What is the story behind The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down?

A Civil War narrative written in the first-person voice of a southerner by The Band’s guitarist Robbie Robertson, and sung by The Band’s southern drummer Levon Helm, “The Night They Drove OId Dixie Down” chronicles the final days of the War Between the States through the eyes of a southern farmer and Confederate …

Is The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down pro slavery?

“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” is quite literally the story about the defeat of the Confederacy, in no way glorifying its cause, or slavery, told from the perspective of a poor Southerner from Tennessee who would have not been in a position to own slaves, and due to conscription, would have been forced to fight …

When did Joan Baez release The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down?

1971
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down/Released

Was Virgil Caine a real person?

The main character in the song, Virgil Caine, is fictional, but there really was a “Danville train” and “Stoneman’s cavalry.” He was the only band member who was from the South (Arkansas), so it was fitting that he played the role of Virgil Caine, a Virginia train worker, in this song.

What does Dixie stand for?

The word Dixie takes on a different meaning for different people. Most commonly, it’s associated with the old South and Confederate states. Dixie was considered the land south of the Mason-Dixon line, where slavery was legal.

Why is the South called Dixie?

According to the most common explanation of the name, $10 notes issued before 1860 by the Citizens’ Bank of New Orleans and used largely by French-speaking residents were imprinted with dix (French: “ten”) on the reverse side—hence the land of Dixies, or Dixie Land, which applied to Louisiana and eventually the whole …

What does take the load off Fanny mean?

“Take the load off Fanny,” in other words, would mean just the opposite of doing a favor for a friend.

Why is Dixie called Dixie?

When did the night they drove Old Dixie down come out?

The lyrics are in the video and listed below along with some notes on the song from Wikipedia. “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” is a song written by Robbie Robertson and originally recorded by the Canadian-American roots rock group the Band in 1969 and released on their eponymous second album.

When did Joan Baez record the night they drove Old Dixie down?

Joan Baez recorded a version of the song that became a top-five chart hit in late 1971. Levon Helm, a native of Arkansas, stated that he assisted in the research for the lyrics. In his 1993 autobiography, This Wheel’s on Fire, Helm wrote, “Robbie and I worked on ‘The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down’ up in Woodstock.

Who was Virgil Caine in night they drove Old Dixie down?

He was the only band member who was from the South (Arkansas), so it was fitting that he played the role of Virgil Caine, a Virginia train worker, in this song. Robbie Robertson is the song songwriter credited on this track.

Who is the songwriter of the song Old Dixie?

Robbie Robertson is the song songwriter credited on this track. Speaking about Levon Helm’s contribution, he told Goldmine in 1998: “Levon’s connection to it was, things that when I went down there, things that he turned me on to. Just kind of showing me around and stuff, and bringin’ me up to speed on what was goin’ on in his ‘hood.’