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.
Promised Land
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
California on my mind
I straddled that Greyhound
And rode him into Raleigh
And on across Caroline
We stopped in Charlotte to bypass Rockhill
We never was a minute late
Rollin' out of Georgia state
We had motor trouble that turned into a struggle
Halfway across Alabam'
And that bow broke down
And left us all stranded in downtown Birmingham
Right away I bought me a through train ticket
Got across Mississippi clean
And I was on that Midnight Flyer out of Birmingham
Smokin' into New Orleans
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
Help me get to Houston Town
There are people there who care a bit about me
And they won't let the poor boy down
Georgia born, they bought me a silk suit
And put luggage in my hand
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
On a jet to the promised land
Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
Flyin' over to the Golden State
When the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
He would set us at the terminal gate
Swing low chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal door
Cut your engines and cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone
And Los Angeles, give me Norfolk Virginia
Tidewater for ten o-nine
Tell all the folks back home
It's the promised land callin'
And the poor boy is on the line
The Band’s “Promised Land” is a song that tells the story of a young man who travels from Norfolk, Virginia, to California in pursuit of his dreams. The song begins with the singer leaving Virginia with California on his mind. He boards a Greyhound bus that takes him on a journey through North and South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi before ultimately landing in New Orleans.
As he travels, he experiences setbacks along the way, including motor trouble that leaves him stranded in Birmingham, Alabama, and a busted bow that adds to the struggles. But he persists and ultimately arrives in California, where he is met with a warm welcome from the people who care about him.
The lyrics paint a vivid picture of the singer's journey, highlighting the highs and lows he experiences along the way. The song speaks to the American ideals of freedom, opportunity, and the pursuit of the American Dream, making it a beloved classic and a testament to the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
I left my home in Norfolk, Virginia
I departed from my hometown, Norfolk, Virginia.
California on my mind
I am thinking about California.
I straddled that Greyhound
I got on a Greyhound bus.
And rode him into Raleigh
I traveled to Raleigh on the Greyhound bus.
And on across Caroline
I traveled through the Carolinas.
We stopped in Charlotte to bypass Rockhill
We stopped in Charlotte to avoid taking the route through Rockhill.
We never was a minute late
We were always on time.
We was ninety miles out of Atlanta by sundown
We had traveled 90 miles from Atlanta by sunset.
Rollin' out of Georgia state
We exited the state of Georgia.
We had motor trouble that turned into a struggle
Our motor problems became more difficult to handle.
Halfway across Alabam'
We were halfway through the state of Alabama.
And that bow broke down
And the axle of the bus broke down.
And left us all stranded in downtown Birmingham
And we were stuck in downtown Birmingham because of the broken axle.
Right away I bought me a through train ticket
I quickly purchased a train ticket.
Got across Mississippi clean
I successfully traveled through Mississippi.
And I was on that Midnight Flyer out of Birmingham
I boarded the Midnight Flyer train leaving Birmingham.
Smokin' into New Orleans
I rode the train into New Orleans.
Somebody help me get out of Louisiana
I need assistance leaving Louisiana.
Help me get to Houston Town
Help me get to Houston.
There are people there who care a bit about me
There are people in Houston who care for me.
And they won't let the poor boy down
They will not let me down.
Georgia born, they bought me a silk suit
I am from Georgia and the people in Houston bought me a silk suit.
And put luggage in my hand
They gave me my luggage.
And I woke up high over Albuquerque
I woke up on a plane flying over Albuquerque.
On a jet to the promised land
I am on a plane headed to the promised land, which is likely California.
Workin' on a T-bone steak a la carte
I am eating a T-bone steak from the menu.
Flyin' over to the Golden State
I am flying to the state of California.
When the pilot told us in thirteen minutes
The pilot informed us that we would land in thirteen minutes.
He would set us at the terminal gate
He will land the plane at the terminal gate.
Swing low chariot, come down easy
I am quoting the spiritual song, asking for a smooth landing.
Taxi to the terminal door
The plane is taxiing towards the terminal door.
Cut your engines and cool your wings
The engines are shutting down and the wings are being cooled.
And let me make it to the telephone
I want to reach the telephone to call my family.
And Los Angeles, give me Norfolk Virginia
My final request is to make a call to Norfolk, Virginia from Los Angeles.
Tidewater for ten o-nine
I want to reach the Tidewater area by 10:09.
Tell all the folks back home
Tell my family and friends back home.
It's the promised land callin'
California is calling me to the promised land.
And the poor boy is on the line
I am the poor boy calling to say that I have made it to California.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Chuck Berry
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind