Discurso de Lula da Silva (excerto)

___diegophc
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta Joan Baez. Mostrar todas as mensagens
Mostrar mensagens com a etiqueta Joan Baez. Mostrar todas as mensagens

segunda-feira, 14 de março de 2011

Sacco And Vanzetti a várias vozes




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De: | Criado: 05/01/2007

Ennio Morricone - Concert in Warsaw. "The Ballad Of Sacco And Vanzetti" - sings Dulce Pontes
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De: | Criado: 11/05/2008
Joan Baez performed this song for the 1971 film Sacco and Vanzetti.
The pictures and drawings (namely by Ben Shahn and William Groper) are taken from publications of the time of the case.

Father, yes I am a prisoner;
Fear not to relay my crime.
The crime is loving the forsaken,
Only silence is shame.

And now I'll tell you what's against us,
An art that's lived for centuries...
Go through the world and you will find
What's blackened all of history.
Against us is the law with its
Immensity of strength and power
- Against us is the law!
Police know how to make a man
A guilty or an innocent.
- Against us is the power of police!
The shameless lies that men have told
Will ever more be paid in gold...
- Against us is the power of the gold!
Against us is the racial hatred
And the simple fact that we're poor.

My father dear, I am a prisoner.
Don't be ashamed to tell my crime,
The crime of love and brotherhood;
And only silence is shame.

With me I have my love, my innocence,
The workers and the poor
For all of this I'm safe and strong
And hope is mine!
Rebellion, revolution don't need dollars,
They need this instead :
Imagination, suffering, light and love
And care for every human being!
You never steal, you never kill,
You are a part of hope and life.
The revolution goes from man to man
And heart to heart!
And I sense when I look at the stars
That we are children of life;
Death is small...
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De: | Criado: 18/03/2008
Throughout his career, Woody Guthrie experimented with various lyrical and musical styles. However, his best work invariably came from writing and singing about the causes and the people that he felt closest to: the workers, the unions, the poor dust bowl farmers, the downtrodden, and the oppressed. The album, Hard Travelin' includes this song, "Two Good Men" --about Sacco and Vanzetti, two immigrants executed for murder after an indictment and a trial that was inspired by politics and greed. The story of Sacco and Vanzetti still carries an ominous message. For those Americans concerned about the erosion of workers rights, the suspension of Habeas Corpus, the abandonment of the Geneva Conventions, unwarranted surveillance, and the imprisonment of alleged criminals without the right to a fair and speedy trial, the story of Sacco and Vanzetti should remain an ever-present reminder of our perilous times. -- Spadecaller
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Two Good Men
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie
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Two good men a long time gone,
Two good men a long time gone
(Two good men a long time gone, oh, gone),
Sacco, Vanzetti a long time gone,
Left me here to sing this song.
Say, there, did you hear the news?
Sacco worked at trimming shoes;
Vanzetti was a peddling man,
Pushed his fish cart with his hands.
Sacco was born across the sea
Somewhere over in Italy;
Vanzetti was born of parents fine,
Drank the best Italian wine.
Sacco sailed the sea one day,
Landed up in Boston Bay;
Vanzetti sailed the ocean blue,
Landed up in Boston, too.
Sacco's wife three children had,
Sacco was a family man;
Vanzetti was a dreaming man,
His book was always in his hand.
Sacco earned his bread and butter
Being the factory's best shoe cutter;
Vanzetti spoke both day and night,
Told the workers how to fight.
I'll tell you if you ask me
'Bout this payroll robbery;
Two clerks was killed by the shoe factory
On the street in South Braintree.
Judge Thayer told his friends around
He would cut the radicals down;
Anarchist bastards was the name
Judge Thayer called these two good men.
I'll tell you the prosecutors' names,
Katsman, Adams, Williams, Kane;
The judge and lawyers strutted down,
They done more tricks than circus clowns.
Vanzetti docked here in 1908;
He slept along the dirty streets,
He told the workers “Organize”
And on the electric chair he dies.
All you people ought to be like me,
And work like Sacco and Vanzetti;
And every day find some ways to fight
On the union side for workers' rights.
I've got no time to tell this tale,
The dicks and bulls are on my trail;
But I'll remember these two good men
That died to show me how to live.
All you people in Suassos Lane
Sing this song and sing it plain.
All you folks that's coming along,
Jump in with me, and sing this song.

© Copyright 1960 (renewed) by Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc.
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De: | Criado: 03/07/2010 
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Le marche de Sacco y Vanzetti - George Moustaki

 
Maintenant Nicolas et Bart
Vous dormez au fond de nos coeurs
Vous étiez tous seuls dans la mort
Mais par elle vous vaincrez!


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De: | Criado: 03/08/2009
não existe nenhuma descrição disponível

 Joan Baez - Here's to you, Nicola and Bart.
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Here's to You (La Marche De Sacco Et Vanzetti)

Joan Baez

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Here's to You Nicholas and Bart
Rest Forever Here in Our Hearts
the Last and Final Moment Is Yours
That Agony Is Your Triumph !
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Maintenant Nicolas Et Bart
Au Fond De Nos Coeurs Vous Dormez
Vous Étiez Tout Seuls Dans La Mort
Mais Par Elle Vous Vaincrez !
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Canto Aqui Nicola Y Bart
Vuestra Fin Y Vuestra Prisón
Et Morit Os Dí Libertad
Y Un Lugar En Mi Corazón
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Canto Así Nicola Y Bart
a Quién Odia La Esclavitud
a Quién Sabe Amar La Verdad
Canto Fuerte I Libertadi
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.http://letras.terra.com.br/baez-joan/223357/

terça-feira, 25 de janeiro de 2011

Guantanamera, por Joan Baez e Joseito Fernandez


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Scout4Me1 | 29 de Setembro de 2009 | utilizadores que gostaram deste vídeo, 1 utilizadores que não gostaram deste vídeo
Joan Baez ~ GUANTANAMERA ~ written by Jose Marti. Joan is at the height of her career, and what better than to cut an album all in Spanish!
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adolfomayo2 | 12 de Abril de 2010 | utilizadores que gostaram deste vídeo, 0 utilizadores que não gostaram deste vídeo
Increible Video de la Autentica Cuba..La cancion "Guantanamera" sigue en el corazón del pueblo cubano....La canción, con su ritmo pegadizo, prendió, y comenzó a emplearse en los festejos y en las calles, siendo la letra adaptada en cada ocasión por el cantante, siendo respetado únicamente el estribillo....
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Hace muchos años por entonces la gente solía advertirse: Cuidado, que te van a cantar La Guantanamera, pues la tonadilla se prestaba a la ironía, la protesta, y a "los líos de faldas ....La
canción ha sido interpretada por cientos de cantantes y grupos musicales....
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Guajira guantanamera
guantanamera
guajira guantanamera
Yo soy un hombre sincero
de donde crecen las palmas.
yo soy un hombre sincero
de donde crecen las palmas.
y antes de morir yo quiero
cantar mis versos del alma.
Guantanamera ....
Cultivo una rosa blanca
en junio como en enero.
cultivo una rosa blanca
en junio como en enero.
para el amigo sincero
que me da su mano franca.
Guantanamera ....
Mi verso es de un verde claro
y de un carmín encendido.
mi verso es de un verde claro
y de un carmín encendido.
mi verso es un ciervo herido
que busca en el monte amparo.
Guantanamera
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breathoffreshair360 | 7 de Abril de 2010 | utilizadores que gostaram deste vídeo, 3 utilizadores que não gostaram deste vídeo
GUANTANAMERA Original music by Jose Fernandez Diaz Music adaptation by Pete Seeger & Julian Orbon Lyric adaptation by Julian Orbon, based on a poem by Jose Marti Yo soy un hombre sincero De donde crecen las palmas Yo soy un hombre sincero De donde crecen las palmas Y antes de morirme quiero Echar mis versos del alma Chorus: Guantanamera Guajira Guantanamera Guantanamera Guajira Guantanamera Mi verso es de un verde claro Y de un carmin encendido Mi verso es de un verde claro Y de un carmin encendido Mi verso es un ciervo herido Que busca en el monte amparo Chorus I am a truthful man from this land of palm trees Before dying I want to share these poems of my soul My verses are light green But they are also flaming red (the next verse says,) I cultivate a rose in June and in January For the sincere friend who gives me his hand And for the cruel one who would tear out this heart with which I live I do not cultivate thistles nor nettles I cultivate a white rose Cultivo la rosa blanca En junio como en enero Qultivo la rosa blanca En junio como en enero Para el amigo sincero Que me da su mano franca Chorus Y para el cruel que me arranca El corazon con que vivo Y para el cruel que me arranca El corazon con que vivo Cardo ni ortiga cultivo Cultivo la rosa blanca Chorus Con los pobres de la tierra Quiero yo mi suerte echar Con los pobres de la tierra Quiero yo mi suerte echar El arroyo de la sierra Me complace mas que el mar Chorus ©1963,1965 (Renewed) Fall River Music, Inc (BMI) All Rights Reserved.

Guantanamera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Guantanamera"
Song
Language Spanish
Composer Joseíto Fernández
"Guantanamera" ("girl from Guantánamo") is perhaps the best known Cuban song and that country's most noted patriotic song.

Contents


History

Music

The music for the song is regularly attributed to José Fernández Diaz, known as Joseíto Fernández[1], who claimed to have written it at various dates (consensus puts 1929 as its year of origin), and who used it regularly in one of his radio programs. Some American researchers[who?] claim that the song's structure actually came from Herminio "El Diablo" García Wilson, who should be credited as a co-composer. García's heirs took the matter to court decades later but lost the case: the Supreme Court of Cuba credited Fernández as the sole composer of the music in 1993. Regardless of either claim, Fernández can safely be claimed as being the first public promoter of the song, through his radio programs.[2]

[edit] Lyrics

Original lyrics

As written by José Fernández, the original lyrics to the song relate to a woman from Guantánamo, with whom he had a romantic relationship, and who eventually left him. The alleged real story behind these lyrics (or at least one of many versions of the song's origin that Fernández suggested during his lifetime) is that she did not have a romantic interest in him, but merely a platonic one. If the details are to be believed, she had brought him a steak sandwich one day as a present to the radio station where he worked. He stared at some other woman (and attempted to flirt with her) while eating the sandwich, and his friend yanked it out of his hands in disgust, cursed him and left. He never saw her again. These words are rarely sung today.[citation needed]
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The history behind the chorus and its lyrics ("Guantanamera … / Guajira Guantanamera …") is similar: García was at a street corner with a group of friends, and made a courteous pass (a piropo, in Spanish) to a woman (who also happened to be from Guantánamo) who walked by the group. She answered back rather harshly, offended by the pass. Stunned, he could not take his mind off her reaction while his friends made fun of him; later that day, sitting at a piano with his friends near him, he wrote the song's main refrain.[citation needed]

Use as social "newspaper"

Given the song's musical structure, which fits A-B-A-B (sometimes A-B-B-A) octosyllabic verses, "Guantanamera" lent itself from the beginning to impromptu verses, improvised on the spot, similar to what happens with the Mexican folk classic "La Bamba". Fernández's first use of the song was precisely this; he would comment on daily events on his radio program by adapting them to the song's melody, and then using the song as a show closer. Through this use, "Guantanamera" became a popular vehicle for romantic, patriotic, humorous, or social commentary lyrics, in Cuba and elsewhere in the Spanish speaking world.

Adaptation from the "Versos Sencillos" by José Martí

The better known "official" lyrics are based on the first stanza of the first poem of the collection "Versos Sencillos" ("Simple Verses") by Cuban nationalist poet and independence hero José Martí, as adapted by Julián Orbón. Word has it that Orbón considered Martí's poems as fitting, and thus dignifying, to such a popular song. Given Martí's significance to the Cuban people, the use of his poem in the song virtually elevated it to unofficial anthem status in the country.

Ambiguity in the lyrics

In the original lyrics, the author referred to a guajira guantanamera (a peasant girl from Guantánamo), but since the song itself is structured as a guajira (the Cuban rhythm, named after Cuban peasants), some people (erroneously) think that the chorus refers to the song itself (or rather its rhythmic structure), and not to an individual. In other words, the words are interpreted as an introduction to a "guajira, Guantánamo-style". This has essentially guaranteed that the chorus' lyrics still be used to this day, as evidenced by their use along with the (seemingly) unrelated Martí verses.[citation needed]

Lyrics

Below are the lyrics based on the poem by Martí; as described above, many other versions exist.
Spanish language English language
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Y antes de morirme quiero
Echar mis versos del alma
Guantanamera, guajira, Guantanamera
I am an honest man
From where the palm tree grows
And before dying I want
To share the verses of my soul.
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmín encendido
Mi verso es de un ciervo herido
Que busca en el monte amparo
Guantanamera, guajira, Guantanamera
My verse is a clear(light) green
And it is flaming crimson
My verse is that of a wounded deer(servant, slave)
Who seeks refuge in the woods.
This third verse of "Versos Sencillos" is usually not part of the song
Cultivo una rosa blanca
En julio como en enero
Para el amigo sincero
Que me da su mano franca
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
I cultivate a white rose
In July as in January
For the sincere friend
Who gives me his honest hand.
Y para el cruel que me arranca
El corazón con que vivo
Cardo ni ortiga cultivo
Cultivo la rosa blanca
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
And for the cruel one who would tear out
the heart with which I live
I cultivate not nettles nor thistles
I cultivate the white rose
Final verse of song, as published:
Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
El arroyo de la sierra
Me complace más que el mar
Guantanamera, guajira Guantanamera
With the poor people of the earth
I want to cast my luck
The brook of the mountains
Pleases me more than the sea

Wyclef Jean version

"Guantanamera"
Single by Wyclef Jean featuring Lauryn Hill and Celia Cruz
from the album The Carnival
B-side Bubblegoose - Bakin' Cake
Released October 21, 1997
Format CD Single
Recorded 1997
Genre Rap
Length 4:30
Label Columbia Records
Writer(s) Joseíto Fernández
Producer Jerry 'Wonder' Duplessis, Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel
Wyclef Jean featuring Lauryn Hill and Celia Cruz singles chronology
"We Trying to Stay Alive"
(1997)
"Guantanamera"
(1997)
"Gone till November"
(1997)
"Guantanamera" was recorded by Wyclef Jean, released as the second single from his debut solo album, The Carnival. It features vocals by Celia Cruz and Lauryn Hill raps on the track. 
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"Guantanamera" entered the UK Singles Chart at #25, its highest chart position, and spent two weeks on the chart. The song also charted in Switzerland and Sweden. Copies of the CD Single featured a remix of Wyclef's previous single, "We Trying to Stay Alive".

Tracklisting

UK CD1 (665085 2)
  1. "Guantanamera" (Album Version)
  2. "Guantanamera" (Roxanne, Roxanne, Oye Gomo Va Remix) (Feat. Bernie Man & Kamani Marley)
  3. "Guantanamera" (Guga Jungle Mix)
  4. "We Trying To Stay Alive" (Rock Steady Mix)
UK CD2 (665085 5)
  1. "Guantanamera" (Album Version)
  2. "We Trying To Stay Alive" (Trying To Stay Alive Mix)
  3. "Bubblegoose - Bakin' Cake"
  4. "No Airplay - Men In Blue" (Feat. Youssou N'Dour)

Selected list of cover versions

References

  1. ^ Vizcaíno, María Argelia, Aspectos de la Guantanamera, La Página de José Martí , Part 1, and Manuel, Peter (2006), “The Saga of a Song: Authorship and Ownership in the Case of ‘Guantanamera’.” Latin American Music Review 27/2, pp. 1-47
  2. ^ Ibid, Part 2, Paragraphs 1-3.

External links

See also

quarta-feira, 16 de junho de 2010

Joan Baez - Forever Young


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Cal44 25 de Outubro de 2007Joan singing "Forever Young" a Bob Dylan song. In my opinion, the best cover of the song.
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Artist  : Bob Dylan 
Song : Forever Young
 
May God bless and keep you always 
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others 
And let others do for you
May you build a ladder to the stars 
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young 
May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous 
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth 
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous 
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young 
May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy 
May your feet always be swift
May you have a strong foundation 
When the winds of changes shift
May your heart always be joyful 
And may your song always be sung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young 
May you stay forever young.
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http://www.lyricsfire.com/viewlyrics/bob-dylan/forever-young-lyrics.htm
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terça-feira, 25 de maio de 2010

Joan Baez canta José Afonso relembrando-nos a fraternidade e a união como outrora fez em Espanha.

Luis desenha

 

quinta-feira, 8 de Abril de 2010



Joan Baez passou por cá em Março. Cantou esta canção de José Afonso, que foi senha para a revolução do 25 de Abril de 1974. Ela certamente viajou no tempo, recuando 30 anos, até quando esteve entre nós. Por outro lado estava bem no presente, sabendo que Abril se avizinhava, cantando o que se tornou num hino de libertação e esperança na fraternidade humana Joan Baez canta "Grândola, Vila Morena" (José Afonso) from angelanns on Vimeo.
Joan Baez que menos de um mês antes esteve cantando para o presidente dos Estados Unidos da América, seguiu após este concerto, para Madrid. Foi-lhe imposta a Ordem de las Artes y Letras de España pela ministra da cultura. A condecoração aprovada pelo parlamento espanhol traduz o reconhecimento e o agradecimento institucional a uma artista que relevou a cultura espanhola numa altura em que não era ainda um referencial. Estou falando de um disco que tomou o nome de uma canção de Violeta Parra, "Gracias a la Vida".O disco editado em 1974 apanha a queda da Ditadura Espanhola nascida da Guerra Civil de 1936-1939. Estive no sul de Espanha por essa altura, em 1978. O disco era tocado nas grandes superfícies comerciais, e a canção Gracias a la Vida era cantada nas ruas. Este facto aparentemente sem relevância, no meu entender, materializa a importância da arte na vida de cada um de nós.
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Cantando aquelas canções da identidade hispano americana, Joan Baez estava a chamar a atenção para a necessidade de voltar à raiz, ao que é básico e fundamental. Não pretendo ver aqui uma intencionalidade consciente da parte de Joan Baez, tenho mais a tendência a pensar que o seu espírito intuitivo a levou a gravar aquelas canções naquela altura.
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Quando o disco saiu em 1974 adivinhava-se já o fim da guerra do Vietname que terminou um ano depois. Esta guerra que causou tanta destruição, que tantas vítimas fez e ainda hoje faz nas pessoas que a viveram, nos seus descendentes e nos que habitam aquele espaço, também afectou a sociedade americana..
Em Portugal viviam-se tempos agitados de reacção aos excessos feitos em nome da revolução do 25 de Abril de 1974. -Os mais aguerridos revolucionários daquele tempo migraram entretanto no sentido oposto, basta ver o caso do Presidente da Comissão Europeia entre inúmeros outros.
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Nesse tempo a Grândola Vila Morena se fôsse cantada na rua entre pessoas que nessa altura se diziam de direita, do centro, da social-democracia e até do partido dito socialista recebia reacções de reprovação e até de agressão. Isso mesmo aconteceu comigo!
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Esta canção que apela à fraternidade, e em ultima análise à vontade do povo e à democracia, foi proíbida numa rádio ligada à Igreja Católica. Permaneceu assim vários anos, não sei se ainda hoje continua proibida. 
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Em Espanha entre 1975 e 1979 a democracia dava os primeiros passos e as trevas da ditadura e da guerra civil pairavam de novo. A Espanha apesar da repressão não consolidara ainda uma identidade nacional. Novamente se falavam as várias línguas nacionais que o estado totalitário banira das escolas e até impedira de serem faladas pelos seus naturais. A língua castelhana promovida a língua espanhola oficial e única, não espelhava a realidade social em mudança profunda, as clivagens nacionais forçavam o separatismo e ameaçavam poder desagregar o próprio Estado. Então que coisa melhor podia acontecer? Uma cantora americana de grande renome, conectada com ideias progressistas, com ascendência hispânica, cantava em castelhano-espanhol valores tradicionais e universais que se perpetuam até hoje. Melhor ainda, ao mesmo tempo essa cantora, ainda que involuntáriamente, remetia para o tempo em que a unidade espanhola frutificara num Império que reclamava como seu meio mundo incluindo Portugal, Brasil e todos esses territórios onde os portugueses faziam sua pátria. Com a sua arte relembrava a importância de agradecer à Vida a existência e tudo o que possuem os seres humanos por inerência a estarem vivos. Joan Baez apelava á valorização do que não valorizamos por acharmos ser nosso por direito garantido. A importância passava a residir no que é comum em substituiçao do que divide e causa ressentimento. Joan Baez sabia já nessa altura, como Violeta Parra, que agradecer à Vida pode ser também uma forma de consciência da morte e de afirmação do não Ser. A fraternidade e a união promovem a partilha. Isso pode ser uma forma de retorno a casa. 
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domingo, 9 de maio de 2010

Wings of the old days - Joan Baez


sábado, 8 de maio de 2010

Canções da Guerra Civil Norte Americana (2)

Johnny Cash sings Civil War songs



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abargle 3 de Julho de 2009 — Johnny Cash's love for country nearly rivaled that of his love for the Lord, and he took advantage of every opportunity to explore his patriotism in all its complexity and nuance on his short-lived variety show. In this August 30, 1969, "Ride This Train" segment, he salutes the veterans and victims of the Civil War in song and story. Includes a cover of Johnny Horton's "Johnny Reb." That's a whole lot of Johnny!
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Civil War Song "Chaplain" CD Title "No Longer Gray Or Blue"
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lisagodino1 5 de Agosto de 2007 — The Civil War soldier, capturing the soul and spirit of him "never forget me". This song is on our new CD "No Longer Gray Or Blue" listen to sound clips visit our web site www.plumrunmusic.com

Lyrics

When I walk into a battle will I be a strong man as I hold this riffle musket in my trembling hands. Will I turn around and run and be shunned by everyone or fight proud and brave and be taken to my grave

Chorus
Oh chaplain here me calling out to you whats a young boys heart suppose to do and chaplain take me by your weary side and pray for me to go to heaven should I die

Will I be sickened by the blood that colors the farmers field will I cry out loudly for the death of my peers will I go to shoot a man and be frozen in my stance or will I shoot him down with just one round oh here I go again

Chours
Oh chaplain here me calling out to you whats a young boys heart suppose to do and chaplain take me by your weary side and pray for me to go to heaven should I die

And this train keeps a rolling down these old rusty rail you can hear her whistle blowing across this northern Ohio trail

When I reach my destination I will try to be brave I will fight for my country no matter what it takes and if I do not survive will someone please take me home and bury me in the soil of Ohio

Chours
Oh chaplain here me calling out to you whats a young boys heart suppose to do and chaplain take me by your weary side and pray for me to go to heaven should I die and pray for me to go to heaven should I die

Words and Music Lisa Godino

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Field Musicians of the Civil War



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tapsbugler 10 de Maio de 2007 — Musicians provided music during the the Civil War. Fifers drummers and buglers provided the beat to everyday life of the soldier. Check out the National Civil War Field Music School at Pamplin Park http://www.nationalcivilwarfieldmusic...
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Brass Bands of the Civil War


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tapsbugler 10 de Maio de 2007Brass Bands played an important role during the Civil War providing martial music for dress parades, serenades for officers and music of home for the troops. Music recorded by the Federal City Brass Band, one of the top Civil War bands in the U.S. today. Tunes include Bonnie Blue Flag Dixie and Battle Hymn of the Republic. For more information please visit www.jvmusic.net
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Joan Baez - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down


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Joan Baez : the Night They Drove Old Dixie Down Lyrics

Songwriters: Robertson, Robbie;


The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is a song written by Canadian musician Robbie Robertson, first recorded by The Band in 1969 and released on their self-titled second album.

Contents

 

 Meaning of song

The lyrics tell of the last days of the American Civil War and its aftermath. Confederate soldier Virgil Caine "served on the Danville train," the main supply line into the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia is holding the line at the Siege of Petersburg. As part of the offensive campaign, Union Army General George Stoneman's forces "tore up the track again". The siege lasted from June 1864 to April 1865, when both Petersburg and Richmond fell, and Lee's troops were starving at the end ("We were hungry / Just barely alive"). Virgil relates and mourns the loss of his brother: "He was just eighteen, proud and brave / But a Yankee laid him in his grave."
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Ralph J. Gleason (in the review in Rolling Stone (US edition only) of October 1969) explains why this song has such an impact on listeners: "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."
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Robertson claimed that he had the music to the song in his head but had no idea what it was to be about. "At some point [the concept] blurted out to me. Then I went and I did some research and I wrote the lyrics to the song." Robertson continued, "When I first went down South, I remember that a quite common expression would be, 'Well don't worry, the South's gonna rise again.' At one point when I heard it I thought it was kind of a funny statement and then I heard it another time and I was really touched by it. I thought, 'God, because I keep hearing this, there's pain here, there is a sadness here.' In Americana land, it's a kind of a beautiful sadness." [1]

Context within the album and The Band's history

According to the liner notes to the 2000 reissue of The Band by Rob Bowman, the album, The Band, has been viewed as a concept album, with the songs focusing on peoples, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana.
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Though never a major hit, "Dixie" was the centerpiece of The Band's self-titled second album, and, along with "The Weight" from Music From Big Pink, remains one of the songs most identified with the group.
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The Band frequently performed the song in concert, and it can be found on the group's live albums Rock of Ages (1972) and Before the Flood (1974). It was also a highlight of their "farewell" concert on Thanksgiving Day 1976, and is featured in the documentary film about the concert, The Last Waltz, as well as the soundtrack album from the film. It was #245 on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.[2]
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The last time the song was performed by Helm was in The Last Waltz (1978). Since Robertson went to the record label and claimed that he wrote the music and lyrics, he has writing credits to the song (and most other songs by The Band, including "The Weight"). Helm, a native of Alabama, claims to have contributed significantly to the lyrics. In his 1993 book 'This Wheel's on Fire', Helm writes 'Robbie and I worked on "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" up in Woodstock. I remember taking him to the library so he could research the history and geography of the era and make General Robert E. Lee come out with all due respect.'"
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Levon Helm refuses to play the song and it has not been heard live since 1978 even though Helm holds concerts, which he calls "Midnight Rambles", several times a month at his private residence in Woodstock, NY.

Covers of song

The song has spawned a handful of cover versions.
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The most successful English-language cover of the song was a version by Joan Baez released in 1971, which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, as well as spending five weeks atop the adult contemporary chart[3]. Baez's version made some changes to the song lyric; The second line "Till Stoneman's cavalry came". Baez sings "Till so much cavalry came". She also changed "May the tenth" to "I took the train". In addition, the line "like my father before me, I will work the land" was changed to "like my father before me, I'm a working man", changing the narrator from a farmer to a laborer. In the last verse she changed "the mud below my feet" to "the blood below my feet". Baez later told Rolling Stone's Kurt Loder that she initially learned the song by listening to the recording on the Band's album, and had never seen the printed lyrics at the time she recorded it, and thus sang the lyrics as she'd (mis)heard them. In more recent years in her concerts, Baez has performed the song as originally written by Robertson.[4]
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Johnny Cash covered the song on his 1975 album John R. Cash. Old-time musician Jimmy Arnold recorded the song on his album "Southern Soul," which was composed of songs associated with the Southern side of the Civil War. Steve Young recorded the song on his 1975 album Honky Tonk Man. Richie Havens performed the song on his Live at the Cellar Door album in 1990. The song also appears on the album Whose Garden Was This by John Denver, released in 1970. It was also included in his 2001 release, John Denver The Greatest Collection. The song has also been covered by The Black Crowes; live versions can be found on a few of their 2005 & 2006 Instant Live recordings, and on their DVD/CD Freak and Roll... Into the Fog. Scottish rock band Big Country also covered the song on their live album Eclectic. The Allman Brothers Band covered the song for the 2007 album Endless Highway: The Music of The Band. Lead singer and guitarist Warren Haynes also appears with his band Gov't Mule on the same album covering "The Shape I'm In". The Jerry Garcia Band also covered the song live for over 20 years and it is still held as a fan favorite today.
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In 1972, a cover of the song called "Am Tag, als Conny Kramer starb" (which translates literally as "On the Day Conny Kramer Died", or "The Day when Conny Kramer Died" to fit the rhythm of the tune), was a number one hit in West Germany for singer Juliane Werding. For this version, the lyrics were not translated but rather changed completely to an anti-drug anthem about a young man dying because of his drug addiction - an extremely hot topic in that year, when heroin was making the first big inroads in Germany. In 1986 the German band Die Goldenen Zitronen made a parody version of this song with the title "Am Tag, als Thomas Anders starb" ("On the Day Thomas Anders Died").
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A fairly large-scale orchestrated version of the song appears on the little-known 1971 concept album California '99 (ABC Records, ABC728) by composer/arranger/producer Jimmie Haskell, with lead vocal by Jimmy Witherspoon.
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In 2007, The Charlie Daniels Band covered it on the album Deuces, with their cover version including guest vocals from Vince Gill.
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Big Country recorded this on their live album, "Eclectic", released August 5, 1996.

Personnel on The Band version

References

  1. ^ The Band: The Last Waltz
  2. ^ The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time : Rolling Stone
  3. ^ The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition, 1996
  4. ^ Kurt Loder (1983). "Joan Baez: The Rolling Stone Interview". Rolling Stone 4/14/83 (issue # 393)/4

External links

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