the best (imho) songs - and books, movies, etc - are the ones that tell a story thats just vague enough where the listener can bring their own interpretation to it! and the weight does that in spades! one of my favorites.
i never had the chance to see the band live, but i’ve watched the last waltz dozens of times and many other videos of them. i dont know where levon goes when he’s singing, but, istm, he’s in a better place, and his reverie comes clearly through his voice to the audience.
I didn’t think that there was that much controversy over what the lyrics were although I know there are many interpretations of the meaning. If you listen to the Last Waltz version they are clearly saying Fanny and it’s rack not rag.
My daughter has a friend named Annalee. Whenever she mentions her I’m obligated to say “What about young Annalee?” That annoys my daughter which is pretty much the job of the father of a teenage girl.
Boy, I really misheard the words in this song. I always thought the fourth verse was a riff on the TV show Gunsmoke, with Chester saying, “I will fix (inaudible) if you take Jack McDaw..” Sort of like they’re in a standoff with two gunslingers, (Eurack?) and Jack McDaw. The narrator objects saying “I’m a peaceful man.” Then Chester says they should feed the gunslingers. Sure, why not? Maybe then they won’t shoot.
The other verses? Well, whatever. They were all on drugs back then anyway.
“It’s 25 or 26 minutes to 4 a.m., should I keep working on this song or pack it in for now and get some sleep?” That one at least I always found pretty understandable.
Don’t know what to write a song about? Why not write about sitting around trying to write a song? Just write what you’re doing at the moment. Nothing simpler. “Waiting for the break of day…”
ETA: A Nathan W. Pyle cartoon similarly shows him drawing a cartoon of himself drawing the cartoon. He draws himself spilling coffee onto it, and the next panel has a real coffee spill on the paper.
