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.
Ophelia
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mail by the door
What would anybody leave so quickly for?
Ophelia
Hmm, where have you gone?
The old neighborhood
Just ain't the same
Ophelia
Hmm, tell me, what went wrong
Was it something that somebody said?
Mama, I know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey, you know I'd die for you
Ashes of laughter
The ghost is clear
Why do the best things always disappear
Like Ophelia
Please darken my door
Was it something that somebody said?
Honey, you know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey, you know I'd die for you
They got your number
Scared and running
But I'm still waiting for the second coming
Of Ophelia
Hmm hm come back home
Hmm hmm
The Band’s song Ophelia is a lament about a woman who has disappeared, leaving no trace behind. The chorus of the song revolves around the singer’s cries for Ophelia to come back home; however, her sudden departure has left the neighborhood feeling empty and devoid of her lively presence. Although the singer speculates about the reasons behind her abrupt departure, no certain conclusions are reached. The lyrics “boards on the window, mail by the door, what would anybody leave so quickly for?” suggest that Ophelia may have been on the run or needed to escape something or someone. Furthermore, the lines “was it something that somebody said? Mama, I know we broke the rules, was somebody up against the law?” - imply that perhaps Ophelia was involved in some unsavory or dangerous activity that caused her to leave in a hurry.
Line by Line Meaning
Boards on the window
The presence of barricades on the window gives a clear indication of something wrong.
Mail by the door
The mailbox does not suggest about anything, but placing it nearby the door means Ophelia might have left in hurry.
What would anybody leave so quickly for?
It's an earnest request to Ophelia to know exactly why she left so quickly without a word.
Ophelia
It's the name of the song, and the songwriter uses this word as a bridge of communication with Ophelia.
Hmm, where have you gone?
It's a subtle and indirect way of expressing how deeply the songwriter misses Ophelia's presence.
The old neighborhood
With the absence of Ophelia, the neighborhood doesn't feel the same anymore.
Just ain't the same
The loss of someone so dear makes the neighborhood look different.
Nobody knows just what became of
Nobody can predict where Ophelia went or what happened to her.
Ophelia
It's the second instance in the song where the songwriter uses this word to focus on the absence of the artist.
Hmm, tell me, what went wrong
It's a direct question to Ophelia that she needs to answer about the sudden disappearance.
Was it something that somebody said?
An inquiry related to whether someone said something that led to the disappearance of Ophelia.
Mama, I know we broke the rules
The songwriter is stating that he is aware of breaking some rules with Ophelia.
Was somebody up against the law?
An express question if Ophelia was being haunted by someone on the wrong side of the law.
Honey, you know I'd die for you
A direct expression of love towards Ophelia.
Ashes of laughter
It's a metaphor of how the former cheerful neighborhood has turned into an emotionless place with the absence of Ophelia.
The ghost is clear
A coyer way of saying that the coast is clear and safe to return for Ophelia.
Why do the best things always disappear
A general pondering over how the best things,like Ophelia, disappear so suddenly.
Like Ophelia
Referring back to the central idea of the song.
Please darken my door
A direct request to Ophelia to come back home.
They got your number
A sign that Ophelia may be in trouble, as someone has got to her.
Scared and running
An observation suggesting Ophelia may be scared and trying to run away from someone.
But I'm still waiting for the second coming
A strong expression of the songwriter's love towards Ophelia and his willingness to wait for her return.
Of Ophelia
One last reference to Ophelia as the singer of the song.
Hmm hm come back home
The songwriter is praying for Ophelia's safe return.
Hmm hmm
A final humming sound, meant to create an emotional connection with the listener.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sigrún Ólafsdóttir
"Ophelia"
Boards on the window, mail by the door
What would anybody leave so quickly for?
Ophelia - Where have you gone?
The old neighborhood just ain't the same
Nobody knows just what became of
Ophelia - tell me, what went wrong?
Was it somethin' that somebody said?
Mama, I know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey, you know I'd die for you
Ashes of laughter, the coast is clear
Why do the best things always disappear
Like Ophelia - please darken my door
Was it somethin' that somebody said?
Honey, you know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey, you know I'd die for you
They got your number, scared and runnin'
But I'm still waitin' for the second comin'
Of Ophelia - come back home
Marie Blue
In this, The Band drummer Levon Helm sings about a woman called Ophelia who has skipped town. She left in a hurry and he would love to have her come back (“The old neighborhood just ain’t the same”), but we really have no idea who she is or what her relationship is with the singer.
“Ophelia” (1975) was penned by guitarist Robbie Robertson, and the ambiguity was intentional. Robertson claimed : “I was always fascinated by that girl’s name. I always liked the mystery factor. I may be writing a song and the music may imply a certain lyric, or vice versa. It’s not that deliberate, or an intellectual exercise. It just comes out naturally.”
The most famous Ophelia of all time is a character in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” (circa 1599 - 1601). She is caught between her love for Hamlet and the wishes of her father, who uses her to spy on Hamlet. She feels she has no control over her life and descends into madness, eventually drowning after falling out of a tree into a brook.
The character in the tune could certainly be an analog to Shakespeare’s Ophelia, possibly driven mad by a lover.
A modest hit for The Band, this is a number they performed at many of their concerts, including their final show in 1976 that provided footage for Martin Scorsese’s documentary film “The Last Waltz.”
According to biographer Barney Hoskyns, the lay is not titled after Shakespeare’s heroine, but after “Hee Haw” comedian Minnie Pearl, whose real name was Sarah Ophelia Colley Cannon (1912 - 1996). 💙🎶💛
Celena Barclay
A drummer that can sing and hit it, is a rare treasure. Long live Levon Helms!!!
Mixalis Kokkinos
The same with Grand Funk Railroad-Don Brewer,Eagles-Don Henley,Rear Earth-Peter Rivera..Greetings from Greece
G. Mantua
RIP Robbie Robertson. Thanks for being part of the soundtrack of my life.
Ken
If I ever have a daughter, I'm naming her The Band
Masked Writer
HAHAHAHAHHA Good one ;-)
J Marrs
I really needed that my friend!
Juanita Campos
Why not Ophelia?
Donnie Walsh
These guys could funky groove like no others. Best band ever.
Mojo Hinson
Fonky
melehi
One of my two all time favorite bands. The Band and Steely Dan. Both totally different. Both great.