"The Weight" - Gospel Roots Music - Spiritual - The Band and the Staple Singers

IN The Last Waltz (1978 concert film, directed by

Martin Scorsese): this song is a featured standard hit

by THE BAND.  Featured singers include Mavis Staples

and Levon Helm.

I pulled into Nazareth

  I was feelin' 'bout half past dead

Just needed to find a place

  Where I could lay my head

"Mister, can you tell me?

  Where a girl might find a bed?"

He just grinned and shook my hand,

  And "No" was all he said.

CHORUS: Take a load off Fanny!

        Take a load for free!

        Take a load off Fanny!

       And (and, and) you put the load right on me!

2. I picked up my bag

I went lookin' for a place to hide

When I saw Carmen and the Devil

walking side by side!

I said, "Hey Carmen, come on, let's go downtown"

She said, "I gotta go, but my friend

can stick around!"     CHORUS

3. Well, I go down Moses, ain't nothin'

you can say

It's my friend Luke,

and Luke's waiting on the Judgement Day.

Tell me, Luke, my friend,

all about young Anna Lee.

I'm gonna do myself a favor, stick around

and keep Anna Lee company!  CHORUS

4. Crazy Chester followed me, he caught

me in the fog;

He said, "I will fix your rack, if

you'll take my old dog, Jack"

Hey wait a minute, Chester, you know

I am a peaceful man!  He said,

"That's OK, just feed him whenever you can"

CHORUS

5. Gonna catch a cannonball, that'll take

me all down the line!

You know, my bag is sinkin' low and I

do believe that it's time!

To get back to Miss Fanny, you know

that she's the only one!

Fanny sent me down here tonight,

with her regards for ev'ry one!

CHORUS repeated