Abts is an awesome drummer and Warren Haines is a great guitarist!! Well done!