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.
Wheels On Fire
Rick Danko Lyrics
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We were going to meet again and wait
So I'm going to unpack all my things
And sit before it gets too late
No man alive will come to you
With another tale to tell
But you know that we shall meet again
If your memory serves you well
This wheel's on fire
Rolling down the road
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode!
If your memory serves you well
I was going to confiscate your lace
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot
And hide it in your case
If I knew for sure that it was yours
But it was oh so hard to tell
But you knew that we would meet again
If your memory serves you well
This wheel's on fire
Rolling down the road
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode!
If your memory serves you well
You'll remember you're the one
That called on me to call on them
To get you your favors done
And after ev'ry plan had failed
And there was nothing more to tell
You knew that we would meet again
If your memory served you well
This wheel's on fire
Rolling down the road
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode!
In the song "This Wheel" by Rick Danko, the lyrics are conveying a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for someone who was supposed to be met again. The song reflects a sense of anticipation and preparation for a meeting, which may or may not happen. The lyrics are cryptic, and the meaning is not explicitly stated. The singer is unpacking their things and waiting for the one that they were supposed to meet again. The song speaks of a person who trusts their memory and has faith that they will meet again.
The chorus of the song "This Wheel's on Fire" offers an ominous warning that this situation is precarious, and there is a possibility that everything will not turn out correctly. The riddle-like lyrics of "This Wheel's on Fire" ask the listener to envision a burning wheel rolling down the road, which is a metaphor for the danger that one is in when they embark on a journey.
Overall, the song "This Wheel" is a meditation on the fragile nature of relationships and memory. While one can hope and prepare for the eventual reunion or reconciliation, there is no guarantee that it will be successful. The lyrics suggest that the singer is taking a leap of faith that their memory will serve them, and that they will meet again.
Line by Line Meaning
If your memory serves you well
If you can remember clearly
We were going to meet again and wait
We had a plan to see each other again and be patient
So I'm going to unpack all my things
I'm going to settle down and make myself at home
And sit before it gets too late
And take a moment to rest before it gets too dark
No man alive will come to you
No one can save you
With another tale to tell
With a new story or excuse
But you know that we shall meet again
But you know we will see each other again
If your memory serves you well
If you can remember clearly
This wheel's on fire
This situation is out of control and dangerous
Rolling down the road
Moving forward quickly and unstoppably
Best notify my next of kin
Best tell my family in case something happens
This wheel shall explode!
This situation will end violently or disastrously
I was going to confiscate your lace
I was planning to take your belongings
And wrap it up in a sailor's knot
And tie it up tightly
And hide it in your case
And put it somewhere you wouldn't find it
If I knew for sure that it was yours
If I was certain that it belonged to you
But it was oh so hard to tell
But it was difficult to determine
You knew that we would meet again
You knew we would see each other again
If your memory serves you well
If you can remember clearly
You'll remember you're the one
You'll recall that you were the person
That called on me to call on them
Who asked me to ask others for help
To get you your favors done
To do things for you
And after ev'ry plan had failed
And after everything else had not worked
And there was nothing more to tell
And there was nothing left to say or do
You knew that we would meet again
You knew we would see each other again
If your memory served you well
If you can remember clearly
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Richard Danko, Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alain Jordan
working with these guys during the good, the bad and ugly, i will never forget them.
Machteld Uyttersprot
alleen al de intro geeft me kippevel! Prachtige cd trouwens!
troythemac
what a beautiful song
WESLEY STOUT
My favorite version ! sorry Bob !
Derri0
Only Garth and Robbie left now :( RIP Levon and RIP Rick.
kevin joseph
@Willem Aartman rick bell
Willem Aartman
And Richard RIP