Ophelia (1975) – The Band (The Last Waltz)

Ophelia with Levon Helm at the helm as drummer is another standout in The Band’s legendary last concert The Last Waltz. Robbie Robertson in his recollection of Ophelia gave the accolades to Garth Hudson’s superior instrumental delivery working on synthesizer and multiple brass and woodwind instruments, which is said to have contributed significantly to the Dixieland flavor. Apart from Robbie Robertson’s magnificent guitar work through The Last Waltz, what stood out for me was Levon Helm’s vocal delivery. Having said that Rick Danko also shined. So it’s a matter of witnessing possibly the greatest Americana band in their prime do there thang. Thank you Martin Scorsese.

Boards on the window, mail by the door
What would anybody leave so quickly for?
Ophelia
Where have you gone?

The old neighborhood just ain’t the same
Nobody knows just what became of
Ophelia
Tell me, what went wrong

[Chorus]
Was it something that somebody said?
Mama, I know we broke the rules
Was somebody up against the law?
Honey, you know I’d die for you

Ashes of laughter, the ghost is clear
Why do the best things always disappear
Like Ophelia
Please darken my door

Ophelia was released by The Band on their 1975 album Northern Lights – Southern Cross. I’m not very familiar with the Band’s discography apart from their work with Dylan in his live tours and the Last Waltz concert, but from what I have seen and heard they are about as masterclass as age old folk-rock has begotten. Unforgettable, and this performance of Ophelia is testament to their technical wizardry as a band and individual instrumentalists. They remind me as something craftily woven in country fabric to form something akin to Granny’s finest garment and used as a cherished hand-me-down.

Ophelia is one of three songs on Northern Lights – Southern Cross, along with Acadian Driftwood and It Makes No Difference on which Robertson reclaims his reputation as one of rock’s great songwriters. I enjoy listening to It Makes No Difference but Ophelia‘s upbeat funky shuffle is captivating.

According to Band biographer Barney Hoskyns, the name Ophelia for the song did not come from Shakespeare’s Hamlet but rather from Minnie Pearl’s real name. But Shakespeare scholar Stephen M. Buhler sees some Shakespearean echoes in “Ophelia,” particularly related to Othello. In particular, Buhler sees hints that perhaps Ophelia is a black woman in a Southern town who was forced to flee because of Southern attitudes at the time towards interracial relationships with the white singer.

Reference:
1. Ophelia (The Band song) – Wikipedia

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“The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know.”- Michel Legrand