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.
The Dark End Of The Street
Gregg Allman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's where we always meet
Hiding in shadows where we don't belong
Living in darkness to hide our wrong
You and me at the dark end of the street
You and me
I know time is gonna take its toll
It's a sin and we know it's wrong
Oh but our love keeps coming on strong
Steal away to the dark end of the street
You and me
They're gonna find us
They're gonna find us
They're gonna find us all some day
You and me at the dark end of the street
They're gonna find us
They're gonna find us
They're gonna find us oh some day
You and me at the dark end of the street
And when the daylight hour rolls round
And by chance we're both downtown
If we should meet then just walk on by
Oh darling please please don't cry
Tonight we'll meet
At the dark end of the street
Oh tonight we'll meet
At the dark end of the street
Gregg Allman's song, The Dark End Of The Street, is a classic tale of forbidden love. The lyrics are told from the perspective of two lovers who meet in secrecy at the dark end of the street, hiding in the shadows because their love is frowned upon. They know that what they're doing is wrong, but their love is so strong that they can't stay away from each other. They fear that they will be caught by society, but they can't stop themselves from meeting each other.
The lyrics also speak of the guilt that they both feel, as they are aware that what they are doing is a sin. They know that they will eventually have to pay for what they've stolen, but they can't help their feelings for each other. The lovers are resigned to their fate, acknowledging that they will be found out and face consequences for their actions.
The final verse of the song serves as a warning to the listener not to interfere with their love. If they are seen in public, they ask the other person to walk on by and not to cry because they will meet again at the dark end of the street. The lyrics are filled with a sense of desperation, longing, and forbidden love that is sure to resonate with anyone who has experienced similar feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
At the dark end of the street
We often meet at a place where there is darkness and shadows surrounding us.
That's where we always meet
We keep coming back to that same spot, despite knowing it’s wrong and not where we belong.
Hiding in shadows where we don't belong
We’re making a decision to live in covert obscurity, and we’re aware that we shouldn’t be there.
Living in darkness to hide our wrong
We have done things we shouldn't be doing and we’re living in the shadows to go unnoticed.
You and me at the dark end of the street
It’s only us two in that space where we meet in the shadows.
I know time is gonna take its toll
I am aware that we can’t keep doing this forever and we’ll eventually get caught.
We have to pay for what we stole
We will have to face the consequences of our actions, and we know that what we’re doing is wrong.
It's a sin and we know it's wrong
We acknowledge that what we’re doing is morally wrong and can harm people around us.
Oh but our love keeps coming on strong
Despite knowing the wrong we’re doing, we can’t help but continue because of the love we have for each other.
Steal away to the dark end of the street
We’ll keep going back to that same spot to do things we shouldn’t be doing, even though it’s a risk.
They're gonna find us
We have done things we shouldn't be doing and are aware that eventually, someone will discover our secret.
They're gonna find us all some day
We know we can’t avoid the consequences of our actions and someone will uncover the truth.
And when the daylight hour rolls round
During the day when it’s light outside and we’re not in the shadows anymore.
And by chance we're both downtown
If we happen to run into each other while we’re both in the city center.
If we should meet then just walk on by
If we end up seeing each other, we should act as if we don’t know each other.
Oh darling please please don't cry
Don’t let emotions get in the way because we’re aware of the consequences of our actions.
Tonight we'll meet
We will meet again in the same hideout tonight.
At the dark end of the street
It will be just us two in the shadows where we don’t belong.
Oh tonight we'll meet
We’ll be meeting again under the cover of darkness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Chips Moman, Dan Penn
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scott Moore
Soul and nothing but!!!! Always with the real brothers!!!! Play on forever!!!!
MRbjr8
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That Gregg played, and it pleased the Lord
"Hallelujah"
Amen - RIP brother Gregg
Helen Piciacchi
I met this man briefly in key West with David Alan Coe. One of my best memories in life. Greatest white blues man legend ever.
This man was born to sing the blues. RIP Gregg hope I see you again on the other side.
vinmanr2d2
this is one of the BEST albums ever ! gregg is truly amazing!
Kenneth Hixson
U can't touch it he is and always be the man
Pamela Knowles
Pure classic brilliant
Only Gregg could sing this,,So Beautiful!🎼🎸🎶🍄🍑
Richard Cole
no other version of this song even comes close to this one. RIP Mr. Allman
georgetheonlyporge
Word.
Flavum
The original James Carr version is the standard. Gregg does it justice, but doesn't surpass it.
Richard Cole
@Flavum thanks. I'll have to give it a listen