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.
Sweet Romance
Rick Danko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I watched from the dark
As you crossed through the park
Coming closer to me
Those brief moments return of the day we first met
The time we shared with that special care
Free from all jealousy
There must be a distant place
Tears won't fall by chance
On this sweet romance ...
Where the light of the moon, and the lay of the land
Brightened the way of so many nights
Helping us understand
The line that we crossed, to climb those hills
Gave us the strength to never fear
The hurting talk folks want to hear
There must be a different place
Far from every wrong face
Tears won't fall by chance
On this sweet romance ...
When they hear, of our last goodbye
They'll have to seek another dream to surprise
With desperate lies
As we parade, far from these streets
We'll be side by side, livin life in pride
With love's lullabye
There must be a distant place
Far from every wrong face
Tears won't fall by chance
On this sweet romance ...
In Rick Danko's song "Sweet Romance," the lyrics evoke the feeling of nostalgic longing for a past love. The singer remembers a specific moment when they first met their love interest under a willow tree in a park, recalling the "special care" they shared with each other free from any hint of jealousy. The lyrics then shift to celebrating the strength and understanding they gained as a couple over many nights together, feeling empowered to withstand any criticism or negativity from others.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea that there must be a "different place" where there is no space for judgment or tears, a place where their sweet romance can thrive without interruption. The final verse anticipates the pain of the eventual goodbye, but asserts the couple's commitment to each other in the face of adversity. The lyrics paint a picture of a love that has been tested and has grown stronger, but is ultimately tender and fragile in its bittersweetness.
Line by Line Meaning
Alone in the shadows, of a willow tree
I was standing in the shadow of a willow tree all by myself.
I watched from the dark
I observed from the darkness.
As you crossed through the park
As you walked through the park.
Coming closer to me
Moving nearer to me.
Those brief moments return of the day we first met
I remembered the fleeting seconds of the day we initially met.
The time we shared with that special care
The period we spent with tender loving attention.
Free from all jealousy
Devoid of any partiality or envy.
There must be a distant place
There has to be a far-off location.
Far from every wrong face
Apart from everyone who is unkind or deceitful.
Tears won't fall by chance
We won't cry fortuitously.
On this sweet romance ...
In this delightful love story...
Where the light of the moon, and the lay of the land
Where the moon's radiance and the land's contours...
Brightened the way of so many nights
Illuminated numerous nights.
Helping us understand
Aiding us in comprehending.
The line that we crossed, to climb those hills
The obstacle that crossed our path as we scaled those hills.
Gave us the strength to never fear
Allowed us to be unafraid.
The hurting talk folks want to hear
The painful dialogue people crave to listen to.
When they hear, of our last goodbye
When they become aware of our final farewell.
They'll have to seek another dream to surprise
They'll need to look for a different vision that can astound them.
With desperate lies
With frantic falsehoods.
As we parade, far from these streets
As we march, away from these roads.
We'll be side by side, livin life in pride
We will be together, living with self-respect.
With love's lullabye
Accompanied by love's soothing song.
There must be a distant place
There has to be a far-off location.
Far from every wrong face
Apart from everyone who is unkind or deceitful.
Tears won't fall by chance
We won't cry fortuitously.
On this sweet romance ...
In this delightful love story...
Contributed by Zachary V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kurt Zwar
Beautiful Rick Danko. What a gorgeous, emotionally authentic voice. Listen closely to each note. How he slides into and compresses notes to carry you straight to Rick's heart. There is no voice like Rick Danko's. It is one for the ages. A voice to tell the whole story. Rick's voice, like Dylan's words transcend all to hear how things can be. "Must be a distant place". Thanks so much Rick. God Bless and RIP.
M Ratliff
He just reaches in and rips your heart out. Love you Rick!
Gallo Landia TV
Que bien que canta y toca Rick. Este es un gran video.
steve conn
Rick was the soul of The Band.
Mitchell Brozinsky
I just love how he moved those songs. Thanks Rick.
winterlude100
Wow this is amazing-I was just tubing trying to find the songs from the album (which is not on iTunes), and I found you! Great quality! More Rick was DEFINITELY needed! Such a loss to everyone-his songs make me smile and cry all at once lol! Thanks so much for sharing!
Jeff Sartain
Viva the memory and music of Rick Dango!🥲
Kevin Harkens
Good luck finding this record. I hope everyone can find it after a fitting bit of difficulty. Twas pearls before swine like so many overlooked great offerings.
SingleMalt77005
Rick co-wrote this with Emmett Grogan, founder of the Diggers and author of the book "Rigolevio" (and to whom Bob Dylan dedicated his "Street Legal" album).