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Yesterday, we looked into "Goodbye Stranger," Supertramp's "Great Song of 1979," and how after all these years, no one can seem to agree on what it's about--even after Supertramp's drummer explained it.
Today, we go back to 1970 for a "Great Song" that even the composer can't really explain.
In a 1998 interview with Goldmine Magazine, Here's what Robbie Robertson of The Band said about about "Up on Cripple Creek:"
"You sit down and write the song, and usually when something happens, you just don't even know where it came from, or why it came, or anything like that. I was just sitting down to see if I could think of anything, and that's what came out."
Ostensibly, the song is about a truck driver, a girl named Bessie, and their adventures together. But is it? Or is there something more? If Robbie doesn't know, how can anyone else?
Anyway, "Up on Cripple Creek" is an early example of the "Americana" genre, with folksy vocals by Levon Helm, and a prominent clavinet in the instrumentation. (The clavinet was a new innovation at the time, with a very distinctive "twangy" sound.)
The song was released in late 1969 from the album, "The Band," and by early 1970, it had reached #10 in Canada and #25 on Billboard's Hot 100.
More importantly, "Up on Cripple Creek" became one of The Band's most iconic songs. Plus, their use of the clavinet was groundbreaking, influencing everyone from Stevie Wonder to just about every funk band of the '70s and beyond.
It's a "Great Song of 1970!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EisXJSsULGM
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