Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics, and tearing up the tracks was all about messing over Confederate logistics.
Posted on 04/04/2018 7:33:54 PM PDT by donaldo
Revisiting 'The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' by the Band. Any opinions? I think James Gleason nailed it in his Rolling Stone Review:
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.
“There goes the Robert E Lee”?
Levon was an Arkansas boy. He stayed and played frequently around here. He genuinely loved music.
“I swear by the mud beneath my feet
You can’t raise a Cain back up when he’s in defeat”. Raising cane...great play on words.
The best song written about the suffering of the South during reconstruction. And written by a Canadian. The band (I think they were The Hawks playing for Ronnie Hawkins at the time) was in Helena, Arkansas, Levin’s hometown, in 1965 and they went into a black cafe to meet and jam with Sonny Boy Williamson. Two cops came in and made them leave. Robbie experienced racism first hand. He said the people still seemed to be defeated....a defeatist look on life. That’s where he got the idea for the song.
I don’t believe anyone on this Earth was meant to sing it but Levon Helm from Turkey Scratch, Arkansas.
On a related note, “Sunshine” Sonny Payne, long time host of The King Buscuit Show on KFFA in Helena, died last month. He was 92 and hosted the show since Sonny Boy started it back in the 1940s. It’s the longest running radio program in history.
When Levon was a kid he’d leave the fields and go into town at lunch and get 3 donuts and an R.C. Cola and go to the radio station to eat while watching the live broadcast. The drummer was Peck Curtis. Levin said watching Peck made him want to learn to play the drums.
In 1973 I guest hosted the show several times. Very honored to have been a very small part of the legendary program. I didn’t know who Levon was at the time or I would have done everything I could to have met him.
Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics, and tearing up the tracks was all about messing over Confederate logistics.
The original lyrics were “there goes THE Robert E. Lee”. Talking about a steam wheeler. However, after the war lots of people thought they saw Lee so it works either way.
It doesn’t say when Richmond fell. It says “by May 10th Richmond had fell”.
Levon was a great singer and a very good drummer I loved Robbie Robertson also, real tasteful guitar player. The whole band was great.
He played frequently at The Rink in Fayetteville and stayed at Don Tysons house. I guess I should’ve got their autograph or a picture with them but I never thought about things like that then.
Am Tag als Conny Kramer Starb (the day Conny Kramer died)--Juliane Werding (1972).
Joan Baez’s rendition is also first rate:
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Agree. The straightforward folk song rendition works well.
Are you from the Helena area? I lived there as a kid from 1980-1987 before moving to Memphis. It is so dead there now but I will always love the Arkansas (and Mississippi) delta. Work takes me to Helana a couple times a year and I always end up in Marvell, AR. each September for the demolition derby!
Would love to hear some history and hear some “the way it was back then” stories.
Correct. Baez’ version actually sounds good but she never read Helm’s lyrics. The Band’s verdion said “ then Stoneman’s cavalry came...” Baez hears “so much cavalry”. The Band also said Quick come see there is Robert E Lee... the guy not tge steamboat of Baez’ cover. But I always wondered why a progressive pacifist like Baez would sing a song that celebrates the Confederacy.
I grew up in Eastern Arkansas. I got out of the Navy in 1973 and started attending junior college in Helena and worked part time at KFFA. In January 1974 I took over the morning slot 5 to 11:30. Sonny Payne sold ads and worked on the air 11:30 to 1. During that time he did the King Buscuit Show. Once when he took a few days off I subbed for him. Years later I realized what an honor that was.
Back in the 50s and early 60s B.B. King, Ike Turner, Conway Twitty (Harold Jenkins and the Ridge Runners), Ronnie Hawkins and, of course, Elvis played live. And all of the blues greats.
I’m pretty sure KFFA was the first radio station west of the Mississippi. Very legendary. They had more records than they could store. DJ Bill Holland told me back in the 60s when he had a rock show on in the afternoon and once a month he’d announce that after school he would be throwing records out of the fourth floor window. ( We broadcast from the 4th floor of the Helena National Bank building). He said the parking lot was full.
They had all of the Sun Records 33rpm disks. Bob Wills...Bug Band...they told me I could have whatever I wanted. Stupid me, I didn’t take any. At the Delta Heritage Center they used to have a 33rpm of Elvis’ That’s Allright Mama autographed by the King. Probably still hanging on the wall.
A year or so back I stopped in to see Sonny during the show and after a while he remembered me and interviewed me on air. So glad I got to see him.
He told the story of one day during the show a man and his son were looking at pictures in the center and he and Sonny were chatting. So, Sonny told him to have a seat in front of a mic and Sonny would put him on the air.
He asked him where he was from and the man said he was from England. Sonny asked him what he did. The man said he played golf. The kid spoke up and said “He’s also a singer and musician.”
Sonny said “I didn’t get your name. What is your name?*
The man replied “Robert Plant.”. Lots of blues stars came by over the years.
The town was jumping back when I lived there. I moved away in 1976. Recently I read a building downtown had collapsed and they were trying to come up with the money to finish the demolition.
Speaking of demolition, I can’t believe they still have the Derby in Marvel.
I could never stand that baying sheep.
I knew nothing of the war but I knew this song expressed something profound.
The writer/composer was 'channeling' something. Someone was whispering in his ear to tell their story.
It really conveys the tragedy and impact on regular folk caught up in the war and beaten into submission.
It still affects me when I hear it.
This thread needs you.
what’s up with youtube? I can’t get any version to play. Even did a search and clicked a few of those and got errors. Did get a commercial but that froze.
Great song tho.
Pet Peeve: Joan substitutes “so much cavalry came” for Levon’s “Stoneman’s Cavalry came” — a reference to the cavalry chief of the Union Army of the Potomac. It just weakens the historical aspect a bit, but that’s what the song is all about.
"Stoneman's", huh? I never thought of that one. I always thought they were singing "Sherman's Cavalry came...".
They did “Atlantic City” more justice than Springsteen did.
RLTW
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