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,
Sin's A Good Man's Brother
Gov't Mule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things on my mind, and I just don't have the time, and it don't seem right.
Ain't seen a day, that I don't hear people say, they know they're gonna' die.
This may seem a little bit crazy, but I don't think you should be so lazy.
If you think you've heard this before, well, stick around I'm gonna' tell you more.
One just like the other, sin's a good man's brother, but is that right?
You tell me that I don't, then I say I won't, but then I might.
Some folks need an education, don't give up, or we'll loose the nation.
You say we need a revolution? It seems to be the only solution.
The opening lines of Gov't Mule's song "Sin's A Good Man's Brother" are quite cryptic and enigmatic. The first verse appears to be a reflection on life and the fleeting nature of time. The singer seems to feel that there is never enough time to ponder the things that matter, a feeling that is compounded by the knowledge that death is inevitable. The mention of crazy thinking and laziness could suggest a kind of existential despair. The second verse is a rumination on morality, and the age-old question of whether good and evil are absolutes or merely subjective constructs. The line "sin's a good man's brother" carries a lot of weight, and one interpretation could be that everyone is capable of both good and evil, but another could be that even the good things people do can be corrupted by inner darkness. The singer seems to be skeptical of what they've been told is right and wrong and encourages thinking for oneself.
The chorus drives the message home that things aren't always as they seem. The repeated phrase "but is that right?" implies that the listener should question everything they've been taught. The final lines of the second verse suggest that education is key to a better future for everyone, and that revolution (in whatever form) might be necessary to achieve that goal. The song has a sense of urgency and defiance, urging the listener not to accept the status quo and to fight for a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
Ain't seen a night, things work out right, go by.
I haven't experienced a perfect night, where everything feels just right, it quickly passes by.
Things on my mind, and I just don't have the time, and it don't seem right.
I have a lot on my mind but never enough time to address it, and that just doesn't seem fair.
Ain't seen a day, that I don't hear people say, they know they're gonna' die.
I have yet to experience a day where I don't hear someone talking about the inevitable reality of death.
This may seem a little bit crazy, but I don't think you should be so lazy.
My viewpoint may appear exaggerated, but I believe you should put more effort into things.
If you think you've heard this before, well, stick around I'm gonna' tell you more.
If you believe you are already familiar with my message, then listen closer because there is more to be said.
One just like the other, sin's a good man's brother, but is that right?
All sins are equal, and even good people can have sin within them - but is this truly just?
You tell me that I don't, then I say I won't, but then I might.
You insist that I won't commit a sin, but I disagree - there is always a chance that I might.
You said this is the way it's supposed to be, but it just don't seem right to me, and that's outta' sight.
You claim this is how things are supposed to be, yet I find it morally unjust, and that's not acceptable.
Some folks need an education, don't give up, or we'll loose the nation.
Some individuals require a proper education to understand the implications of their actions. If we give up on this notion, we risk losing our entire country.
You say we need a revolution? It seems to be the only solution.
You suggest a revolutionary change, and I agree that it may be our only option for progress.
Contributed by Aria M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.