Robertson's work with the Band was instrumental in creating the Americana music genre. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Music Hall of Fame as a member of the Band, and into Canada's Walk of Fame, with the Band and on his own. He is ranked 59th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest guitarists. He wrote "The Weight", "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", and "Up on Cripple Creek" with the Band and had solo hits with "Broken Arrow" and "Somewhere Down the Crazy River", and many others. He was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Songwriters.
Robertson collaborated on film and TV soundtracks, usually with director Martin Scorsese, beginning in the rockumentary film The Last Waltz (1978) and continuing through dramatic films including Raging Bull (1980), The King of Comedy (1983), Casino (1995), Gangs of New York (2002), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Silence (2016), The Irishman (2019), and Killers of the Flower Moon (2023).
Robbie Robertson died in Los Angeles on August 9, 2023, at the age of 80, after a year-long battle with prostate cancer.
Night Parade
Robbie Robertson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The waves of people in Chinatown
Can't get behind this mystery
Do you believe everything you see
Just a shadow in the streetlight
Just a shadow on the wall
A silhouette, face in the darkness
We'll go marching in the night parade
We'll be marching in the night parade
I combed the streets like cloak and dagger
I put the word out on the waterfront
We were living hard, living fast
Outrunning ghosts from the past
Just a shadow in the moonlight
Just a shadow on the wall
A silhouette, the kiss of death
Did somebody take the fall
We'll go marching in the night parade
We'll be marching in the night parade
Mary, Mary, Mary I'm knocking on your door
Mary, Mary sanctuary can't see you no more
From out of the past a stranger came
And carried you away
I stood on the corner, the scene of the crime
And I could hear her say
We'll be marching in the night parade
We'll be marching (marching) in the night parade
We'll go marching (marching) in the night parade
We'll go marching (marching) in the night parade
In the night parade
All y'all living in a street opera
Are we just living in a street opera
We'll be marching in the night parade
And we'll be marching (marching out here) in the night parade
(In the night parade)
Walking the night beat
The rhythm of the street
Walkin to the heartbeat of the city
Walking the night beat
The rhythm of the street
Moving to the heartbeat of the city (Moving to the heartbeat of the city)
We'll be marching in the night parade
The lyrics of Robbie Robertson's "Night Parade" describe a mysterious and intriguing scene in Chinatown where the singer seems to be searching for someone. He describes the waves of people that he is lost in and the feeling that he can't really get to the bottom of what's going on, leaving him to question whether he believes everything he sees. The theme of shadows is woven throughout the song, highlighting the sense of elusiveness and the search for answers - the shadow in the streetlight, the silhouette against the darkness of the wall, the kiss of death in the form of a shadow, and the shadow that carries someone away. The chorus repeatedly references the idea of marching in the night parade, further emphasizing the sense of intrigue and the idea that there's something happening just out of reach.
As the song progresses, the theme of searching and fear weave together, as the singer combs the streets and puts the word out on the waterfront, all while living hard and fast and outrunning ghosts from the past. The reference to Mary and the stranger who carried her away adds yet another layer of mystery to the song, as the singer stands on the scene of the crime and listens to Mary's voice in his head.
The song takes on a more reflective tone towards the end as the chorus repeats and the idea of the street opera comes into play. The lyrics suggest that perhaps all of our lives are a kind of street opera, with hidden dramas playing out just out of sight.
Line by Line Meaning
You got lost in the crowd
You became separated from the group of people in a sea of humanity
The waves of people in Chinatown
The crowds of people moving in the streets of the Chinatown area
Can't get behind this mystery
Unable to understand or comprehend the situation at hand
Do you believe everything you see
Questioning whether one is placing too much trust in their own perceptions and interpretations of events
Just a shadow in the streetlight
A barely-visible figure in the light from a lamp post, unable to be clearly seen
Just a shadow on the wall
A diffuse image on the wall that doesn't provide a clear idea of the original subject
A silhouette, face in the darkness
An figure with only its outline visible, its details hidden by the dim lighting
I've been waiting for your call
Anticipating contact from someone, perhaps to hear about a specific event or to gain news about a person's condition
We'll go marching in the night parade
Joining with others to walk down the streets during a nocturnal procession
I combed the streets like cloak and dagger
Searching through the area for clues and hints like a spy on a secret objective
I put the word out on the waterfront
Making inquiries among people in the port area, perhaps with the aim of locating someone or gathering information
We were living hard, living fast
Living life at a fast pace, perhaps taking risks or engaging in dangerous activities
Outrunning ghosts from the past
Trying to distance oneself from memories or people from a previous chapter of life, staying ahead of bad memories and regrets
A silhouette, the kiss of death
A nearly invisible figure, that has connotations of being related to death, perhaps some sort of bad omen
Did somebody take the fall
Wondering if someone took the blame or responsibility for the events in question
Mary, Mary, Mary I'm knocking on your door
Repeatedly calling out to Mary, indicating some sort of urgent matter or strong desire for a response
Mary, Mary sanctuary can't see you no more
Mary, the person sought after, has left their place of refuge and can no longer be found
From out of the past a stranger came
A stranger appearing from a distant or prior time period, perhaps bringing an element of danger or uncertainty
And carried you away
Taking someone out of their current situation, perhaps by force, abduction, or persuasion.
I stood on the corner, the scene of the crime
Standing at the place where the event that has caused the current situation occurred, perhaps looking for clues or seeking to understand what happened.
And I could hear her say
Referring to the voice of a woman who may be in distress or giving a message
All y'all living in a street opera
Referring to the group of people who are living the events of their lives as if it were a dramatic production
Are we just living in a street opera
Questioning whether one is part of the dramatic events occurring around them like an actor in a play
Walking the night beat
Patrolling the area in the night, whether as a security guard, police officer, or just strolling around
The rhythm of the street
Referring to the way the sounds and movement of the night-life creates a sort of musical rhythm or beat.
Walkin to the heartbeat of the city
Moving to the rhythm of the population of the nearby metropolis, as if in sync with the people and life of the area.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROBBIE ROBERTSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind