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.
Keep on Loving You
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hair's a mess but I don't care
No makeup on shining so bright
My old sweatshirt never fit so right
Dancing around to the radio
Humming the words that you don't know
Cross out finding an angel off my list
Thinking that it don't get no better than this
You make loving you easy
You make loving you all I wanna do
Every little smile, every single touch
Reminds me just how much it all makes
Loving you easy
Wrapped around me late at night
Pillow talk by candlelight
Gonna slow this down and make it last
The best things fly by so fast
You make loving you easy
You make loving you all I wanna do
Every little smile and every single touch
Reminds me just how much it all makes
Oh, I wanna say it again
You make loving you easy
You make loving you all I wanna do
Every little smile, every single touch
Reminds me just how much it all makes
Loving you easy, easy, easy
The lyrics to The Band's song "Loving You" speak to the blissful and effortless love the singer has for their partner. The song captures the simple joys and deep connection that can be found in a loving relationship. The singer describes their partner's morning appearance, with messy hair and no makeup, emphasizing that none of that matters because their love for them is unconditional. The image of the partner in an old sweatshirt that fits perfectly symbolizes the comfort and ease they feel in each other's presence.
The first verse also highlights the carefree and joyful moments shared between the couple. Dancing around to the radio and humming the words that the partner doesn't know suggests a sense of playfulness and shared experiences, even in the small moments. The line "Cross out finding an angel off my list" implies that finding someone as wonderful as their partner was something the singer had been searching for, but now that they have found them, they realize that it doesn't get any better than this.
The chorus emphasizes the simplicity and beauty of loving their partner. The singer declares that their partner makes loving them easy, and it is all they want to do. Every smile and touch from their partner reminds them of the depth of their love, making it all the more meaningful and fulfilling. The lines "Wrapped around me late at night, Pillow talk by candlelight" evoke a sense of intimacy and closeness, as the singer cherishes those moments and aims to make their love last.
Overall, the lyrics of "Loving You" express the pure and effortless love the singer feels for their partner. It celebrates the small moments, the connection, and the ease with which the love flows between them.
Line by Line Meaning
Every morning when you come downstairs
Every day when you wake up and come downstairs
Hair's a mess but I don't care
Even though your hair is messy, it doesn't bother me
No makeup on shining so bright
You don't need makeup to look beautiful, you shine naturally
My old sweatshirt never fit so right
Wearing my old sweatshirt feels so perfect when I'm with you
Dancing around to the radio
We dance together to the music playing on the radio
Humming the words that you don't know
You hum along to the song even if you don't know the lyrics
Cross out finding an angel off my list
I can cross off looking for an angel from my list because you're my angel
Thinking that it don't get no better than this
I believe that it can't get any better than being with you
You make loving you easy
You make it effortless for me to love you
You make loving you all I wanna do
All I want to do is love you because of how you make me feel
Every little smile, every single touch
Every small smile and every touch from you
Reminds me just how much it all makes
It reminds me of how much I love you and how it makes me feel
Wrapped around me late at night
When we're together and you hold me close late at night
Pillow talk by candlelight
We have intimate conversations in bed, illuminated by candlelight
Gonna slow this down and make it last
We will take our time and make this moment last longer
The best things fly by so fast
The most wonderful experiences tend to pass quickly
Oh, I wanna say it again
I want to express my feelings again
You make loving you easy
You make it effortless for me to love you
You make loving you all I wanna do
All I want to do is love you because of how you make me feel
Every little smile and every single touch
Every small smile and every touch from you
Reminds me just how much it all makes
It reminds me of how much I love you and how it makes me feel
Loving you easy, easy, easy
Loving you feels so effortless and simple
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Al Anderson, Niko Moon, Zachry Alexander Brown
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind