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.
Can't Get Over You
Gregg Allman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just pick up tracks and don't look back, and walk on out that door
While I tell my friend what she says, she's never on my mind
My life was so much better, on that day I said goodbye
And I tell myself I'm free, but I'm only fooling me
Cause no matter what I do, I can't get over you
But it ain't no use to shake you lose, I still feel the same
Well I thought I could forget you, but that was just a lie
Not the same without you, I don't ever want to try
And I tell myself free, but I'm only fooling me
Cause no matter what I do, I can't get over you
Can't get over you
I don't know how it started, I don't know where I stand
I just want to be back, in your arms once again
Well I tell myself I'm free, no I'm only fooling me
Cause no matter what I do, can't get over you
Can't get over you
Can't get over you
The song "Can't Get Over You" by Gregg Allman is a heartbreakingly honest depiction of a person struggling to move on after a painful breakup. The opening lines describe how the singer has heard from others that their ex-partner no longer cares about them and has left them to move on. The singer tries to convince themselves that they are free and can move on, but they are unable to stop thinking about their lost love. They try to hide their pain by living a life of excess, but it only serves to remind them of what they've lost.
The chorus is a repetition of the title, "Can't Get Over You," reflecting the singer's deep-seated feelings of longing and inability to move past their relationship. The bridge of the song adds a sense of urgency to the singer's desire to reconnect with their ex, declaring "I don't know how it started, I don't know where I stand, I just want to be back in your arms once again." The song ends with a reprise of the chorus, underlining how even though the singer is trying to move on, they are still fixated on their lost love.
Overall, "Can't Get Over You" is a relatable and emotionally raw song about the complexities of heartbreak and the struggle to let go of a past relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
While I heard it said before, that you don't care no more
I've heard from others that you no longer care about me
Just pick up tracks and don't look back, and walk on out that door
You left me without looking back, leaving me in a lot of pain
While I tell my friend what she says, she's never on my mind
I try to distract myself by listening to my friend's advice, but I can't stop thinking about you
My life was so much better, on that day I said goodbye
I thought leaving you was best at the time, but now I realize how much worse my life is without you
And I tell myself I'm free, but I'm only fooling me
Although I try to convince myself that I'm free and don't need you, I'm just lying to myself
Cause no matter what I do, I can't get over you
No matter what I do, I can't stop thinking about you and wishing we were still together
While I tried to hide my pain, with a taste of the fast lane
I tried to cope with my pain by indulging in fast and reckless behavior, but it didn't make me feel any better
But it ain't no use to shake you loose, I still feel the same
No matter how hard I try to forget about you, I still feel just as deeply for you as before
Well I thought I could forget you, but that was just a lie
I deceived myself into thinking I could forget you and move on, but it's not possible
Not the same without you, I don't ever want to try
My life is not the same without you, and I'm not even willing to try to make it work with anyone else
I don't know how it started, I don't know where I stand
I'm confused about how our relationship started and where we stand now
I just want to be back, in your arms once again
All I really want is to be with you again
Can't get over you
I am still hopelessly in love with you and can't get over you
Contributed by Elizabeth L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.