The Weight

WRITTEN BY: J.R. ROBERTSON

I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' about half past dead; 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, and "No!", was all he said. Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free; Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can put the load right on me. 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 m'friend can stick around." Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free; Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can 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 Judgement Day. "Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?" He said, "Do me a favor, son, woncha stay an' keep Anna Lee company?" Take a load off Fanny, take a load for free; Take a load off Fanny, And (and) (and) you can 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 can put the load right on me. Catch a cannon ball now, t'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 can put the load right on me.

Copyright ©

Brief Character bios (if needed)

Mister

Unnamed

Doesn't know where a man might find a bed

He's an Asshole (He just grinned and shook my hand / "No" was all he said)

Carmen and the Devil

Probably a friend of the narrator

Walks side-by-side with the Devil (Possibly platonic? Possibly romantic?)

The devil might be a nickname for someone OR he's the literal devil

The narrator likes hanging out with Carmen, not so keen on the devil (I said, "Hey Carmen / Come on, let's go downtown" / She said, "I gotta go / But my friend can stick around")

Miss Moses, Ol' Luke, and Young Anna Lee

Miss Moses: Kind. Friendly. Concerned about Luke.

Luke: Religious. Waiting on Judgement Day. Concerned about Anna Lee. He doesn't think she's making it to Heaven with him.

Anna Lee: Young girl. Needs somebody (the narrator) to watch her and keep her company when he goes to Heaven without her. (He said, "Do me a favor, son / Won't ya stay and keep Anna Lee company?")

Crazy Chester and his dog Jack

Crazy, obviously. (Drummer/vocalist Levon Helm in his autobiography This Wheel's On Fire confirms that Chester was a real man who lived somewhere close to his hometown of Turkey Scratch, Arkansas. Helm said Crazy Chester used to wander around town with a loaded gun.)

Stalks the narrator (Crazy Chester followed me / And he caught me in the fog)

Has the ability to give the narrator a place to sleep on the condition that the narrator adopts Jack (He said, "I will fix your rack / If you'll take Jack, my dog." "Fix your rack" was a slang term for finding a place to sleep. Was commonly used by homeless people)

The narrator thinks Chester wants them to kill Jack (I said, "Wait a minute, Chester / You know I'm a peaceful man")

Chester loves Jack and just wants somebody to feed him. (He said, "That's okay, boy / Won't you feed him when you can?" (Yeah))

Jack: A dog. Needs somebody to feed him. Assumed to be a good boy.

Miss. Fanny

The woman who sends the narrator on their travels in the first place.

It is unknown why she sent the narrator on their travels

Supposedly a woman who does it all and shouldn't have to (Take a load off, Fanny ... You put the load right on me)

Wants the narrator to say hello to all the other characters for her (You know she's the only one / Who sent me here with her / Regards for everyone)

Well-known

A woman you don't say "no" to.

The Band - The Weight (1968) Robbie Robertson from: "Music From Big Pink" (LP) "The Weight" / "I Shall Be Released" (Single)

Roots Music

Snuhfiles (left click = play) (320kbps)

Personnel: Levon Helm: Lead and Harmony Vocals / Drums Rick Danko: Co-Lead and Harmony Vocals / Bass Guitar Robbie Robertson: Acoustic Guitar Richard Manuel: Hammond Organ / Harmony Vocals Garth Hudson: Piano

Produced by John Simon

Recorded @ A&R Recorders (Studio A) in New York City, New York USA January, 1968

Album Released on July 1, 1968

Single Released: on August 8, 1968

Capitol Records

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪

Video: The Band w/ The Staple Singers - The Weight (1978) from Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz https://youtu.be/Z2eTW8qZBtk

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If you know you know.

Daily Listening, Day #1,146 - February 19th, 2023

Album: Music From Big Pink (Capitol, 1968)

Artist: The Band

Genre: Folk Rock, Roots Rock

Track Listing: 

"Tears Of Rage"

"To Kingdom Come"

"In A Station"

"Caledonia Mission"

"The Weight"

"We Can Talk"

"Long Black Veil"

"Chest Fever"

"Lonesome Suzie"

"This Wheel's On Fire"

"I Shall Be Released"

Favorite Song: "Chest Fever"

The Band - Live In Pittsburgh - 1970 - Past Daily Soundbooth -(RIP: Robbie Robertson - 1943-2023)

The Band – quintessential Roots Rock/Americana the 60s badly needed. https://pastdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/the-band-live-1970-avro-holland.mp3 This has not been a good week for music. With the news earlier today of Robbie Robertson’s passing, social media has been filled with tributes, memories and recollections of one of the key figures in Rock of the later 60s. And since I ran this…

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The Weight - The Band

RIP Robbie Robertson

Song of the Day - Today is the 55th Anniversary of the release of “The Weight”, the signature song of The Band, which was released July 1st, 1968, on their debut album, “Music From Big Pink”.

Sung by Levon Helm and Rick Danko, the song is credited as written just by Robbie Robertson.

Described as "a masterpiece of Biblical allusions, enigmatic lines and iconic characters" and an "essential part of the American songbook.”… And although the town of Nazareth in the song is assumed Biblical, Robbie says it referred to Nazareth, Pa., home of Martin Guitars, since Robbie composed most of this song on a Martin...and though Robbie is credited with this song, he readily admits it is all about Levon, his Southern roots and upbringing...all the characters in this song are people from Levon's childhood... Robbie says that when Levon took him around the places of his youth, it humbled Robbie so much that he wanted to write something that was worthy of Levon's voice… This is touching considering how badly things ended app between the two. Levon fought Robbie on much, this song being one thing, credit wise... Levon fought for shared credit for Garth, Richard, and Rick for the most part, and a tiny fraction of lyric credit for himself... This was the source of the animosity that grew between Levon and Robbie, and stayed til just before Levon's passing when Robbie knew he needed to come make some peace with Levon...

Even with all that "weight", the song remains powerful as hell every time I hear it... it never doesn't stop me in my tracks...

[Mary Elaine LeBey]

july 1st, 1968

The Band release Music from Big Pink, their debut studio album.

Wish I was back just breathing that air

take a load off fanny.....take a load for free......take a load off fanny.....and/and/and you put the load/put the load/put the load right on me

Hydrangea paniculata (panicle hydrangea)

This hydrangea is usually snow white in the summer but in the fall it becomes totally pinked-out. Personally, I think this dash of color makes it look more attractive at this time of year.