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.
Such A Night
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's such a night
Sweet confusion under the moonlight.
Such a night
Such a night
To steal away, the time is right.
At a glance
You let me know
This was my chance.
You came here with my best friend Jim
And here I am
Trying to steal you away from him..
Oh, but If I don't do it somebody else will
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will
And it's such a night
Such a night
Sweet confusion under the moonlight
It's such a night
Such a night
To steal away, the time is right.
I couldn't believe my ears
And my heart just skipped a beat
When you told me to take you walking down the street.
You came here with my best friend Jim
And here I am
Stealing you away from him.
Oh, it's such a night
This song tells the story of a man who sees a beautiful woman at a party who arrived with his friend, Jim. Despite this, he can't help but feel drawn to her and convinced that he must steal her away. He rationalizes that if he doesn't do it, somebody else will. The lyrics are simple, yet filled with complicated emotions of desire, guilt, and jealousy.
The repetition of "such a night" creates a dreamlike atmosphere that enhances the sensual tone of the song. The moonlight and "sweet confusion" add to this feeling, as if the man is lost in a blur of intense longing. The lyrics also touch on the complexity of relationships and the idea of love as a game, where the winner gets the prize.
Overall, the lyrics to "Such A Night" capture a moment of passion and vulnerability, where desire triumphs over loyalty to a friend.
Line by Line Meaning
Such a night
This is an incredible night
It's such a night
This is truly an amazing night
Sweet confusion under the moonlight.
The night is full of mixed emotions that are intensified by the presence of the moonlight.
Such a night
Once again, this is a remarkable night.
Such a night
It's one of those nights that is perfect for sneaking away.
To steal away, the time is right.
This is the perfect time to slip away unnoticed.
Your eyes met mine
We made eye contact.
At a glance
It only took a quick look for me to understand.
You let me know
You told me without speaking a word.
This was my chance.
I finally had an opportunity.
You came here with my best friend Jim
You are here at the party with my closest friend Jim.
And here I am
I'm in this situation.
Trying to steal you away from him..
I'm attempting to take your attention away from Jim.
Oh, but If I don't do it somebody else will
If I don't make a move, someone else may come along and take this chance.
If I don't do it, you know somebody else will
If I don't seize the moment, someone else will.
I couldn't believe my ears
I was completely shocked.
And my heart just skipped a beat
I was overwhelmed with emotion.
When you told me to take you walking down the street.
When you asked me to go for a walk together, I couldn't believe it.
Stealing you away from him.
I'm taking you away from Jim.
Oh, it's such a night
Once again, this is truly an incredible night.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MAC REBENNACK, MALCOLM J. REBENNACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@colebryan5450
When he said, “Sed dains fanessa tha baaaayne and all the fellas”, I felt that.
@theha-hawalls5783
LOL
@salviadivinorum1762
It took decades till I knew what he said about 'thankfulness' lol
@nickglick6322
Lmao
@FrankHudsonbass
@@salviadivinorum1762 So what did he say? Was that New Orleans slang?
@TheGuitarMan71
Dr John is so badass that he made his own language
@anonymous203020
This morning, I stood in front of Dr. John's coffin in the Orpheum Theatre where there was a public viewing before his funeral later this afternoon. It was a dark auditorium with the casket and flowers up front, and above was a screen showing images of Dr. John's life. Mourners trickled in, stood solemnly in front of the good doctor, and paid their final respects. There were more than a few tears being shed. A few hours from now, the second line will send his spirit into the ether for eternity. Rest in Peace, Dr. John.
@pattilee1006
😎💙
@nealhall5997
Do you have a photo?
@JTCurtisMusic
R.I.P. Dr. John! This is one of the best parts of an already incredible film.