The Weight

This article is about the 1968 song. For the 2012 South Korean film, seeThe Weight (film).For the Sopranos episode, seeThe Weight (The Sopranos).

Not to be confused withThe Wait (disambiguation).

"The Weight"
Original French single
Singlebythe Band
from the albumMusic from Big Pink
B-side	"I Shall Be Released"
Released	August 8, 1968(1968-08-08)
Recorded	January 1968
Studio	A&R Recorders (studio A), New York City
Genre	Country rock,roots rock,folk rock
Length	4:34
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Robbie Robertson
Producer(s)	John Simon
The Bandsingles chronology
"The Weight" (1968) "Up on Cripple Creek" (1969)
Audio
"The Weight" by the BandonYouTube

"The Weight"is a song by the Canadian-American groupthe Bandthat was released as a single in 1968 and on the group's debut albumMusic from Big Pink.It was their first release under this name, after their previous releases as Canadian Squires and Levon and the Hawks. Written by Band memberRobbie Robertson,the song is about a visitor's experiences in a town mentioned in the lyric's first line as Nazareth. "The Weight" has significantly influenced American popular music, having been listed as No. 41 onRolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Timepublished in 2004.Pitchfork Medianamed it the 13th best song of the 1960s,and theRock and Roll Hall of Famenamed it one of the500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.PBS,which broadcast performances of the song onRamble at the Ryman(2011),Austin City Limits(2012),andQuick Hits(2012), describes it as "a masterpiece of Biblical allusions, enigmatic lines and iconic characters" and notes its enduring popularity as "an essential part of the American songbook."

"The Weight" is one of the Band's best known songs, gaining considerablealbum-oriented rockairplay even though it was not a significant hit single for the group in the US, peaking at only No. 63.After it was released, the record debuted just six days later onKHJ's"'Boss 30' records "and peaked at No. 3 there three weeks later. The Band's recording also fared well in Canada and the UK, peaking at No. 35 in Canada and No. 21 in the UK in 1968.Cash Boxcalled it a "powerhouse performance."American SongwriterandStereogumboth ranked the song number three on their lists of the Band's greatest songs.In 1968 and 1969, threecover versionswere released; their arrangements appealed to a wide diversity of music audiences.

The 1969 movieEasy Riderused the song as recorded by the Band, but it was not licensed for thesoundtrack album.To deal with this, ABC-Dunhill commissionedSmith,who recorded for the label at the time, to record a cover version of the song for the soundtrack album.

Composition

"The Weight" was written byRobbie Robertson,who found the tune by strumming idly on his guitar, when he noticed that the interior included a stamp noting that it was manufactured inNazareth, Pennsylvania(C. F. Martin & Companyis situated there) and he started crafting the lyrics as he played.The inspiration for and influences affecting the composition of "The Weight" came from the music of theAmerican South,the life experiences of band members, particularlyLevon Helm,and movies of filmmakersIngmar BergmanandLuis Buñuel.

The original members of the Band performed "The Weight" as anAmerican Southernfolk songwithcountry music(vocals, guitars and drums) andgospel music(piano and organ) elements. The lyrics, written in thefirst person,are about a traveler's arrival, visit, and departure from a town called Nazareth, in which the traveler's friend, Fanny, has asked him to look up some of her friends. According to Robertson, Fanny is based onFrances "Fanny" Steloff,the founder of a New York City bookstore where he explored scripts by Buñuel.The town is related to Nazareth, Pennsylvania, because it was the home ofMartin Guitars.(Robertson wrote the guitar parts on a 1951Martin D-28.)The singers, led by Helm, vocalize the traveler's encounters with people in the town from the perspective of aBible BeltAmerican Southerner,like Helm himself, a native of ruralArkansas.

The characters in "The Weight" were based on real people that members of the Band knew, as Helm explained in his autobiography,This Wheel's on Fire.In particular, "young Anna Lee" mentioned in the third verse is Helm's longtime friend Anna Lee Amsden,and, according to her, "Carmen" was from Helm's hometown,Turkey Scratch, Arkansas."Crazy Chester" was an eccentric resident of Fayetteville, Arkansas, who carried a cap gun.Ronnie Hawkinswould tell him to "keep the peace" at his Rockwood Club when Chester arrived.

