At the age of 14 (1957) Danko booked himself as an opening act for ronnie hawkins, & his band The Hawks. Hawkins asked Danko to join his band as a rythym guitarist, though later he would have Danko learn the bass, and by 1960 was Hawkins' bassist.
Around 1963 The Hawks broke away from Hawkins and the members (including Danko) would go on to continue as the Levon Helm Sextet (later renamed to The Canadian Squires and Levon and the Hawks).
In 1965, Bob Dylan recruited Levon and the Hawks to accompany him on his 1965/66 wold tour. However, Levon Helm chose not to tour with Dylan and was replaced on the tour by drummer Mickey Jones. In 1968, Danko and The Hawks, who had moved to Woodstock, where they began to be referred to as simply "the band," began recording with Dylan in the basement of a big pink house that Danko had rented (and which would soon become famous on its on as "Big Pink"). With Levon Helm back in the fold, they also released their first demo, allowing them to secure a record deal with Capitol Records. Working over the next few months, the five-piece band recorded what would become their debut album, Music From Big Pink. At this time, the group more or less officially changed their name from The Hawks to The Band, this time with a capital "B." Shortly after the album was released, Danko was seriously injured in a car crash, breaking his neck and back in nine places. Though he was laid up in traction for many weeks, he recovered and worked with The Band until 1976, when the group did their final concert at San Francisco's Winterland. The film of the concert, directed by Martin Scorsese, was released as "The Last Waltz" in 1978.
Danko would go on to record solo work on Arista Records, releasing his first solo work in 1977 (his self-titled debut). In the early 1990s, Danko teamed with Jonas Fjeld and Eric Andersen and three albums were released, Danko/Fjeld/Andersen in 1991, Ridin' on the Blinds in 1994, and One More Shot in 2001. Danko released a live album in 1997 (Rick Danko in Concert), and, in 1999, he released Live on Breeze Hill, which featured a new studio version of his much-loved song, "Sip the Wine" (the original version was on his first studio album) and was already working on material for his next work called Times Like These. On December 10, 1999, Danko's heart gave out and he passed away in his sleep. Times Like These was released posthumously the following year.
Sick And Tired
Rick Danko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
Wake up in the mornin' fix you somethin' to eat,
'fore I go to work I even brush your teeth
Get home in the evenin' and you're still in bed
Got yourself a rag tied 'round you're head.
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
I'm tellin' you baby you'd better change your ways
I'm tellin' you baby I mean what I say
Last time tellin you to stop that jive
Gonna find yourself outside
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
Last time tellin' you baby you'd better change your ways
Last time tellin' you baby I mean what I say
Last time tellin you to stop that jive
Gonna find yourself outside
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
The song "Sick and Tired" by Rick Danko is about a man who is fed up with his love interest's behavior and is warning her to change or face the consequences. Throughout the song, the singer describes how he takes care of her and provides for her, but she doesn't reciprocate his efforts. She sleeps all day while he's at work and shows no motivation to improve her life. He warns her that this is the last time he'll tell her to change and if she doesn't, he'll kick her out.
The repetition of the phrase "Oh baby, whatcha gonna do" at the beginning of each verse emphasizes the singer's frustration and his plea for his love interest to take responsibility for her actions. The fact that he brushes her teeth for her shows his dedication to taking care of her but also highlights her lack of effort. The rag tied around her head could suggest that she's suffering from a hangover, further demonstrating her unwillingness to take responsibility. Lastly, the final warning in the song is repeated twice, emphasizing the singer's seriousness and showing that he's at the end of his rope.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of exasperation and disappointment with someone who isn't living up to their potential and is instead acting as a burden. It's a warning and a plea for change before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
Asking the listener what actions they will take to improve their behavior
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
Reiterating the question about what actions the listener will take
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
Expressing frustration and dissatisfaction with the listener's behavior
Wake up in the mornin' fix you somethin' to eat,
Describing the artist's daily routine of taking care of the listener's basic needs
'fore I go to work I even brush your teeth
Further emphasizing the artist's role as caregiver to the listener
Get home in the evenin' and you're still in bed
Expressing disappointment that the listener is not productive or motivated
Got yourself a rag tied 'round you're head.
Painting a picture of the listener's lazy and unkempt appearance
I'm tellin' you baby you'd better change your ways
Warning the listener that their behavior must improve
I'm tellin' you baby I mean what I say
Emphasizing the seriousness of the artist's words
Last time tellin you to stop that jive
This is the final warning to change the problematic behavior
Gonna find yourself outside
Threatening to end the relationship if the listener doesn't improve
Oh baby, whatcha gonna do
Repeating the initial question as a reminder of the listener's responsibility
I'm sick and tired of foolin' around with you
Reiterating the singer's frustration and dissatisfaction with the listener's behavior
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: FRANCIS DOMINIC NICHOLAS ROSSI, RICHARD JOHN PARFITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind