the band recorded the night they drove old dixie down.
who recorded the night they drove old dixie down?
the band
hoskyns states that the song appears to be set in a "one-horse town" common to western movies, but that the "harvest moon" and riverside described in the lyrics place the song within the american south, like other songs from the album such as "the night they drove old dixie down" and "king harvest (has surely come)." the link with "the night they drove old dixie down" was emphasized in many concerts in which "across the great divide" was often played immediately following "the night they drove old dixie down." hoskyns also sees a link with "up on cripple creek," since "cripple creek" is also a "good ol' boy classic" narrated by a "devil-may-care drunkard." the reference to a harvest moon provides a more direct link to the theme of harvest which runs through "the band" and especially "king harvest (has surely come)," which is the last song on "the band" and so helps bring thematic unity to the album. to harris, this link helps define the journey undertaken in "the band", from the "idealism" of "across the great divide" to "stark reality" of "king harvest." ward describes the song as sounding "old as the hills," and representing what the band does best, creating a "rustic, down-home narrative coupled by organic, acoustic instrumentation." band organist garth hudson plays saxophone in addition to organ on the song.
across the great divide (the band song)
robertson stated that he had the music to the song in his head but at first had no idea what it was to be about. then the concept came to him and he did research on the subject. levon helm, a native of arkansas, stated that he assisted in the research for the lyrics. in his 1993 autobiography, "", helm wrote, "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."
the night they drove old dixie down