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.
Stand Up
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
現実はいつだって too much
人生ってハード RTA
Wake up ちょっとだけ over
前足で一歩踏み出して
そのへんのパンも詰め込め!
忘れもんは すっとばして
身体さえ持ってけば ok
Get up 準備 full 完了
右も左も良好だ
Three, two, one の声が 響くその前に
いま say, hello ほら誰よりも楽しんで
さぁ 幕開けさ チケットは持ってるかい?
大人でも 子供でも 手のなる方へ
フェスティバルなら はじまったばかりだろう
一人でも 何人でも 朝が来るまで
Give up 寸前は退場
無理すんな 絶対は無いぜ
マイペース持ってけば OK
Tune up 出来たらワンチャン
つまり今日はこれから
Three, two, one の声が 響くその前に
永遠じゃない 瞬間こそ楽しんで
さよならまで 残されたその熱を
大人でも 子供でも 手のなる方へ
フェスティバルなら 終わらない大丈夫!
明日でも 明後日でも 夜が明けても
悲しむなよ はじまったばかりだろう?
何度でも 何度でも 朝が来るまで
朝を待とうぜ whoa
The lyrics of The Band's song "Stand Up" are a bit cryptic and open to interpretation, but they seem to touch on themes of love, addiction, and spirituality. The repeated refrain "stand up" could be interpreted as a call to action, urging the listener to rise up and face their troubles head-on. The mention of angels and saving one's soul suggests a deeper spiritual struggle, while the references to drug use and being "out of my mind" hint at a more earthly battle with addiction.
The first verse describes the singer waking up next to someone they clearly admire, using sensual imagery to convey a sense of intimacy and joy. However, the following verses take a darker turn, with references to drugs and burning fires suggesting a more dangerous side to this relationship. The final verse brings things back to the spiritual realm, with a plea for water to "save my soul" and a repetition of the call to "stand up."
Overall, the song seems to be grappling with the complex and interconnected nature of our physical, emotional, and spiritual selves. The lyrics suggest that in order to truly stand up and face our struggles, we must be willing to confront all sides of our being, even the darker, more challenging aspects.
Line by Line Meaning
Something I can't understand and talking
I'm hearing strange things and trying to comprehend them
Stand up [Repeat: x 4]
An encouragement to take action
I woke up to the angels
I was awoken by a sense of heavenly presence
They're singin' in my head
I feel overwhelmed by a profound spiritual experience
You look so good naked next to me
I'm in a state of bliss with my partner
An angel in my bed
I feel as if I'm with someone divine
Feel like a drug
I'm intoxicated with pleasure
That's cookin' in my veins
This intense sensation is coursing through my body
So out of my mind
I'm not thinking clearly
I'll shoot you up
I want to share this experience with someone else
Water save my soul
Help me find salvation
Like smokey fire
This feeling is all-consuming
It's burning in us all
We're all searching for something
You drop me in the water
You've baptized me
Lift me out
Give me hope
Save my soul
Help me find redemption
(lots of mumbling, lie in our graves-ish stuff throughout song)
Various other lyrics that may not have a clear meaning
Water save my soul
Repeating the plea for salvation
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Yuge, Seramikaru
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind