今日の「聴き比べ」は１９６８年のザ・バンド(The Band)のヒット曲『ウェイト(The Weight)』です。
映画『イージーライダー』の挿入曲にも選ばれました。ザ・バンドのファースト・アルバム『Music From Big Pink』に収録されました。私の愛聴盤です。よく口ずさんだ曲でもあります。
The Weight
by Robbie Robertson
I pulled in to Nazareth
Was feeling 'bout half past dead
I just need some place
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
And "No" was all he said
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)
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?"
And she said, "I gotta go
But my friend can stick around"
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)
Go down, Miss Moses, there's nothin' you can say
It's just ol' Luke, and Luke's waitin' on the Judgement 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?"
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)
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, you know I'm a peaceful man."
He said, "That's okay, boy, won't you feed him when you can."
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)
Catch a Cannonball, 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)
これを先日紹介したアレサ・フランクリン(Aletha Franklin)がアルバム『This Girl's in Love With You』でカバーしました。例によってソウル・アレンジです。スライド・ギターはデュアン・オールマン(Duan Allman)です。バックにはマッスル・ショールズのリズム・セクションがついています。
それでは今日はこの辺で。
