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.
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come on out and catch the show
There'll be saints and sinners
You'll see losers and winners
All kinds of people you might want to know
Once you get it, you can't forget it
W.S. Walcott medicine show
You know he always holds it in a tent
And if you're looking for the real thing
He can show you where it went
There's the young faith healer, he's a woman stealer
He will cure by his command
When the music's hot then you might have to stand
To hear the Klondike Klu Klux Steamboat Band
Don't you sweat it, you can't forget it
W.S. Walcott medicine show
I'd rather die happy than not die at all
For a man is a fool who will not heed the call
Gonna see Miss Brer Foxhole
With bright diamonds in her teeth
She is pure gold down underneath
She's a rock and roll singer and a true dead ringer
For something like you ain't never seen
Once you get it, you can't forget it
W.S. Walcott medicine show
W.S. Walcott medicine show
W.S. Walcott medicine show
"The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show" is a song by The Band that describes the vivid and colorful experience of a travelling medicine show run by W.S. Walcott. The song is introduced as an invitation to those with "nowhere to go" to come and catch the show, which promises a entertaining mix of saints and sinners, losers and winners, and a variety of strange and fascinating characters. The show itself is described as being held in a tent, and the music is described as being hot and lively, with performers like the Klondike Klu Klux Steamboat Band and a young faith healer who is also a woman stealer.
The song also references Miss Brer Foxhole, a rock and roll singer with bright diamonds in her teeth, who is described as being pure gold down underneath. The lyrics suggest that even though the performers may come from all sorts of backgrounds and with all sorts of quirks and characteristics, they all come together to create a show that is unforgettable. The chorus repeats the phrase "Once you get it, you can't forget it/W.S. Walcott medicine show," emphasizing this idea that the show is an experience that sticks with you long after it's over. The song ends with the declaration "I'd rather die happy than not die at all/For a man is a fool who will not heed the call," encouraging listeners to live boldly and seek out new experiences like the medicine show.
Line by Line Meaning
When your arms are empty, got nowhere to go
When you have nothing left in your life and feel lost
Come on out and catch the show
Attend the W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
There'll be saints and sinners
There will be both good and bad people at the show
You'll see losers and winners
There will be a variety of people at the show
All kinds of people you might want to know
The show will have many interesting people to meet
Once you get it, you can't forget it
The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show is unforgettable
W.S. Walcott medicine show
The show itself
You know he always holds it in a tent
The show is held in a tent
And if you're looking for the real thing
If you're looking for something authentic
He can show you where it went
The show's host knows where to find authenticity
There's the young faith healer, he's a woman stealer
There is a young healer who seduces women
He will cure by his command
He can heal with his words alone
When the music's hot then you might have to stand
When the music is good, you might have to stand because of the crowd
To hear the Klondike Klu Klux Steamboat Band
The band with a unique and interesting name
Don't you sweat it, you can't forget it
Don't worry, you will never forget the W.S. Walcott Medicine Show
I'd rather die happy than not die at all
It's better to live a happy and memorable life, even if it's short
For a man is a fool who will not heed the call
It's foolish to ignore opportunities in life
Gonna see Miss Brer Foxhole
Going to see a woman named Miss Brer Foxhole
With bright diamonds in her teeth
She has diamonds in her teeth
She is pure gold down underneath
She is beautiful and valuable
She's a rock and roll singer and a true dead ringer
She's a great rock and roll singer and looks like someone you've never seen before
For something like you ain't never seen
She looks completely unique
W.S. Walcott medicine show
The amazing show that will be remembered
W.S. Walcott medicine show
The incredible performance that can't be forgotten
W.S. Walcott medicine show
The extraordinary show that can't be missed
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind