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,
Love Is A Mean Old World
Gov't Mule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tired of faking when I'm feeling down
Tired of thieving all over the place
Tired of people getting in my face, getting in my face
Too much backstabbing everywhere I go
Can't be 'round this place no more
You might be my friend today
Oh, baby, love is a mean old world
And you can save me from these blues
I love my whiskey 'til the day I die
I love woman, but she rubbed me dry
I might be your friend today
Tomorrow, take your woman away, your woman away
Oh, baby, love is a mean old world
You can save me from these blues
I said, I'm tired of smiling when I wanna frown
I'm tired of faking when I'm feeling down
I'm tired of thieving all over the place
Tired of people getting in my face, getting in my face
Getting in my face
Getting in my face
The lyrics of Gov't Mule's Love Is A Mean Old World showcases the weariness and vulnerability of the singer. They are tired of pretending and faking emotions, tired of people taking advantage of them, and tired of the constant backstabbing and betrayal that surrounds them. The singer's despondency is evident as they declare their exhaustion and the feeling that they cannot continue in this world any longer. They also highlight the fickle nature of relationships, both platonic and romantic, and the fear of losing someone they care about.
The chorus of the song, "Oh, baby, love is a mean old world, and you can save me from these blues," portrays the singer's plea for a savior to help them through the harsh realities of life. The verses highlight the difficulties of maintaining relationships, self-care, and coping with life's disappointments.
Overall, Love Is A Mean Old World speaks to the universal human struggles of trust, loyalty, and finding significance in a world that can be unkind and unforgiving.
Line by Line Meaning
Tired of smiling when I wanna frown
I'm exhausted from pretending to be happy when I feel unhappy
Tired of faking when I'm feeling down
I'm worn out from pretending everything is fine when I feel low
Tired of thieving all over the place
I'm sick of stealing things everywhere I go
Tired of people getting in my face, getting in my face
I'm tired of people being confrontational with me all the time
Too much backstabbing everywhere I go
People are dishonest and disloyal to me wherever I go
Can't be 'round this place no more
I can't stay here any longer
You might be my friend today
I may consider you my friend currently
Tomorrow, take my woman away, my woman away
Tomorrow, you may betray me and steal my significant other
Oh, baby, love is a mean old world
The world is cruel when it comes to love
And you can save me from these blues
You have the power to comfort me during this unhappy time
I love my whiskey 'til the day I die
I will always enjoy drinking whiskey
I love woman, but she rubbed me dry
I care for women, but my previous partner drained me of emotional energy
I might be your friend today
I may act as your friend today
Tomorrow, take your woman away, your woman away
But tomorrow, I may steal your significant other
Oh, baby, love is a mean old world
The world can be brutal when it comes to love
You can save me from these blues
You have the power to help me escape this sadness
I said, I'm tired of smiling when I wanna frown
As I already stated, I'm tired of pretending to be happy
Getting in my face
People being confrontational with me is extremely aggravating
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ray Sisk, Rick Huckaby, Warren Haynes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@VonBluesman
Ain’t no stoppin em, Government Mule carries the music and keeps on truckin. 👏🎸👍🙏😎✌️
@jaikumarvenkatchari3838
Beautifully crafted and layered. It goes without saying Mr.Warren is a legend.
@maazvdo
Love IS the aswer! Great álbum as always, really Mule.
@ziotomasi4597
Great Album ! Album of the Year. Just Awesome........👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻✌🏻🇩🇪
@Imsparky441
Really looking forward to hearing you Live again!
@riccollier499
That will do Mule.
@bruceplikunas1498
I love this album this is pure rock and roll.
@remydirt3158
Thx wyep for blues Saturday
@Wind-Waker7272
Давно искал такого звучания.
@k.koning9239
YES!