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,
New World Blues
Gov't Mule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though it often turns to this
Unintended suicide
As if our fate's sealed with a kiss
We're all taught to rise above
Can't let ourselves be hurt by love
I am ready to feel these new world blues
Dreams are only of a new world
Instead of making this one right
But "run away" is not the answer
Still we all want to take flight
Never knowing what we seek
We think our pain is so unique
So tell me what I have to lose
I am ready to feel these new world blues
Heroes are not to cry
So hold your head up high
The future is ours to see
So come on and rescue me
So tell me what I have to lose
I am ready to feel these new world blues
So tell me what I have to lose
I am ready to feel these new world blues
Life is not a compromise
These lyrics from Gov't Mule's song New World Blues speak to the struggles that we face in life. The first stanza implies that we often settle for less than what we want or deserve in life, leading to unintentional self-destruction. We are taught to rise above our struggles and to not let love hurt us, but we still struggle with finding our place in the world. The second stanza emphasizes the idea that we often spend more time dreaming of a better future rather than working to improve the present. We want to escape and take flight, but we don't know what exactly we seek. We think our pain is unique to us, but it is a struggle that everyone faces.
The chorus is a call to action. It represents the desire to feel something new and to embrace the unknown, even if we risk losing something in the process. The message is clear: we should not be afraid to take risks or to explore uncharted territory. The last stanza emphasizes that we must hold our heads up high, as heroes do not cry. It is up to us to make a better future and to rescue ourselves from the struggles we face.
Overall, the lyrics of New World Blues are a testament to the human struggle. They speak to the idea that we seek something better in life, but often settle for less than we deserve. We dream of a better future, but must also find a way to improve the present. The chorus represents the desire to feel something new and to embrace the unknown. The song is a call to action to hold our heads up high and to take risks to make a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is not a compromise
Life isn't about settling or sacrificing, even though we often end up doing so.
Though it often turns to this
Unintended suicide
As if our fate's sealed with a kiss
Even though life often becomes unfulfilling and hopeless, we still cling onto it as though it's predetermined and inevitable.
We're all taught to rise above
Can't let ourselves be hurt by love
We're constantly taught to be strong and not let love and emotions hurt us, but it's easier said than done.
So tell me what I have to lose
I am ready to feel these new world blues
I'm willing to embrace the sadness and pain that comes with this new world and see where it takes me.
Dreams are only of a new world
Instead of making this one right
But "run away" is not the answer
Still we all want to take flight
We constantly dream and imagine a better world, but instead of fixing our current one, we often think about escaping from it. Unfortunately, running away isn't the solution, yet we still crave to escape.
Never knowing what we seek
We think our pain is so unique
We often don't know what we want in life, and we believe that our struggles are exclusive and unparalleled to anyone else.
Heroes are not to cry
So hold your head up high
The future is ours to see
So come on and rescue me
We're taught that heroes don't show vulnerability or emotions, and so we should remain strong and optimistic about the future. However, we still look for someone to save us from our troubles.
So tell me what I have to lose
I am ready to feel these new world blues
Again, I'm prepared to face the hardships of this new world and see what it has in store for me.
So tell me what I have to lose
I am ready to feel these new world blues
Reiterating that I'm willing to take on the challenges of this new world and see where it takes me.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: WARREN HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind