the weight, acoustic cover
Finally the band finished a good recording of our cover of THE BANDs THE WEIGHT"The Weight" takes the folk music motif of a traveler, who arrives in Nazareth in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Once there, he encounters various residents of the town, the song being a story of these encounters.The residents include a man who cannot direct the traveler to a hotel, Carmen and the Devil walking side by side, "Crazy Chester," who offers a bed in exchange for the traveler taking his dog, and Luke who has gone out to wait for the apocalypse, leaving his young bride neglected.In Levon Helm's autobiography "This Wheel's on Fire," Helm explains that the people mentioned in the song were based on real people the Band knew. The "Miss Anna Lee" mentioned in the lyric is Helm's longtime friend Anna Lee Amsden.I pulled into Nazareth, I 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.(Chorus:)Take a load off Fannie, take a load for free;Take a load off Fannie, 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."(Chorus)Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can sayIt'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 Leecompany?"(Chorus)Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog.He said, "I will fix your rags, 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."(Chorus)Catch a Cannonball, now, t'take me down the lineMy bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time.To get back to Miss Annie, you know she's the only one.Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.(Chorus)