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.
Rolling Stone
Gregg Allman Lyrics
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Don't care how long she's stays
Don't care how long she's gone
Don't care how long she's stays
She's a rolling stone
She'll roll back home some day
She's a rolling stone
She'll roll back home some day
I thought I heard it blow
When the train turned yonder
I thought I heard it blow
I'm going to bring my suitcase
Please, please let me go
I'm going to bring my suitcase
Please, please let me go
The train rolled off
She waved her hands at me
The train rolled off
She waved her hands at me
I looked out the window
As far as I could see
I looked out the window
As far as I could see
The last time I saw her
Standing in the station crying
The last time I seen her
She was standing in the station crying
She told a friend
Yonder goes that man of mine
She told a friend
Yonder goes that man of mine
Love make a poor man
Wish he was dead and gone
Love make a poor man
Wish he was dead and gone
'Cause the woman he loves
Is gone and left him all alone
'Cause the woman that he loved
Has left him all alone
Looks like I ain't seen her
Six long months today
Looks like I ain't seen her
Six long months today
Love make a poor man
Grieve and walk away
Love makes a poor man
Grieve and walk away
I don't care how long she's gone
I don't care how long she's stays
I don't care how long she's gone
I don't care how long she's stays
She's a rolling stone
She'll roll back home some day
She's a rolling stone
She'll roll back home some day
The lyrics of Gregg Allman's song "Rolling Stone" are about a woman who is constantly on the move, unable to stay in one place for too long. The singer, presumably her lover or former lover, declares that he does not care how long she stays or how long she is gone. He knows that she is a "rolling stone" and that she will eventually come back home. The lyrics mention a train, which is often used as a symbol of movement and travel, further underscoring the idea that this woman is always on the go.
The lyrics also convey a sense of heartache and longing. The singer has clearly been hurt by this woman's constant departures, and he describes love as something that can make a poor man "wish he was dead and gone." The final verse of the song reveals that it has been six months since he last saw her, and he is still grieving and unable to move on.
The overall message of the song seems to be that love can be both beautiful and painful. The singer does not want to let go of this rolling stone, even though he knows that she may never fully stay with him. He is willing to wait for her to roll back home, even if it takes a long time.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't care how long she's gone
The singer is indifferent to the length of time his lover is away.
Don't care how long she's stays
The singer is indifferent to the length of time his lover stays away.
She's a rolling stone
The singer's lover is unpredictable and free-spirited.
She'll roll back home some day
The artist believes his lover will eventually return home.
When the train turned yonder
The artist hears a train whistle in the distance.
I thought I heard it blow
The singer thinks he hears the train whistle.
I'm going to bring my suitcase
The singer is preparing to leave with his suitcase.
Please, please let me go
The artist pleads with someone to allow him to leave.
The train rolled off
The train departs.
She waved her hands at me
The artist's lover waves goodbye to him as the train departs.
I looked out the window
The singer looks out the window of the departing train.
As far as I could see
The artist looks as far as the eye can see.
The last time I saw her
The singer refers to the most recent time he saw his lover.
Standing in the station crying
The singer's lover was crying as she stood in the station.
She told a friend
The singer's lover confided in a friend.
Yonder goes that man of mine
The artist's lover points out the artist as she sees him leaving.
Love make a poor man
The artist believes that love can cause hardship for a poor man.
Wish he was dead and gone
The singer would rather be dead than suffer the pain of losing his lover.
'Cause the woman he loves
The singer's sadness is caused by the absence of his lover.
Is gone and left him all alone
The artist's lover has left him feeling lonely and abandoned.
Looks like I ain't seen her
The artist hasn't seen his lover in a long time and misses her.
Six long months today
It has been six months since the artist last saw his lover.
Love makes a poor man
The singer believes that love can cause suffering for a poor man.
Grieve and walk away
The artist feels sad and will move on from his lover.
I don't care how long she's gone
The singer again expresses his indifference to the length of his lover's absence.
I don't care how long she's stays
The singer again expresses his indifference to the length of his lover's stay elsewhere.
She's a rolling stone
The singer's lover is a free-spirited individual who is always on the move.
She'll roll back home some day
The artist believes that his lover will return home eventually.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GREGG L. ALLMAN, MAC REBENNACK, PD TRADITIONAL, T-BONE BURNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sandra Dee Lawson.
I love this song.
Ross Harris
What a path Greg....🛤️
Jim
...this is BOSS man!....
Steve Lankford
Tell it brother
- XxJimmyPagexX -
Yes sir