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.
Weight
The Band Lyrics
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I just need some place where I can lay my head
Hey, Mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No," was all he said
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go, but my friend can stick around"
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me (you put the load right on me)
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke and Luke's waitin' on the Judgment Day
Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and keep Anna Lee company?"
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me (you put the load right on me)
Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester, you know I'm a peaceful man"
He said, that's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can?
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me (you put the load right on me)
Catch a cannon ball now to take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her, regards for everyone
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And (and, and) you put the load right on me (you put the load right on me)
"The Weight" by The Band is a song that explores themes of responsibility and sacrifice, as well as the human connections that can be formed in difficult times. The song begins with the singer pulling into Nazareth, feeling exhausted and in need of rest. He asks a stranger for a place to stay, but the stranger cannot help him. Instead, he suggests that the singer "take a load off Fanny" and leave his burden with someone he can trust.
As the song progresses, the singer encounters a series of characters who are also struggling with their own problems. He meets Carmen and the Devil, Luke and Anna Lee, and Crazy Chester and his dog Jack. With each encounter, the singer is asked to take on a new responsibility, to "put the load right on me." Despite this burden, he remains committed to helping those in need, understanding that human connection and mutual support are essential for survival.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "take a load off Fanny" four times, is an example of a call-and-response style that was popular in gospel music. This blend of different musical influences, including rock, country, and gospel, was characteristic of The Band's sound and helped to distinguish them from other bands of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' 'bout half past dead
I arrived in Nazareth, exhausted and in need of a break.
I just need some place where I can lay my head
I require a place to rest and recharge.
Hey, Mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?
Excuse me sir, do you know where a person can find a place to sleep?
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No," was all he said
He responded with a smile, shook my hand, and simply said 'No'.
Take a load off, Fanny
Relax, Fanny.
Take a load for free
Take a break without any cost.
And (and, and) you put the load right on me (you put the load right on me)
But, unfortunately, you have burdened me with your troubles.
I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide
I collected my belongings and sought out a place of refuge.
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I witnessed Carmen and the Devil proceeding together.
She said, "I gotta go, but my friend can stick around"
Carmen stated she had to leave, but her companion could remain.
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
Miss Moses, you cannot do anything about this situation.
It's just ol' Luke and Luke's waitin' on the Judgment Day
It's only Luke who is eagerly anticipating Judgment Day.
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and keep Anna Lee company?"
Luke requested that I do him a favor and stay to keep Anna Lee company.
Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the fog
Crazy Chester pursued me and intercepted me in the fog.
He said, "I will fix your rack, if you'll take Jack, my dog"
He offered to repair my vehicle rack if I could take care of his dog, Jack.
He said, that's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can?
He replied that it was not an issue and asked that I feed the dog when I am able to.
Catch a cannon ball now to take me down the line
I'll board a cannon ball to take me further down the rail line.
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
My bag is becoming too heavy and I think it's time to move on.
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
It's time to return to Miss Fanny, as she's the only one I can count on.
Who sent me here with her, regards for everyone
She sent me here with her best wishes for everyone.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind