The lyrics tell of the last days of the American Civil War and its aftermath. Confederate soldier Virgil Caine "served on the Danville train," the main supply line into the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia is holding the line at the Siege of Petersburg. As part of the offensive campaign, Union Army General George Stoneman's forces "tore up the track again". The siege lasted from June 1864 to April 1865, when both Petersburg and Richmond fell, and Lee's troops were starving at the end ("We were hungry / Just barely alive"). Virgil relates and mourns the loss of his brother: "He was just eighteen, proud and brave / But a Yankee laid him in his grave."
Ralph J. Gleason (in the review in Rolling Stone (US edition only) of October 1969) explains why this song has such an impact on listeners: "Nothing I have read … has brought home the overwhelming human sense of history that this song does. The only thing I can relate it to at all is 'The Red Badge of Courage'. It's a remarkable song, the rhythmic structure, the voice of Levon and the bass line with the drum accents and then the heavy close harmony of Levon, Richard and Rick in the theme, make it seem impossible that this isn't some traditional material handed down from father to son straight from that winter of 1865 to today. It has that ring of truth and the whole aura of authenticity."
Robertson claimed that he had the music to the song in his head but had no idea what it was to be about. "At some point [the concept] blurted out to me. Then I went and I did some research and I wrote the lyrics to the song." Robertson continued, "When I first went down South, I remember that a quite common expression would be, 'Well don't worry, the South's gonna rise again.' At one point when I heard it I thought it was kind of a funny statement and then I heard it another time and I was really touched by it. I thought, 'God, because I keep hearing this, there's pain here, there is a sadness here.' In Americana land, it's a kind of a beautiful sadness."
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I served on the Danville train
'Til Stoneman's cavalry came
And tore up the tracks again
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
By May the tenth, Richmond had fell
It's a time I remember, oh so well
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "Na, la-la-la, na-na
La-la, na-na, la-la-la-la-la"
Back with my wife in Tennessee
When one day she called to me
"Virgil, quick, come see
There goes Robert E. Lee"
Now I don't mind choppin' wood
And I don't care if the money's no good
You take what you need and you leave the rest
But they should never have taken the very best
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "Na, la-la-la, na-na
La-la, na-na, la-la-la-la-la"
Like my father before me
I will work the land
And like my brother above me
Who took a rebel stand
He was just eighteen, proud and brave
But a Yankee laid him in his grave
I swear by the mud below my feet
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the people were singing
They went, "Na, la-la-la, na-na
La-la, na-na, la-la-la-la-la"
The night they drove old Dixie down
And all the bells were ringing
The night they drove old Dixie down
And the people were singing
They went, "Na, la-la-la, na-na
La-la, na-na, la-la-la-la-la"
"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band is a song that tells a story of a man named Virgil Caine and his experiences during the Civil War. The song starts with Virgil introducing himself and talking about the time he served on the Danville train until Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again. The lyrics then move on to talk about the harsh winter of 1865, during which Virgil and his fellow soldiers were hungry and barely alive. By May 10, Richmond had fallen, and Virgil remembers this time oh so well.
The chorus of the song talks about the night they drove old Dixie down and the bells that were ringing as the people were singing. It's a reference to the collapse of the Confederate states, and the song's "la-la-la" refrain seems to capture the sense of joy and relief that many felt as the war came to an end.
In the second verse, Virgil is with his wife in Tennessee when she calls to him and tells him that Robert E. Lee is making his way through the countryside. Virgil makes it clear that he doesn't mind working hard or making do with less, but he's angry that the Union took the best that his community had to offer.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant. Virgil talks about how his father worked the land before him, and how his brother died at the age of 18 fighting for the Rebel cause. Virgil swears that the South will not be raised again, and the chorus repeats for a final time, underscoring the sense of finality and loss that pervades the song.
Overall, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band is a powerful song that speaks to the sense of loss and sadness that many Southerners experienced during and after the Civil War. It's a song that feels both deeply personal and universal, and it's easy to understand why it has become a beloved classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Virgil Caine is the name
The singer introduces himself as Virgil Caine.
And I served on the Danville train
Virgil Caine worked on the Danville train before the events of the song.
'Til Stoneman's cavalry came
Virgil Caine's time on the Danville train was interrupted by Stoneman's cavalry.
And tore up the tracks again
Stoneman's cavalry damaged the tracks Virgil Caine worked on.
In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive
During the winter of 1865, Virgil Caine and his community struggled with hunger and hardships.
By May the tenth, Richmond had fell
The Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia fell to the Union army on May 10th, 1865.
It's a time I remember, oh so well
Virgil Caine reflects on these events with vivid memory.
The night they drove old Dixie down
Refers to the event of the Union troops defeating the Confederacy.
And the bells were ringing
Bells were ringing to celebrate the Union's victory.
And the people were singing
The people were celebrating and singing in response to the Union victory.
They went, "Na, la-la-la, na-na
The celebratory song included the lyrics 'Na, la-la-la, na-na'
La-la, na-na, la-la-la-la-la"
Continuation of the celebratory song lyrics.
Back with my wife in Tennessee
Virgil Caine left the Danville train and returned to Tennessee to reunite with his wife.
When one day she called to me
His wife informed Virgil Caine of Robert E. Lee's presence nearby.
"Virgil, quick, come see
His wife called him urgently to come see Robert E. Lee.
There goes Robert E. Lee"
They saw Robert E. Lee's army retreating after their defeat.
Now I don't mind choppin' wood
Virgil Caine is willing to do manual labor.
And I don't care if the money's no good
He is willing to work for little or no pay.
You take what you need and you leave the rest
Virgil Caine believes in taking only what is needed and leaving excess for others.
But they should never have taken the very best
Refers to the high-ranking Confederates who fought and died for their cause.
Like my father before me
Virgil Caine comes from a family with a history of working the land.
I will work the land
Virgil Caine intends to continue working the land like his father.
And like my brother above me
Virgil Caine's brother also fought for the Confederacy.
Who took a rebel stand
Virgil Caine's brother fought for the Confederate army.
He was just eighteen, proud and brave
Virgil Caine's brother was young and full of pride.
But a Yankee laid him in his grave
Virgil Caine's brother died in battle at the hands of a Union soldier.
I swear by the mud below my feet
Virgil Caine is making a solemn vow.
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat
Virgil Caine believes that those who have suffered defeat cannot recover easily.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind