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,
Soul Shine
Gov't Mule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That guides you through a cloudy day
When the stars ain't shinin' bright
And you fill like you've lost you're way
When the candle lights of home
Burn so very far away
Well you got to let your soul shine
Just like my daddy used to say
He used to say soul shine
It's better than sunshine
It's better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Hey now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day
I grew up thinkin' that I had it made
Gonna make it on my own
But life can take the strongest man
And make him feel so alone
Now and then I feel a cold wind
Blowin' through my achin' bones
I think back to what my daddy said
He said "Boy, in the darkness before the dawn?"
Let your soul shine
It's better than sunshine
It's better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Yeah now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day
Sometimes a man can feel this emptiness
Like a woman has robbed him of his very soul
A woman too, God knows, she can feel like this
And when your world seems cold
You got to let your spirit take control
Let your soul shine
It's better than sunshine
It's better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Lord now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day
Oh, it's better than sunshine
It's better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Yeah now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day
The song Soul Shine by Gov't Mule is a beautiful tribute and homage to one’s inner light and the importance of holding onto it. The song’s opening lines, “when you can’t find the light that guides you through a cloudy day, when the stars ain’t shining bright and you feel like you’ve lost your way,” set the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics are heartfelt, and the singer is almost pleading with the listener to hold onto their inner light and let it shine, just like what his father used to say. The father’s words have stayed with the singer, and he now imparts them to his listeners.
The lyrical content of Soul Shine continues to emphasize the importance of one’s spirit and the light within. The song alludes to the fact that even the strongest of men can feel alone and lost in difficult times. However, it's essential to remember that no matter how hard life gets, one can always find an inner light to guide them. The song ends with a message of hope, encouraging listeners to let their soul shine until the break of day.
Line by Line Meaning
When you can't find the light
That guides you through a cloudy day
When you're lost and can't seem to figure out what to do next.
When the stars ain't shinin' bright
And you fill like you've lost you're way
When life feels bleak and hopeless and you don't know what to do to make it better.
When the candle lights of home
Burn so very far away
When you feel like you're away from home and don't have any support or comfort around you.
Well you got to let your soul shine
Just like my daddy used to say
You need to let your inner peace and light shine through, as a way of remembering what your loved ones have taught you.
He used to say soul shine
It's better than sunshine
It's better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Hey now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day
Soul shine represents a deeper, more resonant state of being than the usual external sources of pleasure.
I grew up thinkin' that I had it made
Gonna make it on my own
But life can take the strongest man
And make him feel so alone
Growing up, people can think they have everything under control, but life can quickly turn everything upside down and leave them feeling very alone.
Now and then I feel a cold wind
Blowin' through my achin' bones
I think back to what my daddy said
He said "Boy, in the darkness before the dawn?"
Sometimes people feel lost and overwhelmed, but it's important to remember the words of loved ones who have offered helpful guidance in the past.
Sometimes a man can feel this emptiness
Like a woman has robbed him of his very soul
A woman too, God knows, she can feel like this
And when your world seems cold
Both men and women can feel an emptiness and loss of self when something important to them is taken away or they feel like they've lost a part of themselves.
You got to let your spirit take control
It's important to take back control of your life and let your inner spirit guide the way forward.
Oh, it's better than sunshine
It's better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Yeah now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day
Soul shine is the best possible state of being, even better than external sources of happiness like sunshine or moonshine, and it's important to let it shine as much as possible.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: WARREN HAYNES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind