The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band

Another Canadian entry, at least in part. This son was written by Canadian Robbie Robertson and first released by The Band in 1969. Telling the story of an American soldier in the aftermath of the civil war, this song is a timeless piece and a very solid musical recording, from the keys to robbies acoustic and especially to the lead vocal performance Levon Helm gives ( another vocalist drummer, imagine that). This was considered one of The Band's biggest hits, and for good reason, it is a great song to have on when you are just sitting around and wanting to listen to great music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMHyovwX7JM

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

Virgil Caine is the name,
and I served on the Danville train,
'Til Stoneman's cavalry
came and tore up the tracks again.
In the winter of '65,
We were hungry, just barely alive.
By May the tenth, Richmond had fell,
it's a time I remember, oh so well,

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,
and the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,
and the people were singin'.

They went
La, La, La, La, La, La,
La, La, La, La, La, La,
La, La,

Back with my wife in Tennessee,
When one day she called to me,
"Virgil, quick, come see,
there goes Robert E. Lee!"
Now I don't mind choppin' wood,
and I don't care if the money's no good.
Ya take what ya need and ya leave the rest,
But they should never have taken the very best.

The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,
and the bells were ringing,
The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,
and the people were singin'.

Like my father before me,
I will work the land,
Like my brother above me,
who took a rebel stand.
He was just eighteen, proud and brave,
But a Yankee laid him in his grave,
I swear by the mud below my feet,
You can't raise a Caine back up
when he's in defeat