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.
Whispering Pines
The Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Inside my lonely room, there is no in between
Whispering pines, rising of the tide
If only one star shines
That's just enough to get inside
I will wait until it all goes 'round
With you in sight, the lost are found
Foghorn through the night, calling out to sea
Let the waves rush in, let the seagulls cry
For if I live again, these hopes will never die
I can feel you standing there
But I don't see you anywhere
Standing by the well (standing by the well)
Wishing for the rains (wishing for the rains)
Reaching to the clouds (reaching to the clouds)
For nothing else remains
Drifting in a daze, when evening will be done
Try looking through a haze
At an empty house, in the cold, cold sun
I will wait until it all goes 'round
With you in sight, the lost are found
The Band's song "Whispering Pines" is a hauntingly beautiful ballad that is full of rich imagery and raw emotion. The song is a plea from a brokenhearted man who is reaching out to the universe for comfort and solace in his time of need. The first verse establishes the tone of the song, with the singer expressing his feelings of loneliness and isolation even in the company of others. The second verse furthers this theme, with the singer calling out for someone to protect his "only light," presumably a lost love. The chorus brings a sense of hope, with the singer finding comfort in the natural world around him. The bridge is a powerful meditation on loss and the transience of life, with the singer acknowledging that everything will eventually pass away, but finding solace in the idea that love and hope can somehow survive even in the face of death.
Line by Line Meaning
If you find me in a gloom, or catch me in a dream
If you happen to catch me when I'm feeling sad or lost in thought
Inside my lonely room, there is no in between
My room is a place of solitude where there is no middle ground for my emotions
Whispering pines, rising of the tide
The sound of the pines and the ebb and flow of the tide help calm me
If only one star shines
Just one small glimmer of light can make a big difference to me
That's just enough to get inside
It's all I need to feel a sense of hope and optimism
I will wait until it all goes 'round
I'll be patient and wait for things to come full circle
With you in sight, the lost are found
As long as I have you by my side, I know I can find my way even when I'm feeling lost
Foghorn through the night, calling out to sea
The sound of the foghorn is a beacon of hope, guiding lost sailors and providing comfort to me
Protect my only light, 'cause she once belonged to me
I treasure the things that are dear to me and will hold onto them fiercely
Let the waves rush in, let the seagulls cry
Let nature take its course and let the sounds of the ocean bring me peace
For if I live again, these hopes will never die
Even if I were to start over, my hopes and dreams would always remain strong
I can feel you standing there
I sense your presence even if I can't see you at the moment
But I don't see you anywhere
I can't physically see you at the moment and that makes me feel uneasy and lost
Standing by the well (standing by the well)
I'm in a place of reflection and contemplation
Wishing for the rains (wishing for the rains)
I'm hoping for a way to wash away the pain and sadness I'm feeling
Reaching to the clouds (reaching to the clouds)
I'm looking upward and hoping for a sign of hope and positivity
For nothing else remains
There's nothing else left to hold onto
Drifting in a daze, when evening will be done
I'm feeling lost and disconnected from reality and hope that time will pass quickly
Try looking through a haze
I'm struggling to see things clearly through my foggy emotions
At an empty house, in the cold, cold sun
Even in the light of day, I can feel a sense of emptiness and loneliness
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Richard Manuel, Richard G. Manuel, Robbie Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Spike Speigel
If you find me in a gloom, or catch me in a dream
Inside my lonely room, there is no in between
Whispering pines, rising of the tide
If only one star shines
That's just enough to get inside
I will wait until it all goes 'round
With you in sight, the lost are found
Foghorn through the night, calling out to sea
Protect my only light, 'cause she once belonged to me
Let the waves rush in, let the seagulls cry
For if I live again, these hopes will never die
I can feel you standing there
But I don't see you anywhere
Standing by the well, wishing for the rains
Reaching to the clouds, for nothing else remains
Drifting in a daze, when evening will be done
Try looking through a haze
At an empty house, in the cold, cold sun
I will wait until it all goes round
With you in sight, the lost are found
Jerry Meadows
This would just be another very good sad song without Richard. The raw emotion of his voice and the his back-ended piano style make it perhaps the saddest song I've ever heard and then toward the end when Levon accompanies his lead ahead of him, it just adds an extra level of brilliance. A true masterpiece.
Joe Kosobucki
Especially with what happened to him too? He was very talented and didn’t have to kill himself!
Neon Meate
Fucking A.
neville myers
Suicide? That's what depression can do to a body. Hold your friends close but not TOO close 🙏🌊♥️
John Goguen
This is raw talent at its finest all I can think is our forefathers rough it out plowing fields with a mule on a rainy day,tied and old but has to be done
Mysterywhiteboy78
@Joe KosobuckiYou have no idea what it's like to be that depressed.
Julie Fleiser
Brings on tears every time. Richard's voice is heartbreaking perfection.
pretorious700
What a masterpiece. I cry every time I hear it. How can you not?
Linda Pearce
Can't
Linda Pearce
Such a song!!!