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.
Midnight Rider
Gregg Allman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm bound to keep on riding.
And I've got one more silver dollar,
But I'm not gonna let them catch me, no,
Not gonna let 'em catch the Midnight Rider.
And I don't own the clothes I'm wearing,
And I've got one more silver dollar,
But I'm not gonna let them catch me, no
Not gonna let 'em catch the Midnight Rider.
And I've gone by the point of caring,
Some old bed I'll soon be sharing,
And I've got one more silver dollar,
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider.
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider.
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider.
The song Midnight Rider by Gregg Allman is a tale of an outlaw on the run, narrating his journey through the country as he avoids capture. The first verse sets the scene, where the singer is in hiding but he knows he can't stay still for too long. He is compelled to continue riding and evading his captors, and all he has to his name is one silver dollar. He knows that if he stops, he risks being caught, but he is determined to keep going and not let the authorities catch him.
The second verse goes on to describe the singer's current situation. He doesn't even own the clothes he's wearing and has been on the road for so long that he has lost track of time. He's down to his last silver dollar but still resolute in his will to escape capture. The final verse sees the singer at a point where he has stopped caring about his situation, and knows he'll soon have to bed down for the night wherever he can find shelter. However, he hasn't given up and still has one more silver dollar as he continues in his quest to avoid detection.
Overall, the song can be seen as a metaphor for the freedom of the open road, and the singer's determination to maintain that freedom at all costs, even if it means living outside the law.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I've got to run to keep from hiding,
I need to keep moving to avoid being caught and hiding from the authorities.
And I'm bound to keep on riding.
I'm committed to traveling and not staying in one place for too long.
And I've got one more silver dollar,
I have a small amount of money left in my pocket.
But I'm not gonna let them catch me, no,
I refuse to be caught and will do everything to evade capture.
Not gonna let 'em catch the Midnight Rider.
I won't allow myself to be apprehended as I am a Midnight Rider.
And I don't own the clothes I'm wearing,
I'm using whatever clothes I can find and don't have anything of my own.
And the road goes on forever,
The journey ahead is long and never-ending.
And I've gone by the point of caring,
I'm exhausted and have lost the energy to care about anything anymore.
Some old bed I'll soon be sharing,
I'll have to sleep in a random bed wherever I can find one.
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
I'm absolutely determined to avoid being captured.
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider.
Regardless of the hurdles that may come, I won't give up and let them catch me.
But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no
I reiterate my resolve not to be caught and give up my freedom.
Not gonna let them catch the Midnight Rider.
As a Midnight Rider, I can't afford to be caught, and I'm determined to evade any attempt to seize me.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robert Kim Payne, Gregg Allman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MonkeyBoo
RIP Midnight Rider
You will be missed
Cake Rules
You got that right R.I.Paradise, ride on Sir. He will be missed.
George Cabezas
A lot of people thought the Midnight Rider was Dusty Rhodes "The American Dream" I know the truth and I am not telling. Haha!!!!
Toby Tyler
MonkeyBoo Amen
David Leija
MonkeyBoo ,
He's with Duane, and they're catching up with old times and old music.
In peace and blessings,
David doc Leija
♒😉💔💔💔💔💔♒♒🕉🕆🔯☯🐯🤔♒♒♒♒
Jetfire1959
Jammin' with Gary, Glenn, David and Prince.
Greg Donlin
Love these old outlaw tunes! I'm really not convinced that music has gotten any better in the following years...We were so fortunate to have the best! Love these vocals...
Annie Thomas
I just want to hear sweet melissa get it
jackslater230011
It’s because it hasn’t.
dan murphy
Outlaw tunes !!......couldn't have said it better myself.......Thank You man.