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.
King Harvest
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water
King Harvest has surely come
I work for the union 'cause she's so good to me
And I'm bound to come out on top
That's where she said I should be
I will hear every word the boss may say
Looks like this time I'm gonna get to stay
I'm a union man, now, all the way
The smell of the leaves
From the magnolia trees in the meadow
King Harvest has surely come
Dry summer, then comes fall
Which I depend on most of all
Hey, rainmaker, can't you hear the call?
Please let these crops grow tall
Long enough I've been up on Skid Row
And it's plain to see, I've nothing to show
I'm glad to pay those union dues
Just don't judge me by my shoes
Scarecrow and a yellow moon
And pretty soon a carnival on the edge of town
King Harvest has surely come
Last year, this time, wasn't no joke
My whole barn went up in smoke
Our horse Jethro, well he went mad
And I can't remember things bein' that bad
Then there comes a man with a paper and a pen
Tellin' us our hard times are about to end
And then, if they don't give us what we like
He said, "men, that's when you gotta go on strike"
Corn in the fields
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water
King Harvest has surely come
The Band's song "King Harvest" tells the story of a struggling farmer who is waiting for his crops to grow tall so that he can finally earn some money. He is a proud union man, grateful for the support that he receives from the union. He is hopeful despite experiencing hardship and tragedy when his barn burned down and his horse went mad. The song celebrates the arrival of King Harvest, the time when the crops are ripe and the farmers can finally sell their produce and make some money. It seems that King Harvest has arrived, and the farmer's days of struggle may be over.
The song is imbued with a sense of nostalgia for the era of small family farms, which was rapidly disappearing in the 1960s when the song was written. The lyrics are full of vivid images of the countryside, from the "corn in the fields" to the "magnolia trees in the meadow." The images are almost painterly, giving the listener a sense of the natural beauty that the farmer is working to protect. The lyrics also suggest a deep appreciation for the dignity of manual labor, and for the role that unions play in protecting workers' rights.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was written by keyboardist and guitarist Levon Helm, who was himself the son of an Arkansas cotton farmer. The Band was known for their blend of rock, folk, and country music, and "King Harvest" is a perfect example of this blend. The song's distinctive organ riff was played by Garth Hudson, who was known for his virtuosic keyboard skills. Another interesting fact is that the recording of the song features a brass section, giving it a big band feel that stands out from the rest of the Band's catalog. The song has been covered by several artists over the years, including Wilco and Bruce Springsteen.
Chords: (capo 4th fret)
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
G C G D G
Line by Line Meaning
Corn in the fields
The sight of corn growing in the fields
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water
The sound of the wind rustling the rice plants as they sway
King Harvest has surely come
The bountiful harvest season has arrived
I work for the union 'cause she's so good to me
I am employed by the union because they treat me well
And I'm bound to come out on top
I am confident I will succeed
That's where she said I should be
That's where my significant other suggested I work
I will hear every word the boss may say
I will listen attentively to my employer's instructions
For he's the one who hands me down my pay
My boss is the one who pays me
Looks like this time I'm gonna get to stay
It seems like I will not be let go from my job
I'm a union man, now, all the way
I fully support the union and their principles
The smell of the leaves
The aroma of fall leaves
From the magnolia trees in the meadow
Coming from the magnolia trees growing in the open field
King Harvest has surely come
The bountiful harvest season has arrived
Dry summer, then comes fall
After a dry summer, the fall season arrives
Which I depend on most of all
I rely heavily on the fall season
Hey, rainmaker, can't you hear the call?
Asking a rainmaker to bring rain for the crops
Please let these crops grow tall
Please allow these crops to grow tall and healthy
Long enough I've been up on Skid Row
I've been living in poverty on Skid Row for too long
And it's plain to see, I've nothing to show
It is obvious that I have nothing to show for my time on Skid Row
I'm glad to pay those union dues
I'm happy to contribute to the union
Just don't judge me by my shoes
I may not have nice shoes, but please don't judge me based on that
Scarecrow and a yellow moon
The image of a scarecrow and a yellow moon in the sky
And pretty soon a carnival on the edge of town
There will soon be a carnival on the outskirts of town
King Harvest has surely come
The bountiful harvest season has arrived
Last year, this time, wasn't no joke
This time last year was not a laughing matter
My whole barn went up in smoke
My entire barn burned down
Our horse Jethro, well he went mad
Our horse Jethro became insane
And I can't remember things bein' that bad
I cannot recall things ever being this terrible
Then there comes a man with a paper and a pen
A man arrives with a pen and paper in hand
Tellin' us our hard times are about to end
Informing us that our difficult times will soon be over
And then, if they don't give us what we like
And then, if those in charge do not meet our demands
He said, "men, that's when you gotta go on strike"
He suggests we go on strike in protest
Corn in the fields
The sight of corn growing in the fields
Listen to the rice when the wind blows 'cross the water
The sound of the wind rustling the rice plants as they sway
King Harvest has surely come
The bountiful harvest season has arrived
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bartacks
Levon was one of the best drummers ever. Listen to how his fills match Robertson's soloing at 3'22". Levon was completely in tune with every note that was played and heard everything. I never tire of watching him drum.
@charlesrichardson2479
well said ❤
@boyheswearsalot6164
Love that shot in the Last Waltz , at the beginning when Clapton played.
@EliMoore99
If you like The Band, you should check out Ursa and the Major Key. They have a song called Only The Sky Is Blue that sounds pretty similar to The Band, and their whole album is influenced by The Band, Floyd, Grateful Dead, Beatles, etc.
@ahenders81
He was just incredible, it’s true. I was listening to Tears of Rage before this, just marveling at the drumming there. No idea what that even is, that groove, especially in the last verse and chorus.
@ZionForman
Levon Helm and his Band
@plasteredbastard
richard manuel is one of few vocalists who truly sends a shiver up my spine, just a visceral quality in his tone.
@dumfriesspearhead7398
Yes, a consistent wanting and yearning for something he can’t quite reach.
@jessegazell8790
RIP Robbie. Your solo on this performance brings a smile to my face every time I hear it
@monicadonnelly4991
😢😢😢