According to Robertson, "The Weight" was inspired by the movies of Spanish filmmaker Luis Buñuel, whose films are known for theirsurreal imageryand criticism of organized religion, particularly Catholicism. The song's lyrics and music invoke vivid imagery, the main character's perspective is influenced by theBible,and the episodic story was inspired by the predicaments Buñuel's film characters faced that undermined their goals for maintaining or improving their moral character. Of this, Robertson once stated:

(Buñuel) did so many films on the impossibility of sainthood. People trying to be good inViridianaandNazarín,people trying to do their thing. In "The Weight" it's the same thing. People like Buñuel would make films that had these religious connotations to them but it wasn't necessarily a religious meaning. In Buñuel there were these people trying to be good and it's impossible to be good. In "The Weight" it was this very simple thing. Someone says, "Listen, would you do me this favour? When you get there will you say 'hello' to somebody or will you give somebody this or will you pick up one of these for me? Oh? You're going to Nazareth, that's where the Martin guitar factory is. Do me a favour when you're there." This is what it's all about. So the guy goes and one thing leads to another and it's like "Holy shit, what's this turned into? I've only come here to say 'hello' for somebody and I've got myself in this incredible predicament." It was very Buñuelish to me at the time.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes ofA Musical History.

• Levon Helm– lead and harmony vocals, drums
• Rick Danko– co-lead and harmony vocals, bass guitar
• Richard Manuel–Hammond organ,harmony vocals
• Garth Hudson– piano
• Robbie Robertson– acoustic guitar

Songwriting credit dispute

The songwriting credit to Robbie Robertson for "The Weight", like credit for many of the songs performed by the Band, was disputed years later by Levon Helm. Helm insisted that the composition of the lyrics and the music was collaborative, declaring that each band member made a substantial contribution. In an interview, Helm credited Robertson with 60 percent of the lyrics, Danko and Manuel with 20 percent each of the lyrics, much of the music credit toGarth Hudson,and a small credit to himself for lyrics.

Versions by other artists

External media
Audio
"The Weight" (fromThe Last Waltz) by the Band featuring the Staple SingersonYouTube
"The Weight" by Aretha FranklinonYouTube
"The Weight" by Diana Ross & the Supremes and the TemptationsonYouTube
Video
"The Weight" (visualizer) by the Staple SingersonYouTube

• Jackie DeShannonrecorded "The Weight" for her 1968 albumLaurel Canyon.Released as a single, it reached number 55 on theBillboardHot 100on September 28, 1968.
• The Staple Singersrecorded it, which was released on their 1968 albumSoul Folk in Action.Later, as part of the production of the concert filmThe Last Waltz,the group recorded a performance of the song with the Band,and the song has continued to be closely associated with Mavis Staples.
• Aretha Franklinreleased a cover of "The Weight" in 1969, withDuane Allmanonslide guitar,that reached number 19 on theBillboardHot 100 and number four on itsRhythm & Blues Singleschart on March 22, 1969.The song is included on her 1970 albumThis Girl's in Love with You.
• In 1969,Diana Ross & the Supremesandthe Temptationsrecorded a version of "The Weight" for their albumTogether.Released as a single, it appeared on several charts, including numbers 46 onBillboardmagazine'sHot 100and 33 on itsBest Selling Soul Singlescharts.
• In 2006, Canadiancountry musicartistAaron Pritchettcovered "The Weight" on his albumBig Wheel.It was released as a single and reached number six on theBillboardCanada Countrychart,and number 90 on theCanadian Hot 100.
• In September of 2019, Robertson and Ringo Starr (of the Beatles), along with musicians from 5 continents, compiled an eclectic and inspiring version of The Weightfor Playing for Change, a Certified B Corp (Social Purpose Corporation) created to inspire and connect the world through music.