The members of The Band first worked together as The Hawks, the backing band of rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins from 1959 until 1963. Afterwards, Bob Dylan recruited the quintet for his history-making 1965/1966 world tour and they joined him on the informal recordings that became the acclaimed Basement Tapes.
Dubbed "The Band" by their peers, the group left the comfort of their communal home in Saugerties, NY to begin recording as a group unto themselves. The Band recorded two of the most important albums of the late 1960s: their 1968 debut Music from Big Pink (featuring the hit single "The Weight") and 1969's The Band. These critically praised albums helped conceive country rock as something more than a genre, but rather as a celebration of "Americana." As such, throughout their career they would repopularize traditional American musical forms during the psychedelic era. The Band dissolved in 1976; Martin Scorcese's landmark concert film "The Last Waltz" documented their final performance. They reformed in 1983 without founding guitarist and main songwriter Robbie Robertson.
Although always more popular with music journalists and fellow musicians than the general public, The Band has remained an admired and influential group. They have been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Their music fused many elements: primarily old country music and early rock and roll, though the rhythm section often had a bouncy, funky punch reminiscent of Stax or Motown, and Robertson cites Curtis Mayfield and the Staple Singers as major influences. At its best, however, The Band's music was an organic synthesis of many musical genres which became more than the sum of its parts. The group's songwriting was also remarkable as, unlike much earlier rock and roll, and following upon the example set previously by The Byrds, very few of their early compositions were based on conventional blues and doo-wop chord changes.
The Band comprised Robbie Robertson (guitar); Richard Manuel (piano, harmonica, drums, saxophone); Garth Hudson (organ, piano, clavinet, accordion, synthesizer, saxophone); Rick Danko (bass guitar, violin, trombone); and Levon Helm (drums, mandolin, guitar, bass guitar) Excepting Robertson, all were multi-instrumentalists; each person's primary instrument is listed first. There was little instrument-switching when they played live, but when recording, the musicians could offer all manner of subtle aural colors and textures to enhance songs. Hudson in particular was able to coax an impressive range of timbres from his Lowrey electronic organ; on the choruses of "Tears of Rage", for example, it sounds startlingly like a mellotron. Helm's drumming was rarely flashy, but he was often praised for his subtlety and funkiness. Critic Jon Carroll famously declared that Helm was "the only drummer who can make you cry," while prolific session drummer Jim Keltner admits to appropriating several of Helm's techniques.
Singers Manuel, Danko, and Helm each brought a distinctive voice to The Band: Helm's gritty, southern voice had more than a hint of country, Danko sang in a soaring, unfettered tenor, and Manuel alternated between fragile falsetto and a wounded baritone. The singers regularly blended in unorthodox, but uncommonly effective harmonies. Though the singing was more or less evenly shared between the three men, both Danko and Helm have stated that they saw Manuel as the Band's "lead" singer.
Robertson was the unit's chief songwriter (though he sang lead vocals on only three or four songs in The Band's career). This role, and Robertson's resulting claim to the copyright of most of the compositions, would become a point of much antipathy between the group's members, especially between Robertson and Helm.
Producer John Simon is cited as a "sixth member" of The Band for producing and playing on Music from Big Pink, co-producing and playing on The Band, and playing on other songs up through The Band's 1993 reunion album Jericho.
On 10 December 1999 is when Rick Danko died in his sleep at age 56. He had been a long-time drug user. In 1997 he had been found guilty of trying to smuggle heroin into Japan. He told the presiding judge that he had begun using the drug (together with prescription morphine) to fight life-long pain resulting from a 1968 auto accident. No drugs were found in his system at the time of his death. Following the death of Rick Danko, The Band broke up for good.
Levon Helm died on 19 April 2012 from complications of throat cancer.
Amazon
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I sold my old rotten shack
For a rusty tanker leaking oil
And the burning sun was on my back
Traveled up the ragin' river
I watched the jungle burn
And in the reddenin' twilight
I wondered would I ever return
Ridin' on a river of dreams broken dreams
I'm ridin' on a river of dreams
Amazon, Amazon is it heaven or hell?
Amazon an eagle flew above us
I felt the breezes blow
Fish with teeth like ivory, waited down below
On shore they cut and hammered
And fenced them in with wire
While ancient fires in the jungle
Burned our souls like fire
Ridin' on a river of dreams
Somebody's dreams
I'm ridin' on a river of dreams
Amazon, Amazon is it Heaven or hell?
Amazon
What kind of creature's gonna rise
Up from these ashes? What's gonna fly in the
Moonlight feathers aglow?
What kind of rain could come
In from these sorrows?
Nobody knows, nobody knows
At dawn we crossed the rapids
A place where few men go
I felt the desolation
Where nothing seemed to grow
When I got my wages, I hung my head and cried
I could not stop these visions
That swept in like the tide
Ridin' on a river of dreams broken dreams
I'm ridin' on a river of dreams
Amazon, Amazon is it Heaven or hell?
Amazon oh, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon
The Band's "Amazon" is a song about the experiences of someone who has gone to the Amazon River for work, leaving behind a poor life to make a better living. The song describes an arduous journey up the river to a place where the jungle is being destroyed to make space for human activity. The singer wistfully wonders if he would ever make it back to his old life. The song also touches upon the environmental impact of human activity on the Amazon Rainforest, as well as the uncertainty of what lies ahead for both the creatures that inhabit the jungle and humans living and working there.
The lyrics of "Amazon" paint a vivid picture of the beauty and harshness of the Amazon River and the surrounding jungle, as well as the impact of human activity on the environment. The song explores themes such as progress, loss, and the interconnectedness of all things. It is a poignant reflection on the consequences of human actions, and a call to consider the impact of our actions on the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
I went on the river for money, I sold my old rotten shack
I went down the river to earn some money - I had to sell my old and dilapidated house to do this
For a rusty tanker leaking oil, and the burning sun was on my back
In exchange for the old house, I got a rusty tanker that was leaking oil and I had to endure the blazing sun
Traveled up the ragin' river, I watched the jungle burn
We journeyed against the fierce current of the river and while doing so, we saw the destruction of the jungle
And in the reddenin' twilight, I wondered would I ever return.
After a long day, I watched the sunset and pondered if I'd ever make it back home
An eagle flew above us, I felt the breezes blow.
Amidst our journey, an eagle flew above us and I felt the cool breeze blowing
Fish with teeth like ivory, waited down below.
There were ferocious fish under the water with teeth that resembled ivory
On shore they cut and hammered, and fenced them in with wire.
On the shore, people were using tools to cut and hammer, and they were building fences with wire
While ancient fires in the jungle, burned our souls like fire.
Although there were ancient and terrible forest fires, they burned more than just the jungle - they also burned our spirits and souls
What kind of creature's gonna rise up from these ashes?
What new creature or life will emerge from the aftermath of the jungle wildfires?
What's gonna fly in the moonlight feathers aglow?
What kind of bird or creature that glows will be seen flying in the moonlight?
What kind of rain could come in from these sorrows?
What kind of rain or relief could come from all of this emotional pain and sadness?
Nobody knows, nobody knows.
There is no way to know for sure
At dawn we crossed the rapids, a place where few men go.
We made it through the treacherous rapids at dawn, which only a few brave souls attempt to cross.
I felt the desolation, where nothing seemed to grow.
I experienced the loneliness and emptiness of a place where nothing seemed to thrive.
When I got my wages, I hung my head and cried.
When I finally received my pay, I felt so defeated and hopeless that I hung my head and cried.
I could not stop these visions, that swept in like the tide.
I couldn't help but see vivid and haunting visions that came in like an unstoppable tide.
Oh, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon, Amazon.
The repeated mention of the Amazon reflects the emotional and environmental impact it has on people and the world.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Artie Traum
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tearloch
Such a beautifully haunting song .. this song needs to be not only listened to, it needs to be felt and understood .. thank you for sharing .. a standing tribute to a wonderfully troubled artist .. RIP Rick.
John Welch
This song, Rick Danko's singing, and the Band's playing: goes right through my heart.
Steven Ashe
No one calls it quite like Rick Danko. God bless him.
Bonnie Forman
thank you .... for this .
mikelisacarb
The horrible things that we continue to do to the natural wonders of our world!
CSG
A place where few men go