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.
No Matter What
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I remember the promise when I first got saved
When Jesus came into my life I decided back then to follow him with all of my heart and never part
For the price that he paid I'll keep the promise I made
No matter what the cost may be
No matter what the cost may be No matter what the cost may be No matter what I'm going to follow No matter what the cost may be
I Remember it wasn't long after I got saved
The Lord he gave he gave me a wife and she gave her to me
And we went through some hard times But one day she said with tears in her eyes I'll never say goodbye Until death do us part I promised my heat
No matter what the cost may be
No matter what the cost may be
No matter what the cost may be
No matter what she said I'm gonna love you
No matter what the cost may be No matter what
When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane
He cried my soul is grieved oh Lord please let this cup pass from me
But father not my will but yours be done The price must be paid for the human race must be saved
And I've got to do it Oh and he paid that price for his glorious for us he died Let's all do what he told us to no matter what the cost may be
No matter what the cost may be
No matter what the cost may be No matter what We've got to follow No matter what the cost may
The lyrics of The Band's song "No Matter What" speak to the unwavering commitment and dedication of the singer to their faith and their loved ones, no matter the challenges or sacrifices they may face. It begins by reminiscing about the promise made to Jesus when the singer first became saved, vowing to follow him wholeheartedly and never waver from that commitment. The price that Jesus paid is emphasized, reinforcing the singer's determination to keep the promise they made, regardless of the cost.
The second verse reflects on the challenges faced in the singer's marriage, but despite the hardships, their spouse declares that they will never separate until death. This underscores the theme of unwavering commitment, with the singer echoing the sentiment that they will love their spouse, no matter what the cost.
The final verse references Jesus praying in the garden of Gethsemane, expressing his desire for an alternative to the crucifixion, but ultimately surrendering to God's will. The lyrics emphasize that Jesus paid the ultimate price for humanity, and in response, the singer urges others to heed his teachings and follow him, no matter the cost.
Overall, "No Matter What" is a song that highlights the importance of staying true to one's faith and relationships, regardless of the challenges and sacrifices involved.
Line by Line Meaning
I remember the promise when I first got saved
I recall the commitment I made when I embraced faith
When Jesus came into my life
Upon accepting Jesus as my savior
I decided back then to follow him with all of my heart and never part
I made the choice to wholeheartedly devote myself to him and remain steadfast
For the price that he paid I'll keep the promise I made
In light of the sacrifice he made, I will honor my vow
No matter what the cost may be
Regardless of the challenges or sacrifices involved
I Remember it wasn't long after I got saved
I recall a short period of time subsequent to my conversion
The Lord he gave he gave me a wife and she gave her to me
The Lord blessed me with a spouse who willingly joined our lives
And we went through some hard times
Together, we faced challenging circumstances
But one day she said with tears in her eyes I'll never say goodbye
On a particular day, she expressed her unwavering commitment to never leave
Until death do us part I promised my heat
I made a solemn vow to remain devoted until our lives end
No matter what the cost may be
Regardless of the challenges or sacrifices involved
When Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane
During Jesus' prayer at the garden of Gethsemane
He cried my soul is grieved oh Lord please let this cup pass from me
He expressed sorrow and prayed for relief from the impending suffering
But father not my will but yours be done
He submitted to God's will, prioritizing it over his own
The price must be paid for the human race must be saved
The cost of redemption had to be borne to rescue humanity
And I've got to do it
He acknowledged his responsibility to fulfill this task
Oh and he paid that price for his glorious for us he died
He willingly gave up his life in a magnificent act of sacrifice for our sake
Let's all do what he told us to no matter what the cost may be
We should all faithfully follow his teachings, regardless of the challenges or sacrifices involved
No matter what
Regardless of any circumstances
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: James Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mariano Pleguezuelos
It makes no difference where turn
I can't get over you and the flame still burns
It makes no difference, night or day
The shadow never seems to fade away And the sun don't shine anymore
And the rains fall down on my door
These old love letters
Well, just can't keep
Cause like the gambler says
Read 'em and weep
And the dawn don't rescue me no more
Without your love
I have nothing at all
Like an empty hall it's a lonely fall
Since you've been gone it's a losing battle
Stampeding cattle, they rattle the walls
And the sun don't shine anymore
And the rains fall down on my door
Well, I love you so much
It's all I can do
Just to keep myself from telling you
That I never felt so alone before
Deborah Breslow
I cannot describe my sadness on the loss of Robbie Robertson— “and the rains fall down on my door— and the dawn don’t rescue me no more.” I’ve followed The Band for decades and have the clearest memories of listening to The Last Waltz over and over and over. These losses of great musicians are hitting me harder and harder and harder. Thank you Robbie.
Joy Gerardi
love to you, Deborah.....I get it...and as I came here to watch Robbie.....then you see Rick and Levon....and then Garth comes out on the sax...the only one left. The music matters.
Dave Morrison
We made a tactical error, Deborah. We attached deeply to literally hundreds of musicians that were ten years or so older than us, and now they are dying almost daily. And the ones who wrote the insightful songs, and the challenging songs - the songs that pushed us into becoming deeper ... those are the ones, whose passing hits us the hardest. I think that, when Dylan dies, the country will just shut down for a week.
Dora Dora
Robbie's face made it on a Canadian stamp in 2011. The Canadian people recognised what a treasure they had long ago❤
Dina Carr
I listen to this one so much. This is my favorite song in The Last Waltz. Rick's vocals are crushing. Robbie's magical right hand shimmy shake during the solo. Garth on smooth sax. Sighhhhh. They are so young and beautiful and talented here. Time Flies. Rest well, Robbie. You've got some good musicians to hang with on the other side. Save me a good seat at the show.
Valerie Curtis
Greatest rock and roll movie of all time. And will always be the greatest. RIP Robbie, you blessed us with some great music..
Nancy Seitz
One of the purest songs ever- I can listen to this over and over again. The sax is brilliant. Appreciate all of these musicians. You will be missed Robby. Your music will live on. Rest in peace 🎼☮️
Hanne Jeppesen
And don't forget to mention Rick Danko's soulfull and emotionally singing. He really brings it home.
Ian Butt
The greatest moment in the history of rock? Even the Beatles did not reach this level of perfection. How Rick sings the lyric at 3:46 is unbelievable. Even Robbie Robertson looks across as if he cannot believe he is a member of this band and shares the stage with these guys. And when Hudson cuts in with Helms oh so leisurely drumming...there are no words, simply respect and awe.
Michael Harrington
I'm starting to notice a pattern here in the comment sections among youtube videos of bands. When someone wants to elevate a particular band they make it a point to include the Beatles in their comment, and say the Beatles didn't do this or that.