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,
No Celebration
Gov't Mule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sit mourning
But the morning brings no consolation
Sun is rising, sky is yawning
But the new day brings no celebration
No celebration
Reminds me life is hard
Here in my back yard
And I lie awake
And I stare at the sky
And my life passes by
And I lie here suffering, wondering
How long, how long
In a sea of silence
I lay wondering
But with it comes no real solution
Dreams die young
In this world of violence
Just to be betrayed by revolution-revolution
Still my life is hard here in my back yard
And I lie awake
And I stare at the sky
And my life passes by
And I lie here suffering, wondering
How long, how long
We are only the beginning here
None of us will reach the end
So hold me close like an angel
With your breath draw me in
Feel me swim through your bloodstream
Hear my voice, soft but clear
After today things will never be the same
I'm sorry for you, my dear
In a world of darkness
We are surrounded, surrounded by eternity
We reach out but no love abounds us
Guess we traded it for sanity
Meanwhile life is hard here in my back yard
And I lie awake
And I stare at the sky
And my life passes by
And I lie here suffering, wondering
How long, how long
In the whiskey hours
I sit mourning
But the morning brings no consolation
Sun is rising, sky is yawning
But the new day brings no celebration
The lyrics of Gov't Mule's song "No Celebration" paint a picture of despair and hopelessness, encapsulating the feelings of a person who is stuck in a cycle of misery. The opening verse sets the tone for the song - the singer is drinking alone in the wee hours, consumed by sorrow. The morning brings no solace, and the arrival of a new day doesn't feel like a cause for celebration. The emphasis on the phrase "no celebration" underscores the bleakness of the situation, and by extension, life in general. The next verse continues this sense of malaise, and the chorus brings it all together: life is hard, and the singer is suffering, wondering how long this will go on.
The following verses express a sense of futility, with the singer feeling lost and alone. There is a sense of disillusionment, and the mention of dreams dying young and being betrayed by revolution adds a layer of political commentary. The phrase "life is hard here in my back yard" is repeated multiple times, emphasizing the feeling of being trapped and unable to escape the misery of the situation. The final verse is perhaps the most poignant, with the line "guess we traded [love] for sanity" highlighting the high cost of trying to survive in a cruel and unforgiving world.
Overall, "No Celebration" is a powerful song that captures the feeling of being trapped in a cycle of hopelessness and despair. The lyrics are both personal and political, touching on themes of loneliness, disillusionment, and societal inequality. The repeated use of phrases like "life is hard" and "no celebration" drive home the message that sometimes, there simply isn't much to celebrate.
Line by Line Meaning
In the whiskey hours
Late at night when I find myself alone and drinking whiskey.
I sit mourning
I am filled with sadness and regret.
But the morning brings no consolation
Even when a new day comes, I still feel sad and lost.
Sun is rising, sky is yawning
The new day starts, but it is not a happy occasion for me.
But the new day brings no celebration
I have nothing to celebrate even when the sun rises.
No celebration
My life is not worth celebrating.
Reminds me life is hard
This situation reminds me that life can be difficult.
Here in my back yard
Even in the familiar surroundings of my home, I cannot escape my feelings of sadness.
And I lie awake
I am unable to sleep and am deep in thought.
And I stare at the sky
I am lost in thought, contemplating my life and existence.
And my life passes by
Time is slipping away, and I am not making the most of it.
And I lie here suffering, wondering
I am filled with pain and am contemplating my future.
How long, how long
I am wondering how long these feelings of despair will continue.
In a sea of silence
I am surrounded by quiet and am lost in my thoughts.
I lay wondering
I am deep in contemplation, trying to make sense of my life.
But with it comes no real solution
As I contemplate, I am unable to find any real answers or solutions.
Dreams die young
Our aspirations and desires often fade away quickly and unfulfilled.
In this world of violence
We live in a world full of conflict and aggression.
Just to be betrayed by revolution-revolution
Even revolutions, which aim to bring about change, can ultimately hurt those they seek to help.
Still my life is hard here in my back yard
Even when I am at home, my life is still difficult and full of sorrow.
We are only the beginning here
None of us will live forever, and we are all starting on our own unique journeys.
None of us will reach the end
Ultimately, none of us will live forever, and our lives will come to an end.
So hold me close like an angel
I am asking for someone to comfort me and be with me through my struggles.
With your breath draw me in
I am seeking solace from someone who can envelop me in their embrace, providing me with warmth and comfort.
Feel me swim through your bloodstream
I want to connect with someone on a deep, intimate level.
Hear my voice, soft but clear
I am expressing my emotions and feelings in a clear yet gentle way.
After today things will never be the same
I believe that something important is about to happen that will change the course of my life.
I'm sorry for you, my dear
I am expressing sympathy or empathy for someone else, acknowledging that they may also be struggling or facing hardships.
In a world of darkness
I am surrounded by negativity and sadness.
We are surrounded, surrounded by eternity
We are all part of something bigger and more enduring than our individual lives.
We reach out but no love abounds us
Even though we try to find love and support, we may still feel alone and abandoned.
Guess we traded it for sanity
We may have sacrificed love and affection in order to appear rational and logical.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: WARREN HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Thessa Stutz
Ware Haynes i am a big music listen from you musik, danke auch i saw Gov`t mule an the best concert for me at last year i her on 13. july in Z7 , pratteln, bei Norbert. i`m so thankful i can hear you on youtube ! I `m so thankful i feel you on the concert, was great !