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.
Georgia On My Mind
The Band Lyrics
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There's that old sweet song that keeps you, Georgia, on my mind
Oh Georgia, mmm Georgia, the song of you
Comes as sweet and clear just like moonlight through the pines
Other arms reach out for me
And other eyes have smiles tenderly
That the road, the road leads back to you
Oh hey Georgia, ooh Georgia, no peace, no peace I find
And there's still this old sweet song that keeps you, Georgia, on my mind
There's that old sweet song that keeps you, Georgia, on my mind
That keeps you, Georgia, on my mind
The song "Georgia On My Mind" by The Band is a heartfelt ballad of longing for the state of Georgia. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery of the state, from the sweet song that keeps playing in the singer's head to the moonlight shining through the pines. The song speaks to the unbreakable connection that the singer feels towards Georgia, despite being far away and amidst other temptations. The singer dreams of returning to Georgia and being embraced by its familiar sights and sounds.
The song is also tinged with melancholy, as the singer admits to feeling a lack of peace without Georgia. The presence of other arms and eyes is mentioned, but the longing for Georgia remains strong. Through the repetition of the sweet song that keeps playing in his mind, the singer creates a sense of loyalty and devotion to Georgia that cannot be broken.
Line by Line Meaning
Georgia, mmm Georgia, the whole day through
Georgia is on my mind all day long
There's that old sweet song that keeps you, Georgia, on my mind
The memory of old sweet memories in Georgia keeps reminding me of it
Oh Georgia, mmm Georgia, the song of you
The essence of Georgia is present in every song that exists out there
Comes as sweet and clear just like moonlight through the pines
The sweet and clear songs about Georgia are reminiscent of the beauty of moonlight shining through the trees
Other arms reach out for me
There are other people who want my attention
And other eyes have smiles tenderly
There are other friendly faces that make me feel happy and welcomed
But still in peaceful dreams I see
Even in my peaceful dreams, Georgia still appears in my mind
That the road, the road leads back to you
No matter where I go or what I do, I eventually end up thinking about Georgia
Oh hey Georgia, ooh Georgia, no peace, no peace I find
Georgia is always present in my thoughts and memories, and I can't find peace of mind
And there's still this old sweet song that keeps you, Georgia, on my mind
The old sweet song about Georgia keeps on playing inside me, making it impossible to forget about it
That keeps you, Georgia, on my mind
Georgia is always on my mind, and nothing can change that
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Stuart Gorell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind