The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

From the 1978 film 'The Last Waltz'

Virgil Caine is the name, and I served on the Danville train,
Til Stoneman's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again.
In the winter of '65, We were hungry, just barely alive.
By May tenth, Richmond had fell, it's a time I remember, oh so well,

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, when all the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and all the people were singin'. They went,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na,


Back with my wife in Tennessee, When one day she called to me,
Said "Virgil, quick, come and see, there goes the Robert E. Lee!"
Now I don't mind choppin' wood, and I don't care if the money's no good.
Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest,
But they should never have taken the very best.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, when all the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and all the people were singin'. They went,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na,

Like my father before me, I will work the land,
And like my brother above me, who took a rebel stand.
He was just eighteen, proud and brave, But a Yankee laid him in his grave,
And I swear by the mud below my feet,
You can't raise a Caine back up when he's in defeat.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, when all the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, and all the people were singin'. They went,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na, Na, Na, Na,
Na, Na, Na,

[Grandfathertime]

Being black and seeing the Last Waltz in theaters back when it came out totally by mistake because I saw Martin Scorsese name with it thinking it was going to be a gangster movie and finding out it was a rockumentry about the band up until then never heard of them. I saw that movie over and over again back then I love it until this day that song was never taken to me as a negative thing I took as way the confederate side felt at the loss of the war. Nothing more.being a drummer I loved watching Levin Helm playing and singing that song man he was great. I'm tired of this cancel culture 😤.

[chrisflakus]

For the people whose panned this song for being a “confederate anthem, ” I would like to post this alternative: it’s a song about loss, about the cost of fighting a rich man’s war. It’s specific, but universal. A truly great song, and one of the saddest ever written, in its own way.

[tyleranderson]

One of the best live performances of all time

[mmccutchmc]

Robbie Robertson said he "was trying to write a song that Levon could sing better than anybody in the world". He did.

[paradoox]

I just can't believe that almost 4% of people don't like this. This is music. This is one of the greatest performances of real music ever.

[TheBunnyist]

RIP, Robbie Robertson....passed away today at the age of 80. Thanks for the music, Man!!

[SuperStrik]

Levon is singing his heart out here. Legendary performance.

[ace-of-space]

"Its not like it used to be" Robbie Robertson. Play on, my friend! 🎸🌟

[trushack]

A profound, heart-wrenching song...for me, anyway. Listen to the lyrics: this isn't the lament of a wealthy plantation/slave owner, demagogue, or political firebrand shouting that the South will rise again. It's the struggle of a regular guy trying to remain stoic in the face of his world being turned upside down by war. At least that's how I interpret it. One of my favorite songs ever.

[monsieurcommissaire]

Levon Helm's magnum opus. His vocal performance is astonishing. He is utterly committed. This is how you completely inhabit a song.

[robertrotole]

God bless Robbie Robertson. One of the greatest songs in history.

[LedZep]

Simply one of the best live performances of all time. Levon Helm is in a league of his own. Magnificent.

[neilpringle]

Never was the phrase “Rich Man’s War, Poor Man’s Fight” ever expressed better in music.

[toddstratford]

It’s a rare feat when a live version of a song is superior to the actual studio recording, yet this performance of the song is the definitive version. These musicians were at the top of their game during this live performance. Thank you to The Band and to Martin Scorsese for your brilliance.

[MrGreglarry]

What a masterpiece. Pain, loss, dignity, the senselessness of war ... a love song to family and home ... it's all there in one song.

[hoosiermomma]

This is (in my opinion) the career-defining performance of Levon Helm. He put his all into his final performance of this song. Great drummer, great singer, irreplaceable and missed.

[frankbrenner]

American history taught to us by Canadians. War punishes the young, the poor, and the misled.

[yvbdqmp]

"In the winter of '65, we were hungry, just barely alive..." Powerful lyrics, phenomenal performance.

[BlindWillieJackson]

A Mohawk-Canadian writes the quintessential Americana song. . . Robbie Robertson, R.I.P

[charlesbird]

I’m not going to complain that they don’t make music like this anymore; I’m just grateful that it got made period.