The Allman Brothers Band was founded in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. The founding members included the brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, along with Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, and Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson. Gregg wrote the songs along with Betts and handled the vocals and keyboard. The elder brother, Duane, was the lead guitarist of the band, and he was the one who brought everyone together and founded the band. Another talented guitarist in the band was Betts. Oakley handled the bass guitar and the two drummers were Trucks and Johanson. The band kept evolving their style, as they incorporated specific elements of jazz, country, blues, and jam-band styles. The experimental spirit of the band was alive till its end in 1996.
The band was active in the 2000s until 2014, but they were only a former shadow of themselves during this time. Throughout the band’s journey, a lot of other artists began contributing to their music production as well. These names included Chuck Leavell, Lamar Williams, Dan Toler, Frankie Toler, Jack Pearson, Allen Woody, Johnny Neel, Qteil Burbridge, etc. Unfortunately, the founding member of the band, Duane Allman, was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971. Subsequent to this death, the album “Eat a Peach” was dedicated to him. It was released in 1972. A year later, Oakley was killed as well in a motorcycle accident. That’s when Leavell and Williams joined the band. Another founding member, Betts, left the band in the late 90s.
Allman Brothers was a band that was plagued by instability. Yet, the arrival and departure of band members every now and then did not affect the quality of their music. When one speaks about the history of rock in America, the name of this band surely comes up. “Sweet Melissa” was the second single of the band’s third studio album “Eat a Peach”. Written by Gregg Allman, this song was late Duane’s favorite one. And as the whole album was dedicated to Duane’s memory, it became even more significant. In actuality, the song was written in 1967, two years before the band was founded.
What Does the Title Mean?
The inspiration for the title of the song came from the lyric being sung at the end of every verse. However, one interesting fact to note is that the title of the song is not actually “Sweet Melissa”, but “Melissa”. People often incorrectly refer to the song as “Sweet Melissa” because of the lyric being sung at the end of every verse. Perhaps, the song is dedicated to a former lover of Duane. Why Duane was fond of this song is not known. Nevertheless, the song features some amazing guitar riffs and drums.
Verse 1 – What Does It Mean?
“Crossroads, seem to come and go, yeah
The gypsy flies from coast to coast
Knowing many, loving none
Bearing sorrow having fun
But back home he’ll always run
To sweet Melissa”
The motif of the crossroads is a recurring one in rock history. It has been associated with making tough decisions in one’s life, usually pertaining to morality. The crossroads have also been associated with the devil, and making a deal with him. In this first verse, the crossroads are symbolic of making a decision that can alter one’s life. The speaker of the lyrics knows that crossroads come and go, but the continual traveling of the gypsy is constant. Gypsies originate from South Asia and speak Romani, a language that is very closely related to Hindi.
Gypsies are known for traveling from one place to another. In other words, they don’t have a stable home and are like Nomads of the West. In a gypsy’s life, nothing is permanent. He gets to know many people, but cannot love any because he knows that he has to go away someday. For him, his only home is his Sweet Melissa. The idea of a person being someone’s home is not new. After all, there is a difference between a home and a house. It’s the people that make a “home” a home.
Verse 2 – What Does It Mean?
“Freight train, each car looks the same, all the same
And no one knows the Gypsy’s name
No one hears his lonely sighs
There are no blankets where he lies
In all his deepest dreams the Gypsy flies
With sweet Melissa”
The freight train is a metaphor. In our lives, we see a lot of people traveling, and everyone of them looks alike to us. We don’t remember those fleeting faces. The same goes for the traveling gypsy. For him, everyone is a temporary and fleeting face. No one knows his name, as he doesn’t tell them. This is perhaps because he doesn’t want to get attached to people whom he’ll have to leave behind eventually. No one hears his lonely sighs as well because he doesn’t let anyone get close to him. But in his dreams, the gypsy has only one home – his sweet Melissa.
What Does the Bridge Mean?
“Again the morning’s come
Again he’s on the run
Sunbeams shining through his hair
Appearing not to have a care
Well, pick up your gear and Gypsy roll on, roll on”
Another day rolls in and the gypsy begins his routine. He begins his travel, as the sun shines. Another trait associated with gypsies is their lack of care. After all, for them, nothing is permanent, even their lives. So, they don’t really have to care about things that much. If one thinks about it, we’re all like gypsies as well. After all, in the bigger picture, one lifetime is a fleeting period of time. Just like the gypsies, when we die, we roll on. The death of Duane Allman gives even a deeper meaning to the imagery of a traveling gypsy. The impermanence of life is highlighted even more when we consider the context of this song’s release.
Verse 3 – What Does It Mean?
“Crossroads, will you ever let him go? No, no, no
Will you hide the dead man’s ghost?
Or will he lie, beneath the clay?
Or will his spirit float away?
But I know that he won’t stay without Melissa
Yes I know that he won’t stay without Melissa”
The last verse is about tough decisions. Do we all have to make them until the day we die? Where can a man escape? Beneath the clay? Will his spirit float away? But whatever happens to the traveling gypsy, one thing is for sure – he’ll never leave his sweet Melissa’s side. In the end, if there’s one thing in his life that is permanent, it’s his sweet Melissa.
Conclusion
The song “Melissa” was an instant hit after its release. Perhaps, the song as well as the album was well-received due to the sudden passing of Duane Allman. Moreover, the guitar riffs throughout this album were legendary. The rights of this song were only acquired by the band manager, Phil Walden, in 1972. The continuous imagery of a traveling gypsy evokes a sense of impermanence and makes us reflect on the temporary nature of our very own lives.
