Monday, July 31, 2006

How much weight would "The Weight" song weigh if "The Weight" song could be weighed?

That is perhaps the only question not tackled in this extensive exploration of the history and meanings behind "The Weight" by The Band originally released on their 1968 release Music From Big Pink.

Things I was surprised to learn:
1) It's "Take a load off, Fanny" and not Annie.

2) Although it turned into one of their most durable and well-known songs, it was thrown on the album as a second thought as sort of "filler". In the US the song never even cracked The Top 40, peaking at #63, although it's inclusion on the soundtrack to the 1969 Peter Fonda-Dennis Hopper stoned classic Easy Rider undoubtedly helped (US # 6 in October 1969 and 41 weeks on the chart).

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