“I hope you’re haunted by the music of my soul
When I’m gone, please don’t fly away
And find you a new love
I can’t face living this life alone
I can’t bear to think that this might be the end.”
– Gregg Allman sings on My Only True Friend
Today we hear Gregg Allman reflect on death and a life on the road in the song My Only True Friend a track off the late Allman Brothers Band singer‘s LP Southern Blood. It is the only original song on the album and was co-written by Allman with the guitarist and bandleader Scott Sharrard, forming the album’s lead single. Although the track might initially appear to reflect Gregg Allman’s acknowledgment of his own mortality particularly given his health struggles during its recording – My Only True Friend was actually written from the perspective of Gregg’s late brother, Duane Allman. Co-writer Scott Sharrard revealed to Rolling Stone, “I never told him because I didn’t want to spook him, since his brother was such an important figure in his life,” explaining that the song was crafted in Duane’s voice, speaking to Gregg.
Southern Blood producer Don Was described the posthumous album by saying, “It’s not an album about dying. Gregg was explaining his life and making sense of it, both for the fans who stood with him for decades and for himself.” The album features 10 songs, 9 of which are covers of greats such as Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter, Lowell George, Bob Dylan, Willie Dixon, Jackson Browne, Tim Buckley, Scott Sharrard, Spooner Oldham & Dan Penn, among others.
Gregg Allman passed away on May 27, 2017 at the age of 69. The singer, keyboardist and composer led the Allman Brothers, one of the pioneering bands of southern rock, for 45 years. His life was marked by excesses, addiction to alcohol and drugs, as well as his multiple marriages. He was married and divorced six times. His third wife was the singer Cher, a marriage that lasted only nine days. Gregg Allman recorded twelve studio albums with the Allman Brothers and eight solo albums, his last being the phenomenal “Low Country Blues” in 2011.
The video below pairs the song’s lyrics with scenic images of Allman’s beloved Georgia and footage of the rocker in the studio with his band.
[Verse 1]
You and I both know
This river will surely flow to an end
Keep me in your heart
Keep your soul on the mend
[Chorus]
I hope you’re haunted
By the music of my soul
When I’m gone
Please don’t fly away
And find you a new love
I can’t face living this life alone
I can’t bear to think
This might be the end
But you and I both know
The road is my only true friend
[Verse 2]
Another night alone
But I see you in my dreams sometimes
No matter where I go, Lord knows
You were always on my mind
References:
1. Hear Gregg Allman Reflect on ‘An End’ on New Song ‘My Only True Friend’ – Rolling Stone
2. My Only True Friend», primer adelanto del disco póstumo de Gregg Allman «Southern Blood» – Dirty Rock













