Her 1997 self-titled debut album brought her onto the country music scene as a herald of a more neotraditional country music sound, in a genre that had begun to sound more pop-oriented with the likes of LeAnn Rimes, Faith Hill and Shania Twain topping the charts. The hits from that first album were "Never Again, Again", "The Fool" and "You've Got To Talk To Me."
Her second album, 1998's Some Things I Know, set the tone for what the pop oriented direction of country music sought to encapsulate in the late 1990s. It brought us "A Little Past Little Rock", "(Now You See Me) Now You Don't" and "I'll Think Of A Reason Later", while her third and possibly most successful album to date, 2000's I Hope You Dance, featured, along with the award-winning aforementioned title cut (to which Sons of the Desert supplied the backing vocals) also featured the hits "Why They Call It Falling" and "Does My Ring Burn Your Finger" as well as covers of the 1980 Rodney Crowell hit "Ashes By Now", and the Don Williams' 1981 classic, "Lord I Hope This Day Is Good."
Womack's fourth album, Something Worth Leaving Behind, released in 2002, was seen by many as an attempt by her to cross over to the very pop-sound of which she was the antithesis five years earlier. The title cut and "Forever Everyday" were the only two singles released. Both went into the top 40 country chart.
Her most recent album, 2005's There's More Where That Came From features "I May Hate Myself In The Morning", the album's first single, which is viewed by many as a return to the traditional sound that brought her success in her earlier career. Later in 2005, Womack won three awards at the Country Music Awards: Single of the Year for "I May Hate Myself In The Morning", Album of the Year for There's More Where That Came From, and Musical Event of the Year for her duet, "Good News, Bad News", with George Strait.
Womack has recorded a few duets that have been released as singles. In 2002, her duet with Willie Nelson, "Mendocino County Line", became his biggest hit in several years. In 2004, she worked with country band Cross Canadian Ragweed on the track "Sick and Tired". The song had moderate success and received a bit of video airplay.
Womack has two daughters; Aubrie (with ex-husband Jason Sellers) and Anna Lise (with current husband Frank Liddell). Both daughters appeared in the video for "I Hope You Dance".
In Summer of 2006, Womack announced plans to release a new studio album in the fall, titled Finding My Way Back Home but it has been pushed back to 2007. The first single, which was the album's title track, peaked at #37 in late 2006.
Discography
Studio Albums
* Lee Ann Womack (1997) Platinum
* Some Things I Know (1998) Gold
* I Hope You Dance (2000) 3x Platinum
* Something Worth Leaving Behind (2002)
* There's More Where That Came From (2005) Gold
* Finding My Way Back Home (2007)
Virtual Albums
* iTunes Originals - Lee Ann Womack
Compilation Albums
* Greatest Hits (2004)
Christmas Albums
* The Season For Romance (2002)
Trivia
* Lee Ann wore dental braces on her teeth in the late 1990's, being one of the few public figures to wear visible braces in adulthood.
* Lee Ann also sang with Chris Jericho (of WWE fame) and Olympic gymnast Carly Patterson in the FOX show "Celebrity Duets" in 2006.
* Lee Ann Sang her hit song "I Hope You Dance" at the 2004 Republican National Convention.
* Lee Ann was once married to singer/songwriter Jason Sellers. The couple had one daughter, Aubrie Lee Sellers, born that same year. The couple divorced in the late 1990s. In 1999, she married former record executive Frank Liddell, and has had a second daughter, Anne Lise Liddell.[1]
The Weight
Lee Ann Womack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just need some place where I can lay my head
Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said
Take a load off Annie, take a load for free
Take a load off Annie and
(And, and)
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go but m'friend can stick around"
Take a load off Annie, take a load for free
Take a load off Annie and
(And, and)
You can put the load right on me
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day
Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?
He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?"
Take a load off Annie, take a load for free
Take a load off Annie and
(And, and)
You can put the load right on me
Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can"
Take a load off Annie, take a load for free
Take a load off Annie and
(And, and)
You can put the load right on me
Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
The song "The Weight" by Lee Ann Womack tells the story of a weary traveler who pulls into Nazareth, feeling exhausted and in need of a place to rest. The singer reaches out to a local person for information on a nearby hotel, but this individual simply grins and refuses to help. The lyrics then transition into a chorus that suggests the singer should hand over their worries and burdens to Annie, with the added implication that Annie is the one who can lift their load.
The traveler continues on their journey, seeing Carmen and the Devil walking side by side. When the singer invites Carmen out, she says she cannot come but that their friend can stick around. Next, the lyrics describe a conversation between two men about a young girl named Anna Lee. One man, Luke, asks the other to stay with Anna Lee and keep her company. Then, Crazy Chester offers to fix the traveler's rack in exchange for taking care of his dog Jack. Again, the chorus repeats, focusing on the idea that the weight can be lifted by putting it on Annie's shoulders.
The last stanza mentions catching a cannonball and returning to Miss Fanny, who sends her regards to everyone. The song is a metaphorical tale of the hardships of life and the idea that we should not be afraid to lean on others when we need help. It's a reminder that regardless of one's circumstance, there will always be someone there to help shoulder their burden, even if they are not initially evident.
Line by Line Meaning
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead
As I arrived in Nazareth, I was feeling exhausted and near death.
I just need some place where I can lay my head
All I need is a place where I can rest.
Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?
Excuse me sir, but can you direct me to a place where a man can find somewhere to sleep?
He just grinned and shook my hand, 'No' was all he said
The man just gave me a grin and refused to help by simply saying 'No'.
Take a load off Annie, take a load for free
Relieve yourself of your burdens, Annie, and do it without any cost.
you can put the load right on me
If you need someone to help carry that load, I am willing to take that burden.
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
I picked up my bag and searched for a place to conceal myself.
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
As I looked around, I spotted Carmen walking with the Devil.
She said, 'I gotta go but m'friend can stick around'
Even though she had to leave, her friend was willing to stay and keep me company.
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
Miss Moses, there's no need for you to speak or argue the point any longer.
It's just ol' Luke and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement Day
It's just Luke and he's waiting for the day of judgement.
He said, 'Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?'
Luke asked me if I could stay and keep company with Anna Lee as a favor.
Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
Crazy Chester followed me and caught up to me in the fog.
He said, 'I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog'
Chester offered to fix my car, but on the condition that I take care of his dog, Jack.
He said, 'That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can'
When I expressed my concern about caring for the dog, Chester reassured me and asked that I feed him when I could.
Catch a cannon ball now, t'take me down the line
Hurry up and take a cannon ball to transport me to my destination.
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
My bag is getting heavy and I think it's time to leave.
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
I need to return to Miss Fanny since she's the only one who sent me here to begin with.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
Miss Fanny wanted me to pass along her regards to everyone here.
Contributed by Jonathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.