[Verse 1: Levon Helm]
I pulled in to Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need someplace where I can lay my head
"Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man might find a bed?"
He just grinned and shook my hand, "No" was all he said
[Chorus: Helm, Rick Danko & Richard Manuel]
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 (You put the load right on me)
[Verse 2: Helm]
I picked up my bag, I went looking 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: Helm, Rick Danko & Richard Manuel]
Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free (For free)
Take a load off, Fanny
And (And, and)
You put the load right on me (You put the load right on me)
[Verse 3: Levon Helm]
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgment Day
"Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?"
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't ya stay and keep Anna Lee company?"
[Chorus: Helm, Danko & Manuel]
And 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 (You put the load right on me)
[Verse 4: Rick Danko (Levon Helm)]
Crazy Chester followed me, and he caught me in the fog
He said, "I will fix your rack if you'll take Jack, my dog"
I said, "Wait a minute, Chester; y'know I'm a peaceful man"
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can?" (Yeah, oh)
[Chorus: Helm, Danko & Manuel]
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 (You put the load right on me)
[Verse 5
Catch a cannon ball now to take me down the line
My bag is sinkin' low and I do believe it's time
To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the only one
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone
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
(You put the load right on me)
The Band released its album Music from Big Pink in 1968. It did not include the song lyrics printed on the inner sleeve. It had a picture of The Band members:
I don’t remember when I first heard The Weight but I know it’s been a long time―decades. Its meaning remains a mystery. Some see a religious theme with phrases such as:
- Nazareth, the biblical town where Jesus was born
- Luke, from the Bible’s New Testament
- judgement day
- the devil
- Moses
