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.
When I Paint My Masterpiece
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ancient footprints are everywhere
You can almost think that you're seein' double
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Where I got me a date
With a pretty little girl from Greece
When I paint my masterpiece
Oh, the hours we'd spend inside the Coliseum
Dodging lions and wastin' time
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle
I could hardly stand to see 'em
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb
Train wheels are runnin' through the back of my memory
When I ran on the hilltop
Following a pack of wild geese
Someday, everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece
Sailing 'round the world in a dirty gondola
Oh, to be back in the land of Coca Cola
Well, I left Rome and landed in Brussels
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside
Newspapermen eating candy
Had to be held down by big police
But someday, everything is gonna be diff'rent
When I paint that masterpiece
"When I Paint My Masterpiece" is one of The Band's most well-known songs, and it is filled with vivid imagery and beautiful storytelling. In the first verse, the singer paints a picture of Rome, a beautiful but worn-down city filled with the remnants of the past. He speaks of walking the streets and seeing ancient footprints everywhere. He is taken aback by the Spanish Stairs, a place where he feels like he is seeing double. He then sings about a beautiful girl from Greece who he has a date with later in his hotel room. The imagery in this verse is beautiful, and it paints a picture of a traveler who is experiencing the beauty of Italy for the first time.
The second verse finds the singer inside the Coliseum with his love interest. They are spending the day dodging lions and wasting time. The singer is amazed by the mighty kings of the jungle, but he cannot bear to watch them. He sings about the long, hard climb he has experienced, and he talks about the memories that are running like train wheels through his mind. He speaks of running on a hilltop and following a pack of wild geese, and he describes how everything will someday sound like a rhapsody when he paints his masterpiece.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the streets of Rome are filled with rubble
Rome is full of ruins and debris due to its ancient history and conflict.
Ancient footprints are everywhere
The remnants of Rome's past are evident everywhere, leaving a lasting impression.
You can almost think that you're seein' double
The abundance of historical landmarks and monuments can cause sensations of déjà vu.
On a cold, dark night on the Spanish Stairs
Set in a specific place and time, possibly bringing to mind a particular event or memory.
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
Time is of the essence, and the artist must return to his room for a planned event.
Where I got me a date
The singer has a commitment to meet someone.
With a pretty little girl from Greece
The date is a romantic one, involving a Greek woman who is attractive.
She promised she'd be there with me
The artist has a promise of attendance.
When I paint my masterpiece
The ultimate goal is to create something significant and memorable.
Oh, the hours we'd spend inside the Coliseum
Time was spent exploring the Coliseum and its history.
Dodging lions and wastin' time
In the past, time was spent leisurely avoiding lions, doing idle activities.
Oh, those mighty kings of the jungle
The lions were seen as regal, majestic creatures.
I could hardly stand to see 'em
Perhaps the singer was intimidated or overwhelmed by the magnitude of the lions.
Yes, it sure has been a long, hard climb
The singer has undergone significant struggle and effort to get to this point.
Train wheels are runnin' through the back of my memory
The singer has vivid memories of train travel.
When I ran on the hilltop
There was a specific, memorable moment of running on a hilltop.
Following a pack of wild geese
The activity of following wild geese is associated with this memory.
Someday, everything is gonna sound like a rhapsody
In the future, everything will sound melodious and harmonious, possibly referring to the singer's art.
When I paint my masterpiece
The idea of creating something great persists.
Sailing 'round the world in a dirty gondola
Visions of travel through a slightly unpleasant means of transportation.
Oh, to be back in the land of Coca Cola
Nostalgia for a specific place, longing for familiarity and comfort.
Well, I left Rome and landed in Brussels
The location changes from Rome to Brussels, indicating a shift in the story.
On a plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried
The travel from Rome to Brussels was not smooth, possibly causing distress to the singer.
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pullin' muscles
A diverse group of people was present upon arriving in Brussels.
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside
A sense of importance and attention is given to the singer upon arrival.
Newspapermen eating candy
The group present upon the singer's arrival includes journalists eating sweets.
Had to be held down by big police
The journalists were overly excited and had to be restrained by law enforcement.
But someday, everything is gonna be diff'rent
Change will come and things will shift from their current state.
When I paint that masterpiece
The artist's desire to create something significant remains.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Dylan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@auntissie
Be still my heart!! Watching BILLIONS and heard this... immediately I said to hubby "the BAND!!!"... This brought back so many great memories and oh boy how I love these guys!! Where did all these years go!?! I feel bad for younger people now... all the greats have come... and we're fading away. Makes me sad. 😢💔😢
@anthonyfoutch3152
It's in the great comedy "The Wendell Baker Story" too.
@brianhoneycutt5938
Billions brought me here too, and I'm glad to be introduced to this song. I'm 40, but I have heard of the Band. Don't feel too bad for younger folks though, there are TONS of great bands that are around and have come into existence in the last 20-30 years.
@7hotfuzz7
The closing line is probably one of my favorite lyrics of all time, "Someday everything is gonna be different, when I paint that masterpiece". My life has been fairly average, nothing that bad and not much good either. Still, I feel like I'm fighting every step of the way to make something worthwhile happen. I know that every step forwards and backwards is painting something worth admiring on a canvas. I have hope that one day I can arrive at my destination and look back on my masterpiece that I've created.
@nickstephenson7340
Doesn’t happen often but that comment hit me right in the heart. Good luck on your journey friend.
@andyweiss8565
Yeah for sure man, song resonates the same way for me...When yer closer to the end than the beginning you start thinking about that empty canvas we were born into this world with...Beautifully stated.
@ricklalonde2740
Amen
@John-Andersen
Isn't the point that a person's life is the actual masterpiece?
@shmeagol
We’re all gonna make it, bro.
@bobsteudler1784
GREAT SONG WITH A YOUNG LEVON SINGING IT. SO SAD WE ARE LOSING SO MANY OF THE BEST MUSICIANS FROM THE LATE 60'S AND 70'S.