In 2019, a documentary (Once Were Brothers) about The Band was released. It took me years, but I finally watched it not long ago. Not that I didn’t want to, but it was one of those things where I didn’t get to it. I was going to write up about the documentary, but decided just to stick to this song. Yes, it’s a great documentary, and you should watch it when you get a chance. You see footage and hear things that you have never heard before. He tells the story of the Band in this song, and it’s both beautiful and sad.
This song was the theme and the soul of the documentary. Robertson always had characters in his songs. Virgil Kane, Crazy Chester, Fanny, and a certain drunkard’s dream. In this song, though, these are not just based on real people; they are real people. You don’t have to be a Band fan to enjoy this. We all have had long friendships that faded or ended on a misunderstanding.
This is Robertson looking back on The Band, not as legends, but as brothers tied together by music. As a longtime Band fan, the song hits hard for me. Robbertson acknowledges that what they created together was bigger than the fights and the silence. The Band would always be a part of him.
It just hit me recently why Robbie’s solo material didn’t sound much like the Band. I don’t think he went out of his way to be different. It took the 5 of them to make it sound like The Band.
The trailer to the documentary.
Once Were Brothers
When the light goes outAnd you can’t go onYou miss your brothersBut now they’re gone
Mm, uh…When the light goes outWe go our own wayNothing here but darknessNo reason to stay
Oh, once we’re brothersBrothers no moreWe lost a connectionAfter the war
There’ll be no revivalThere’ll be no one coldOnce were brothersBrothers no more
When that curtain comes downWe let go of the pastTomorrows another daySome things weren’t meant to last
When that curtain comes downOn the final actAnd you know, you know deep insideTheres no goin’ back
Once were brothersBrothers no moreWe lost our wayAfter the war
Can’t even rememberWhat we’re fighting forBut once were brothersBrothers no more
We already had it outBetween the north and southWhen we heard all the laughsComin’ out of your mouth
But we stood togetherLike we were next of kinAnd when the band played dixie(Dixie, dixie, dixie)Dixie marchin’ in
Once were brothersBrothers no moreWe lost our connectionAfter the war
There’ll be no revivalThere’ll be no encoreOnce were brothersBrothers no more
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