He is best known for performing in The Allman Brothers Band. He was born and spent much of his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee, before relocating to Daytona Beach, Florida. He and his brother, Duane Allman, developed an interest in music in their teens, and began performing in the Allman Joys in the mid-1960s. In 1967, they relocated to Los Angeles and were renamed the Hour Glass, releasing two albums for Liberty Records. In 1969, he and Duane regrouped to form the Allman Brothers Band, which settled in Macon, Georgia.
The Allman Brothers Band began to reach mainstream success by the early 1970s, with their live album At Fillmore East representing a commercial and artistic breakthrough. Shortly thereafter, Duane was killed in a motorcycle crash in 1971. The following year, the band's bassist, Berry Oakley was also killed in a motorcycle accident very close to the location of Duane's wreck. Their 1973 album Brothers and Sisters became their biggest hit, and Allman pursued a solo career afterward, releasing his debut album, Laid Back the same year. Internal turmoil took over the group, leading to a 1975 breakup. Allman was married to pop star Cher for the rest of the decade, while he continued his solo career with the Gregg Allman Band. After a brief Allman Brothers reunion and a decade of little activity, he reached an unexpected peak with the hit single "I'm No Angel" in 1987. After two more solo albums, the Allman Brothers reformed for a third and final time in 1989, and continued performing until 2014. He released his most recent solo album, Low Country Blues, in 2011, and his next, Southern Blood, is set to be released in 2017.
For his work in music, Allman was referred to as a Southern rock pioneer and received numerous awards, including several Grammys; he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. His distinctive voice placed him in 70th place in the Rolling Stone list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". Allman released an autobiography, My Cross to Bear, in 2012.
Allman died in Savannah, Georgia, on May 27, 2017.
All My Friends
Gregg Allman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep me in your heart keep your soul on the mend
I hope you're haunted by the music of my soul
When I'm gone
Please don't fly away and find you a new love
I can't face living this life alone
I can't bear to think this might be the end
Another night alone but I see you in my dreams sometimes
No matter where I go lord knows
You were always on my mind
I hope you're haunted by the music of my soul
When I'm gone
Please don't fly away and find you a new love
I just can't face living this life alone
I can't bear to think this might be the end
But you and I both know the road is my only true friend
Still on and on I run it feels like home is just around the bend
I got so much left to give
But I'm running out of time, my friend
I hope you're haunted by the music of my soul
When I'm gone
Please don't fly away and find you a new love
I just can't face living this life alone
I can't bear to think this might be the end
But you and I both know the road is my only true friend
You and I both know the road is my only true friend
The lyrics of Gregg Allman’s “All My Friends” are deeply emotional and heighten feelings of loneliness and abandonment. The opening lines, "You and I both know this river will surely flow to an end/Keep me in your heart, keep your soul on the mend," underscore the inevitability of change and the singer's desire for his loved one to remember him even if they go their separate ways.
The singer seems to be grappling with the idea of being forgotten, as he pleads, “I hope you're haunted by the music of my soul/When I'm gone/Please don't fly away and find you a new love,” highlighting his fear of being replaced or forgotten. The allusion to haunting serves to reinforce the idea of his impending absence and how he wants to leave a lasting impact on his loved one.
The final line of the song, “You and I both know the road is my only true friend,” signifies that the singer’s life is one of loneliness, as he finds solace on the road. The recurring theme of loneliness and the singer's struggle to accept change and let go of his loved one make the song a poignant and emotional anthem.
Line by Line Meaning
You and I both know this river will surely flow to an end
We both understand that this relationship will eventually come to an end
Keep me in your heart keep your soul on the mend
Remember me and take care of yourself
I hope you're haunted by the music of my soul When I'm gone
I hope my music continues to resonate with you even after I'm gone
Please don't fly away and find you a new love I can't face living this life alone
Don't leave me for someone else, I can't bear the thought of living without you
I can't bear to think this might be the end But you and I both know the road is my only true friend
I'm scared that this relationship might be ending, but I know the only constant in my life is the road
Another night alone but I see you in my dreams sometimes No matter where I go lord knows You were always on my mind
Even though I'm alone, you still occupy my thoughts no matter where I am
Still on and on I run it feels like home is just around the bend I got so much left to give But I'm running out of time, my friend
I feel like I'm getting closer to finding a place where I belong, but I also feel like time is running out for me
But you and I both know the road is my only true friend
We both understand that the road is the only constant in my life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gregg Allman, Scott Sharrard
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tonyclifton9018
gone, for the last time it seems
And it's a shame, all the feelings were lost in our scheme
The things we had were fine, yeah
If we had to have them all the time
Someday we'll find, we should have relied on time
All my friends came to see me this year, oh yeah
And I was glad to have them here, whoa
And maybe we've gone away
We can come back any old day
If we find how to rely on time, whoa
And maybe we've gone away
We can come back any old day
If we find how to rely on time
All my love wrote to me
@davidpusey3489
A song that helped me find my way, looking for a missing peace and that would be Jesus the ultimate friend. Thank you Gregg.
@melmiller9507
Severely underrated song!!!!!!!!!!!!
@debcabana11
I've never felt an artist touch my soul like Gregg Allman. My heart is still broken but full of his music and presence ...
@tammybagley4110
Agree!! His music has a way with getting into your soul.
@elizabethmarcel8761
Gregg's voice always moves me. This has been my favorite album since the age of 19. I remember when I heard Gregg singing Midnight Rider and stopped in my tracks and was instantly drawn to this beautiful man's voice & soul.
@PercivalGull1
One of the greatest albums of all time !
@jp-a1a729
PercivalGull1
Agree! It’s the first album I ever bought! I was 13. ❤️❤️
@petershaw9050
This song is extremely heavy, yet calm and gentle at the same time. Very rare to tie those characteristics together properly.
@graynorris6095
the greatest blues voice of all time
@darrennickoley1653
right on bro