To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she’s the only one.
Who sent me here with her regards for everyone.

The Band’s “The Weight” is an unlikely hit. It isn’t really a hit, but it does get a lot of radio play on classic rock stations these days. The song is about someone named Fanny who sends the narrator around the town of Nazareth seemingly to run some errands. He is trying to help out his friend. The narrator meets several folks along the way—most of them usually have a minor favor to ask of him:

Take a load off Fanny
Take a load for free…

And it’s “off Fanny” not “off Anny”.

I mean, since he’s helping out Miss Fanny, would he mind feeding Chester’s dog? Pretty soon, what became an errand run becomes a whole affair of helping the whole town out. The moral of the story? Don’t do anything nice for anyone or people will look at you like a sucker and soon you’ll be doing things for everyone. No good deed goes unpunished.

The Band is unique in that they are able to make their songs sound about a hundred years older than they really are. The effect that has is that the songs feel like they are a greater part of our collective consciousness like “This Land is My Land” is. But that is just their unique sound.

Levon Helm has that unique voice that creates a lot of “The Weight’s” sound, but it is also the lazy pace of their music. You don’t picture any of the characters in a song by The Band ever in a hurry. They’re old-school. One of the more interesting aspects of their music is their loose harmonies. It sounds good, but some of the singers will start and stop words whenever in suits them. It helps create that lackadaisical vibe. The Band’s “The Weight” is a feel good song that almost all can enjoy.

The Weight Lyrics

I pulled into Nazareth, was feelin’ about 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?

Yeah, 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).

written by Robbie Robertson