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.
Testimony
Robbie Robertson Lyrics
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You can hear his music if you listen to the wind (blow)
I want to be there, I want to be right there
Bear witness, I'm wailing like the wind
Come bear witness, the half-breed rides again
In these hands, I've held the broken dream
In my soul, I'm howling at the moon
Testimony, testimony
Declare yourself, I will testify
Testimony, testimony
Speak the truth, I will testify
I had a revelation like runaway horses
Took to the road with a carnival show (roll on)
Those golden days on Smokey Mountain
Playing guitar in a one man band
Bear witness, I'm howling at the moon
Come bear witness, I've danced among the ruins
In these shoes, I've walked a crooked mile
All my life I been searching for the nightbird
Testimony, testimony
Declare yourself, I will testify
Testimony, testimony
Speak the truth, I will testify
Are you ready to take the heat
Are you ready to blow the steam
Are you ready to bag the street
You got nothing to lose, but your chains
For forty days and forty nights
I come across the desert
Apollo right by my side (rave on)
Bear witness, I'm wailing like the wind
Come bear witness, the half-breed rides again
In these hands, I've held the broken dream
In my soul, I'm howling at the moon
Testimony, testimony
Declare yourself, I will testify
Testimony, testimony
Speak the truth, I will testify
The lyrics of this song by Robbie Robertson is about a man who is searching for his identity, a place to belong, and his purpose in life. The first stanza opens up with a view of Apollo at a distance and how his music can be heard through the wind. This possibly alludes to the dream and aspirations of the singer, wanting to be near the god of music and creativity. He then proceeds to wail like the wind and calls for someone to bear witness, declaring who he is and what he stands for. The line "In my soul, I'm howling at the moon" emphasizes his emotional and mental state of feeling lost and trapped.
In the second stanza, the song expresses the singer’s past and some of his experiences. He had a "revelation like runaway horses" which made him take to the road with a carnival show, where he played guitar in a one-man band. The chorus is repeated twice more in the song, where he calls for his listeners to testify, speaking the truth of their own experiences. The bridge of the song, "Are you ready to take the heat, Are you ready to blow the steam, Are you ready to bag the street, You got nothing to lose, but your chains," could be interpreted as a call to action for those who are listening, a challenge to break free from their struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Look over yonder, Apollo at a distance
I see the Greek god Apollo in the horizon
You can hear his music if you listen to the wind (blow)
You can hear his mythical music if you pay attention to the sound of the wind
I want to be there, I want to be right there
I wish I were closer to the music of Apollo
Bear witness, I'm wailing like the wind
Witness me express myself freely, like the wind
Come bear witness, the half-breed rides again
Come observe and recognize the talents of a mixed-race individual
In these hands, I've held the broken dream
I once had a shattered aspiration
In my soul, I'm howling at the moon
My emotions are so strong, they could be compared to a person screaming at the moon
Testimony, testimony
I will tell you what I have experienced
Declare yourself, I will testify
If you reveal yourself, I will share my own experiences with you
Speak the truth, I will testify
Be honest, and I will tell the truth about what I've seen
I had a revelation like runaway horses
I experienced an eye-opening moment that was like uncontrollable and speeding horses
Took to the road with a carnival show (roll on)
I traveled along with a traveling circus attraction
Those golden days on Smokey Mountain
The joyous days of my life spent on Smokey Mountain
Playing guitar in a one man band
I played guitar while performing alone
Come bear witness, I've danced among the ruins
Observe me dance amongst wreckage and decay
In these shoes, I've walked a crooked mile
I've walked a difficult path in my lifetime
All my life I been searching for the nightbird
My entire life has been dedicated to finding what I'm looking for
Are you ready to take the heat
Are you ready to handle the pressure?
Are you ready to blow the steam
Are you ready to release the stress?
Are you ready to bag the street
Are you prepared to conquer the challenge?
You got nothing to lose, but your chains
You have nothing to lose, except for the things that bind and restrict you
For forty days and forty nights
For a long duration of time
I come across the desert
I traveled across a desert landscape
Apollo right by my side (rave on)
I felt support from the mythical god, while raving on
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBBIE ROBERTSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind