I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin' '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, "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 lookin' for a place to hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on let's go downtown"
She said, "I gotta go, but my friend can stick around"

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 Judgment Day
Well, Luke, my friend, what about young Anna Lee?
He said, "Do me a favor, son, won't you stay and keep Anna Lee company?"

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?

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 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)


Lyrics submitted by Hunter, edited by rescuedrab, Groujo, nrew240

The Weight Lyrics as written by Robbie Robertson

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Weight song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

103 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    I think what's very interesting and pertinent are the posts from Spotty and SQB87. Too many coincidental details to be wrong. A horse named Fanny. A man named Chester. A dog named Jack.

    But wait...isn't this about a place where Rick Danko lived? The albums credit Robbie Robertson as the writer. And we all know from WAYYYY back about the horrid feud between Levon and Robbie about songwriting credits that Robbie alledgedly stole. It's also VERY interesting that Robbie couldn't explain anything about what the song lyrics meant when asked years ago. Yet Danko has characters in his direct past that are identical to the characters in the song. And Danko actually SINGS A VERSE on the studio version.

    So who really wrote this song? My money is on Danko. Maybe Robbie arranged it and put the music to it as a co-write. Then took full credit, just like Levon said he did. But there's no way Robbie could have come up with this elaborate tale using all these named characters from Danko's past without Rick's help. And Rick is not here to defend himself.

    So Rick Danko deserves a COWRITE for The Weight, at the very least. This is all very interesting to ponder, as right now while I write this Levon is reportedly on his death bed. Peace be with you Levon. Peace to you too Ricky. We all know where the truth resides.

    jtharrison April 18, 2012   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Ave Grave
Thee More Shallows
So this has been.my favorite song of OTEP's since it came out in 2004, and I always thought it was a song about a child's narrative of suffering in an abusive Christian home. But now that I am revisiting the lyrics, I am seeing something totally new. This song could be gospel of John but from the perspective of Jesus. Jesus was NOT having a good time up to and during the crucifixion. Everyone in the known world at the time looked to him with fear, admiration or disgust and he was constantly being asked questions. He spoke in "verses, prophesies and curses". He had made an enemy of the state, and believed the world was increasingly wicked and fallen from grace, or that he was in the "mouth of madness". The spine of atlas is the structure that allows the titan to hold the world up. Jesus challenged the state and in doing so became a celebrated resistance figure. It also made him public enemy #1. All of this happened simply because he was doing his thing, not because of any agenda he had or strategy. And then he gets scourged (storm of thorns) There are some plot holes here but I think it's an interesting interpretation.
Album art
Spirit Within
Bertoldi Brothers
Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.
Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
In regards to the meaning of this song: Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.” That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"