The band split in 1977 and reunited in 1980, splitting again in 1983. Since reuniting in 1996 they have remained active, although Farner left the band in 1999. The group currently consists of Max Carl (vocals), Bruce Kulick (guitar), Mel Schacher (bass), Tim Cashion (keyboards), and Don Brewer (drums, vocals).
Despite their name, their music is far from the style known as "funk"; the name "Grand Funk Railroad" is a play on Michigan's "Grand Trunk Western Railroad" line, and it was chosen before "funk" had become the name of a music genre. In 1968, suburban Michigan teens Don Brewer and Mark Farner quit Terry Knight and The Pack and recruited ? and The Mysterians bass player Mel Schacher to form a power trio inspired by contemporary rock n roll.
Early in their career, they headlined a much hyped free concert in Hyde Park, wowing the audience whilst being virtually unknown in the U.K. They also opened for Led Zeppelin in Michigan, their home state. Originally produced and managed by former band leader Terry Knight who brought the group to Capitol records in 1969, they split from Knight in 1972 after money issues left the group nearly bankrupt despite massive commercial success which began after an successful appearance at the Atlanta Pop Festival.
After releasing 12 albums on Capitol (10 platinum), they intend for their final release to be Born To Die in 1975. They actually reunited & recorded one last effort in 1976 with Frank Zappa called "Good Singin' Good Playin' " and then called it quits.
Farner released two solo albums, Mel & Don recorded as Flint with Craig before Craig joined [aritst]Bob Seger's band. In 1981 Mark Farner & Don reformed the band without Mel and released a song on the animated Heavy Metal soundtrack and new album Grand Funk Lives. They toured until 1983.
In 1996 all three original members reunited for a summer tour in which they played to over 250,000 people, and a slate of Bosnian relief dates in 1997 including several TV performances. In 1998 they did a 65+ date tour listed as one of the 10 top grossing tours of the year. In 1999 Capitol issued a 3 disc box set called "Thirty Years Of Funk" 1969-1999, including recent recordings made in 1997.
Original Grand Funk Railroad members Don & Mel still tour and write new material to this day although the group have seen various line up changes, including the absence of original lead singer Mark Farner. Mark is active with his New band Nr'G. They have released 3 CD's since 1999 with For The People released in 2006.
Studio Albums:
* On Time (1969)
* Grand Funk (The Red Album) (1969)
* Closer to Home (1970)
* Survival (1971)
* E Pluribus Funk (1971)
* Phoenix (1972)
* We're an American Band (1973)
* Shinin' On (1974)
* Monumental Funk (1974)
* All the Girls in the World Beware!!! (1974)
* Born to Die (1976)
* Good Singin', Good Playin' (1976)
* Grand Funk Lives (1981)
* What's Funk? (1983)
Live albums:
* Live Album (1970)
* Caught in the Act (1975)
* Bosnia (1997)
* Thirty Years of Funk: 1969-1999 (1999)
* Live: The 1971 Tour (2002)
Compilations:
1972 Mark, Don & Mel: 1969–71
1976 Grand Funk Hits
1990 The Best of Grand Funk
1991 Capitol Collectors Series
1992 Heavy Hitters!
1999 Thirty Years of Funk: 1969-1999
2002 Classic Masters
2006 Greatest Hits
Innocent
Grand Funk Railroad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Until he's proven guilty
A man is innocent
Until you make him lie
Well, you can cry little lady
But I never put no one before you
And you can hurt if you wanna
Let people talk
But please don't believe what they say, girl
Please don't believe 'em
'Cause a man is innocent
Until he's proven guilty
When people lie to your face
Well, I guess it's just a jealousy
Oh, can't you see it must be
That he lied about your lover
Who says he's not an open cover
It's just a stab in the back
'Cause it just can't be a fact about me
It can't be, no, no
Just can't be now
Well there ain't nothing in the world
Like a woman's scorn and fury
Sometimes you can't change her mind
'Cause she's her own juge and jury
Let people talk
But please don't believe what they say, girl
Please don't believe 'em
'Cause a man is innocent
Until he's proven guilty
A man is innocent
Until he's proven guilty
It can't be, it can't be, no
A man is innocent
Until he's proven guilty
The lyrics of Grand Funk Railroad's song "Innocent" are about the idea of innocence until proven guilty. The first two lines "A man is innocent, until he's proven guilty" repeat twice throughout the song, highlighting the primary theme. The song addresses the dilemma of being wrongly accused, and how people can make false accusations and believe rumors without verifying their accuracy. The singer wants to dispel the rumors and requests his significant other not to believe them.
In the second verse, the singer blames jealousy for the spread of untrue rumors. The singer believes that the people who lied wanted to hurt him, and this is their way of achieving that, resulting in a stab in the back. The final verse highlights the power dynamic between men and women, specifically the singer and his scorned lover. He acknowledges that sometimes mistakes are made, but wants her to have faith in him and his innocence. The repetition of "a man is innocent until he's proven guilty" highlights the power of the phrase as a defense against accusations.
Line by Line Meaning
A man is innocent
A person is not guilty of a crime or offense
Until he's proven guilty
Until evidence is produced that shows he was responsible for the crime
Until you make him lie
Until you force the person to deceive others by imposing situations or pressuring him
Well, you can cry little lady
You can feel sorrow or express it emotionally, girl
But I never put no one before you
I never valued or treated anyone else as deep as you, lady
And you can hurt if you wanna
And you can be in pain if you choose to, girl
But don't let it get in your way, baby
But don't let it prevent you from achieving your goals, dear
Let people talk
Allow other individuals to share their rumors or opinions
But please don't believe what they say, girl
But don't accept everything said without questioning
Cause a man is innocent
Because a person is not guilty until proved otherwise
When people lie to your face
When people say words that are untrue to you directly
Well, I guess it's just a jealousy
Well, I suppose it's just an envy towards something you have or possess
Oh, can't you see it must be
Oh, can't you deduce or understand that it must be that way?
That he lied about your lover
That he made a false statement about the person you love
Who says he's not an open cover
Who claims he's not an obvious imposter
It's just a stab in the back
It's only a treacherous or surprising betrayal
Cause it just can't be a fact about me
Because it just cannot be a truthful statement about myself
It can't be, no, no
It cannot be true, no, no!
Well there ain't nothing in the world
Well, there is nothing in the world
Like a woman's scorn and fury
Like the anger and hatred of a woman
Sometimes you can't change her mind
Sometimes, you cannot change her opinion on something
Cause she's her own judge and jury
Because she is the one who determines what is right or wrong in her own case
A man is innocent
A person is not guilty of a crime or offense
Until he's proven guilty
Until evidence is produced that shows he was responsible for the crime
It can't be, it can't be, no
It cannot be true, it cannot be true, no
A man is innocent
A person is not guilty of a crime or offense
Until he's proven guilty
Until evidence is produced that shows he was responsible for the crime
Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.