The Band Woodstock
It was still Sunday and The Band came on around 10 PM. The weekend’s most persistent rumor had been that Bob Dylan would show up. He didn’t, of course, but having having The Band was a close and satisfactory second.
They would play for about 55 minutes.
Personnel:
- Robbie Robertson: guitar, vocals
- Garth Hudson: organ, keyboard, saxophone
- Richard Manuel: piano
- Rick Danko: bass, vocals
- Levon Helm: drums, mandolin
Setlist:
- Chest Fever
- Don’t Do It
- Tears of Rage
- We Can Talk
- Long Black Veil
- Don’t You Tell Henry
- Ain’t No More Cane on the Brazos
- This Wheel’s on Fire
- I Shall Be Released
- The Weight
- Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
The Band Woodstock
Chest Fever
Written by Robbie Robertson and featuring Garth Brooks on organ at the start, the song was one of several in the set that had been on their only album to that point, Music From Big Pink which Capital Records had released on July 1, 1968. Bob Dylan had done the cover artwork.
Any style that would back her
They say she’s a chooser
But I just can’t refuse her
She was just there, but then she can’t be here no more
I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives
And she’s dealt with the goons
Now she drinks from a bitter cup
I’m trying to get her to give it up
She was just here, I fear she can’t be there no more
I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives
I get weary holding on
Now I’m coldly fading fast
I don’t think I’m gonna last very much longer
And the moon calf agreed
But I’m like a viper in shock
With my eyes in the clock
She was just there somewhere and here I am again
I feel the freeze down in my knees
But just before she leaves, she receives
The Band Woodstock
Don’t Do It
A Band cover. Motown composers Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Edward Holland originally wrote and intended the for the Supremes, but eventually reassigned to Marvin Gaye to record and he had a hit with it.
From Wikipedia: “The Band recorded the song numerous times under the title “Don’t Do It”. Different versions, both studio and live, appear on several of their albums and box sets, including the 1972 live release Rock of Ages.
” “Don’t Do It” was the encore performed by The Band in Martin Scorsese‘s 1976 concert film The Last Waltz, though it was featured first in the film. Although it was not included on the 1978 soundtrack album, the track was included in the 2002 box set edition of The Last Waltz soundtrack.
“The version of “Don’t Do It” from Rock of Ages was issued as a single, reaching #34 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the autumn of 1972; the track was the second – following “Up on Cripple Creek” – and final Top 40 single for the Band. Billboard called this version a “dynamite dance treatment.”
Don’t you break my heart, please don’t do it
Don’t you break my heart
Get nothin’ for myself
Now you wanna leave me
For the love of someone else
My pride is all gone, whether right or wrong
I need you, baby, girl, just keep on keepin’ on
And you know I tried to do my best
Well, I try to do my best
Don’t do it
Don’t you break my heart
Please don’t do it
Don’t you break my heart
And lettin’ you know
Now you’ve got me where you want me
You won’t let me go, no, no
My heart was made of glass
Well, then you’ll surely see
Heartaches and misery
Girl, you’ve been causin’ me
Well, I’ve been tryin’ to do my best
Well, I try to do my best
Don’t you break my heart
Please don’t do it
Don’t you break my heart
I’m gonna jump in, girl
‘Cause you don’t care about me
Open up your eyes, can’t you see I love you?
Open up your heart, girl
Can’t you see I need you?
Oh baby, don’t do it, do it, do it
Don’t you break my heart
Please don’t do it
Don’t you break my heart
How you got me where you want me
You won’t let me go, no, no
If my heart was made of glass
Well, then you’ll surely see
How much heartaches and misery
You’ve been causin’ me
Well, I’ve been tryin’ to do my best
Well, I try to do my best
Don’t you break my heart
Please, don’t do it
Don’t you break my heart
The Band Woodstock
Tears of Rage
Also from Big Pink, Bob Dylan and Richard Manual co-wrote the tune.
On Independence Day
And now you’d put us all aside
And put us on our way
Oh, what dear daughter ‘neath the sun
Could treat a father so
To wait upon him hand and foot
Yet always tell him, “No?”
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We’re so alone
And life is brief,
When you ran out to receive
All that false instruction
Which we never could believe
And now the heart is filled with gold
As if it was a purse
But oh, what kind of love is this
Which goes from bad to worse?
Why must I always be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We’re so alone
And life is brief,
And scratched your name in sand
Though you just thought that it was nothing more
Than a place for you to stand
Now I want you to know that while you watched
Discovered that there was no one true
That I myself was among the ones
Why am I always the one who must be the thief?
Come to me now, you know
We’re so alone
And life is brief
The Band Woodstock
A trickle…
Chip Monch pauses the performance for a few moments because there is an PA issue. A bit of “Testing one two” and Chip again asks those on the light tower to get down and to stay away from the tower’s guy wires as “there is [an electrical] trickle in that area.”
The interruption lasted a few minutes.
We Can Talk
The third song from Big Pink. From Wikipedia:“We Can Talk” shows unrelated snippets of conversation between members of The Band. Levon Helm wrote in his autobiography “It’s a funny song that really captures the way we spoke to one another; lots of outrageous rhymes and corny puns.”
It’s that same old riddle, only starts from the middle
I’d fix it but I don’t know how
Well, we could try to reason, but you might think it’s treason
One voice for all
Echoing (echoing) echoing along the hall
Don’t give up on father’s clock
We can talk about it now
To keep the wheels turnin’ you got to keep the engine churnin’
Well, did ya ever milk a cow? (Milk a cow?)
Well, I had the chance one day but I was all dressed up for Sunday!
Everybody, everywhere:
Do you really care?
Well, then pick up your heads and walk
We can talk about it now
Underneath our tongues
I’m afraid if you ever got a pat on the back
It would likely burst your lungs
Whoa, stop me, if I should sound kinda
Down in the mouth
But I’d rather be burned in Canada
Than to freeze here in the South!
We got to find a sharper blade, or have a new one made
Rest awhile and cool your brow
Don’t ya see, there’s no need to slave, the whip is in the grave
No salt, no trance
It’s safe now (you know it’s safe) to take a backward glance
Because the grains have turned to chow!
We can talk about it now,
We can talk about it now
The Band Woodstock
Long Black Veil
The fourth song from Big Pink, but a cove a 1959 country ballad, written by Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin and originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell.
There was someone killed ‘neath the town hall light
There were few at the scene and they all did agree
That the man who ran looked a lot like me
“If you were somewhere else, then you won’t have to die”
I spoke not a word, though it meant my life
I had been in the arms of my best friend’s wife
She visits my grave where the night winds wail
Nobody knows, no, and nobody sees
Nobody knows but me
She stood in the crowd and shed not a tear
But sometimes at night when the cold wind moans
In a long black veil, she cries over my bones
She visits my grave where the night winds wail
Nobody knows, no, and nobody sees
Nobody knows but me
The Band Woodstock
Don’t You Tell Henry
Someone calls out “Where’s Dylan!” Another says, “We want Dylan.” He’s not there of course, but some of his songs were. Like this one. A Dylan UK site has a lot to say about the song.
I was lookin’ around just to see who’s born
I spied a little chicken down on his knees
I went up and yelled to him
“Please, please, please!”
Don’t ya tell Henry
Don’t ya tell Henry
Apple’s got your fly”
I was lookin’ around just to see myself
I looked high and low, I looked above
Well who did I see but the one I love
Don’t ya tell Henry
Don’t ya tell Henry
Apple’s got your fly”
I was lookin’ around, I was outta sight
I looked at a horse and I saw a mule
I looked for a cow and I saw me a few
They said, “Don’t ya tell Henry
Don’t ya tell Henry
Don’t ya tell Henry
Apple’s got your fly”
A-lookin’ around just to see who was born
I saw a little chicken down on his knees
I went up and yelled to him
“Please, please, please!”
He said, “Don’t ya tell Henry
Don’t ya tell Henry
Don’t ya tell Henry
Apple’s got your fly”
The Band Woodstock
Ain’t No More Cane on the Brazos
Ain’t No More… is a cover of a traditional work song and sometimes attributed to Huddie Ledbetter (Lead Belly), but no references can be found for that idea, nor can ethnomusicologist Alan Lomax find that connection.
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It’s all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
They were driving the women just like they drove the men
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Don’t you rise up til Judgment Day is for sure
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It’s all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well ya drove that bully ’till he went stone blind
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Well you may get a pardon and then you might drop dead
Oh, oh, oh-oh
Oh, oh, oh-oh
It’s all been ground down to molasses
Oh, oh, oh-oh
The Band Woodstock
This Wheel’s on Fire
Fifth song from Big Pink and another Dylan collaboration, this with Rick Danko.
We’re going to meet again and wait
So I’m going to unpack all my things
And sit before it gets too late
No man alive will come to you
With another tale to tell
And you know that we shall meet again
If your memory serves you well
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode
And wrap it up in a sailor’s knot and hide it in your case
If I knew for sure that it was yours, and it was oh so hard to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode
Who called on them to call on me to get you your favours done
And after every plan had failed and there was nothing more to tell
And you know that we shall meet again if your memory serves you well
Best notify my next of kin
This wheel shall explode
The Band Woodstock
I Shall Be Released
Sixth song from Big Pink and another Dylan song.
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
A man who swears he’s not to blame
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
The Band Woodstock
The Weight
The seventh from Big Pink and arguably the best and best known song by the Band, a Robbie Robertson composition.
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 for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)
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 for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)
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’tcha stay and keep Anna Lee company?”
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)
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 for free
Take a load off Fanny
And (and) (and) you put the load right on me
(You put the load right on me)
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 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 Band Woodstock
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
After Chip Monck says that he thinks the crowd will have to convince them and the crowd responding enthusiastically, The Band’s encore was another Motown-based song, “Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever.” a 1966 song written by Ivy Jo Hunter and Stevie Wonder and performed by the Four Tops
That every night and day
I had to live the life of a lonely woman
Discovering love can be so true
When it’s shared by two instead of one
We could not be parted (we could not be parted)
And I built my world around you (I built my world around you)
I’m so thankful that I found you
(I ain’t never felt like this before)
Loving you has made my life sweeter than ever, sweeter than ever
For the love within my heart grows stronger
From day to day
To reassure and satisfy
‘Cause I’d be lost if you went away
And I need for you to need me too
(If you don’t go breaking my heart)
I have built my world around you
(I have built my world around you)
Baby I’m so thankful that I’ve found you
(I ain’t never felt like this before)
And loving you has made my life sweeter than ever
So much sweeter
And I’m thankful that you love me too
(Thankful that you love me too)
I have built my world around you
(I have built my world around you)
I am truly glad, I am truly glad
That loving you has made my life sweeter than ever
(You don’t know how much this means to me)
When I’m loving you
Me, you, us
Loving you has made my life sweeter than ever
(You don’t know how much this means to me)
I’m loving you, you made my life sweeter than ever
(You’re sweeter than ever baby)
Sweeter than ever (sweeter than ever)
So much sweeter (sweeter than ever)
Loving you is sweeter than ever…
The Band Woodstock
The next act was Johnny Winter.