Early years
Helm was born in Marvell, Arkansas and began playing the guitar at the age of eight. Helm also played drums during his formative years and established his first band The Jungle Bush Beaters while in high school. He was influenced by the Grand Ole Opry and by R&B songs that he heard on radio station WLAC out of Nashville, Tennessee.
Helm became interested in rock and roll after attending an Elvis Presley concert. He moved from Arkansas to Memphis, Tennessee where he was influenced by Bo Diddley and Conway Twitty. At age 17 he was invited to join The Hawks, backing rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins. Soon after Helm joined The Hawks, they moved to Toronto where, in 1959, they signed with Roulette Records and released several singles, including a few hits.
In the early 1960s Helm and Hawkins recruited an all-Canadian lineup of musicians: guitarist Robbie Robertson, bassist Rick Danko, pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson. In 1963, the band parted ways with Hawkins and started touring under the name Levon and The Hawks and later to the Canadian Squires before finally changing back to The Hawks. They recorded two singles, but found little success.
The Band
By the mid 1960s, Bob Dylan was interested in performing electric rock music, and asked The Hawks to be his backing band. Disheartened by fans' negative response to Dylan's new sound, Helm returned to Arkansas for what turned out to be a two-year layoff, being replaced by Mickey Jones. During his absence, The Hawks had taken up residence in Woodstock, New York and began writing their own songs; Danko and Manuel also shared writing credits with Dylan on a few songs. Here they recorded a large volume of demo tapes, many with fellow Woodstock resident Dylan (who had completely withdrawn from public life the previous year). These recordings were widely bootlegged, and the best tracks were officially released only in 1975 as The Basement Tapes double album. The songs and themes developed during this period played a crucial role in the group's future direction and style.
In 1967 Helm returned to the group, which by then was christened simply as The Band. They recorded Music From Big Pink, which catapulted them into stardom. On Big Pink, Manuel was the most prominent vocalist and Helm sang mainly backup, with the outstanding exception of "The Weight," but as Manuel's health deteriorated and Robertson's songwriting increasingly looked south for influence and direction, subsequent albums relied more and more on Helm's growling but eerily plaintive vocals (alone or in harmony with Danko), both enriched by and anchored in lush Southern texture. Singing lead, Helm brought out common elements in folk and blues vocal styles, often assuming the character of a kind of mythical Southern everyman, who witnesses bewildering events and reacts to them with wonder and rage. Helm played drums for perhaps 85% of The Band's songs, including most of those for which he sang lead. But the entire group was multi-instrumental, and often Helm would be found performing on mandolin or 12-string rhythm guitar when Manuel played drums, and bass when Danko played fiddle.
Helm remained with The Band until their 1976 farewell performance, The Last Waltz, which was recorded in a documentary film by Martin Scorsese. Although many now know Helm through his appearance in the concert film – a performance remarkable for the fact that Helm's vocal tracks appear substantially as he sang them during a grueling concert – he repudiated his involvement with the film shortly after the final scenes were shot and, in his autobiography, offers scathing criticisms of the film and of his former bandmate, Robertson, who produced the film.
As solo artist, The Band reunited
With the breakup of The Band in its original form, Helm began working on a solo album Levon Helm & the RCO All-Stars, which was followed soon thereafter by Levon Helm. He recorded solo albums in 1980 and 1982 entitled American Son and (once again) Levon Helm. Helm also participated in Paul Kennerley's 1980 country music concept album, The Legend of Jesse James, singing the role of Jesse James alongside Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris and Albert Lee.
In 1983, The Band reunited without Robbie Robertson, but then Manuel committed suicide while on tour in 1986. Helm, Danko and Hudson continued in The Band, releasing the album Jericho in 1993 and High on the Hog in 1996. The final album from The Band was the 30th anniversary album, Jubilation, released in 1998.
His most recent solo albums, Dirt Farmer, was released in 2007 to favorable reviews and followed in 2009 with an album entitled "Electric Dirt", which included a cover of the Grateful Dead song Tennessee Jed.
Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer in 1998. On April 19, 2012, Helm died of throat cancer complications in New York City.
A Fool In Love
Levon Helm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't somebody please, please tell me what's wrong
You're just a fool, you know you're in love
You've got to face it to live in this world
You take the good along with the bad
Sometimes you're happy and sometimes you're sad
You know you love him, you can't understand
He's got me smilin' when I should be ashamed
Got me laughing when my heart is in pain
Oh no, I must be a fool
But I'll do anything you ask me to
You're just a fool, you know you're in love
You've got to face it to live in this world
You take the good along with the bad
Sometimes you're happy and sometimes you're sad
You know you love him, you can't understand
Why he treats you like he do when he's such a good man
Without my man I don't wanna live
You think I'm lying but I'm telling you like it is
He's got my nose open and that's no lie
And I, I'm gonna keep him satisfied
You're just a fool, you know you're in love
You've got to face it to live in this world
You take the good along with the bad
Sometimes you're happy and sometimes you're sad
You know you love him, you can't understand
Why he treats you like he do when he's such a good man
A wave of action speaks louder than words
The truest thing that I ever heard
I trust my man and all that he do
And I, and I'll do anything he wants me to do
You're just a fool, you know you're in love
You've got to face it to live in this world
You take the good along with the bad
Sometimes you're happy and sometimes you're sad
You know you love him, you can't understand
Why he treats you like he do when he's such a good man
" A Fool in Love" by Levon Helm is a soulful love song that explores the complexities of being in love. The singer is admitting that they are a fool for being in love because they know they are not in control of their feelings. The song opens with the singer admitting that there is something on their mind, and they ask for help to find out what's wrong. The chorus repeats the message that the singer is a fool for being in love, but they must face it to live in this world.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on the highs and lows of loving someone. They put up with the bad alongside the good and accept the fact that they will experience both happiness and sadness in their relationship. Even when they cannot comprehend why the good man they love treats them poorly, they persist in their love. The singer admits that their partner has them "smiling when [they] should be ashamed" and "[laughing] when [their] heart is in pain." Despite this, they will "do anything [their partner] asks [them] to do" because they cannot live without them.
Overall, "A Fool in Love" is a beautiful tribute to love's power and the complexity of emotions that come with it. It is a reminder that love can be both joyous and painful, but in the end, it is still worth it.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa...There's something on my mind
I have something troubling me that I need to talk about.
Won't somebody please, please tell me what's wrong
I need someone to help me understand what is upsetting me.
You're just a fool, you know you're in love
You are blinded by love and don't see things clearly.
You've got to face it to live in this world
You need to accept the good and bad of love to survive in this world.
You take the good along with the bad
Love can be both joyful and painful.
Sometimes you're happy and sometimes you're sad
Love can bring both joy and sorrow.
You know you love him, you can't understand
You are aware of your love for him but can't comprehend his behavior towards you.
Why he treats you like he do when he's such a good man
You are confused by his actions since he is otherwise a good person.
He's got me smilin' when I should be ashamed
His actions have made you happy even when you feel like you shouldn't be.
Got me laughing when my heart is in pain
He can make you forget your pain and bring laughter even when you are hurting inside.
Oh no, I must be a fool
You acknowledge that you may be foolish for loving him.
But I'll do anything you ask me to
You are willing to do whatever it takes to please him.
Without my man I don't wanna live
You feel you cannot live without him.
You think I'm lying but I'm telling you like it is
You are being truthful about your feelings for him.
He's got my nose open and that's no lie
He has captivated you and you are deeply in love.
And I, I'm gonna keep him satisfied
You want to keep him happy and satisfied in the relationship.
A wave of action speaks louder than words
Actions are more significant than words.
The truest thing that I ever heard
This is the most truthful thing you have ever heard.
I trust my man and all that he do
You trust him and his actions.
And I, and I'll do anything he wants me to do
You are willing to do whatever he asks of you.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, O/B/O CAPASSO
Written by: IKE TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind