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,
My Separate Reality
Gov't Mule Lyrics
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All the colors of the rainbow - wrapped in childlike harmony
Me, I'm not laughing - I see things only as they were
When I first needed you - yeah, when I first needed you
Cars passing by - representing my life
I ain't old but I ain't young enough to cry like a baby
And I'm so scared but I won't tell you for fear you'll hate me more
Clouds go rollin' by as I lay floatin' in a stream of semi-consciousness
I'll follow it 'til the end or at least 'til I drown in my separate reality
Sorry there's only room for me
I used to have an angel - she took care of everything
Yeah, so sometimes we cried - maybe more than most, but so what
We shared everything - even some things we should not have shared
Like my separate reality - now there's only room for me
I walk among the criminals and I pray among the saints
And somewhere in between I try to scrape off this war paint
It's cold in here in the corner of my soul - so dark and lonely
Oh but I ain't never gonna let go
Children in the playground - laughing and dancing in the street
All the colors of the rainbow - wrapped in childlike harmony
Me, I'm not laughing or dancing - I see things only as they were
When I first needed you - yeah, when I first needed you
I used to have everything - now you won't even talk to me, but that's alright
'Cause I've got a new friend and her name is tattooed across my chest
And she won't let me down - 'cause I ain't never, never gonna let her in
Tough on the outside, tough on the outside - and it's surely tough
In my separate reality - sorry there's only room for me
In my separate reality - sorry there's only room for me, for me
Sorry there's only room for me
The lyrics of Gov't Mule's song My Separate Reality explore themes of loneliness, isolation, and the struggle to connect with others. The singer acknowledges the happiness and innocence of children playing in the street, but feels disconnected from that world. He sees things as they truly are, without the rose-tinted glasses of childhood, and feels isolated from the world around him. He reflects on his life, recognizing that he is no longer young but still too scared to reach out to others for fear of rejection. He feels tough and hardened on the outside, but also acknowledges the darkness and loneliness in his soul.
The singer also reflects on a past relationship, in which he felt connected with another person but eventually lost that connection. He recognizes that he has become trapped in his own "separate reality," a world in which there is only room for himself. He also acknowledges that he has made mistakes in the past, but cannot let go of the pain and the darkness that he feels. The song ends on a bittersweet note, with the singer recognizing that he has found a new friend, but also acknowledging that his own walls may prevent him from ever truly connecting with anyone else.
Overall, the lyrics of My Separate Reality offer an honest and vulnerable look at the inner struggles of a person who feels disconnected from the world around them. The singer's pain and isolation are palpable, and the song offers a powerful portrayal of the difficulty of opening up and allowing oneself to truly connect with others.
Line by Line Meaning
Children in the playground, laughing and dancing in the street
Kids are playing in the street, carefree and happy.
All the colors of the rainbow - wrapped in childlike harmony
They come from different ethnicities and backgrounds, but they all play together in harmony.
Me, I'm not laughing - I see things only as they were
I'm not carefree like the kids; I see things for what they truly are.
When I first needed you - yeah, when I first needed you
I was in a vulnerable state and needed someone to help me through tough times.
Cars passing by - representing my life
Cars represent how my life is constantly moving with time.
I ain't old but I ain't young enough to cry like a baby
I'm not a baby, and I have to keep myself together and stay strong.
And I'm so scared but I won't tell you for fear you'll hate me more
I'm scared and feeling alone, but I don't want to burden others with my fears and insecurities.
Tough on the outside, tough on the outside - yeah, tough all over
I may look tough on the outside, but deep down, I'm struggling just like anyone else.
Clouds go rollin' by as I lay floatin' in a stream of semi-consciousness
I'm in a daze, floating through life without a clear sense of purpose or direction.
I'll follow it 'til the end or at least 'til I drown in my separate reality
I'll keep drifting and living in my isolated world until it consumes me completely.
Sorry there's only room for me
I'm sorry, but I can't let anyone else in my world. It's too painful and personal for me to share.
I used to have an angel - she took care of everything
I used to have someone who looked out for me and made sure everything was okay.
Yeah, so sometimes we cried - maybe more than most, but so what
We had our vulnerable moments, but that was okay.
We shared everything - even some things we should not have shared
We were incredibly close and shared everything with each other, even things that shouldn't have been shared.
Like my separate reality - now there's only room for me
My isolated world was something we both shared, but now it's something only I have to deal with.
I walk among the criminals and I pray among the saints
I exist in a gray area between good and evil. I have to navigate through different types of people and situations.
And somewhere in between I try to scrape off this war paint
I try to shed the tough exterior I show to the world and be more vulnerable, but it's a difficult process.
It's cold in here in the corner of my soul - so dark and lonely
Deep down in my heart, it's cold, dark, and lonely. I'm struggling with my own inner demons.
Oh but I ain't never gonna let go
Despite the struggles, I won't give up or surrender. I'll keep fighting to overcome my challenges.
I used to have everything - now you won't even talk to me, but that's alright
I used to have a lot in life, but now I've lost it all, and even people who were close to me have left.
'Cause I've got a new friend and her name is tattooed across my chest
I have a new person in my life who means a lot to me, and I've memorialized them on my body.
And she won't let me down - 'cause I ain't never, never gonna let her in
I won't let anyone completely into my world, but this new person is someone I trust, and they won't let me down.
Tough on the outside, tough on the outside - and it's surely tough
I'll still put up a facade of being tough, even though it's difficult to keep up.
In my separate reality - sorry there's only room for me
My isolated world is something I have to deal with alone, and I can't let anyone else in.
In my separate reality - sorry there's only room for me, for me
I'm sorry, but my isolated world is something only I can handle, and there's no room for anyone else.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WARREN HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind