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.
I Shall Be Released
The Band Lyrics
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They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
They say every man needs protection
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall
I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
Now, yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
A man who swears he's not to blame
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed
I see my light come shining
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
The Band's song "I Shall Be Released" is a powerful and poignant expression of longing for freedom and an end to suffering. The opening lines, "They say everything can be replaced / They say every distance is not near / So I remember every face / Of every man who put me here," demonstrate the deep hurt that the singer has endured, as well as the persistence of memory in the face of hardship. The repetition of "They say" suggests that the singer is aware of the common wisdom surrounding loss and separation, but may not find solace in it.
The next verse speaks to the idea of protection, and how it can ultimately lead to destruction. "They say every man needs protection / They say that every man must fall / Yet I swear I see my reflection / Somewhere so high above this wall," the singer sings, emphasizing the contradictions and paradoxes of life. There is a hopefulness in the image of seeing oneself reflected higher than the wall that has confined them, but it is tinged with resignation and perhaps even despair.
The third verse brings in another voice - that of a man who insists he has been wrongfully incarcerated. He shouts and cries out for justice, but his voice is just one among many in a "lonely crowd." The final declaration of the chorus, that the singer shall be released "any day now," takes on an added significance in light of this. It becomes a rallying cry not just for the singer, but for all those who feel trapped or wronged.
Overall, "I Shall Be Released" is a moving testament to the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity, and a reminder that even when hope seems distant, it is never truly lost.
Line by Line Meaning
They say everything can be replaced
It is said that everything can be replaced and someone new can take over an old role.
They say every distance is not near
It is said that distance is not just measured physically, but can also be emotional or mental.
So I remember every face
Therefore, I recollect every single face that I have encountered in my life.
Of every man who put me here
Of all the men who played a role in my placement in this situation.
I see my light come shining
I can see a bright light representing hope and liberation shining within me.
From the west down to the east
The light is spreading from the west to the east, filling me up completely.
Any day now, any day now
There may be a breakthrough or an ending to my current state very soon.
I shall be released
I will finally be free from my predicament and be able to move on.
They say every man needs protection
It is believed that every man needs protection or a safe space to thrive.
They say that every man must fall
It is also believed that at some point, every man has to suffer adversity and fall.
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Despite this, I firmly believe that I can see a reflection of myself, either physically or metaphorically.
Somewhere so high above this wall
Somewhere beyond this obstacle or confinement that is preventing me from achieving my full potential.
Now, yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd
Over there stands an individual in this solitary multitude.
A man who swears he's not to blame
This man claims that he is guiltless and not responsible for his current state.
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Every day, I can hear him shouting loudly, attempting to prove his innocence.
Just crying out that he was framed
He is yelling out that he has been falsely accused or set up.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind