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The Allman Brothers Band - Midnight Rider / Soulshine (Live at the Beacon Theatre 2003)




This was Gregg Allman's signature song, describing how he continued on in the face of obstacles. He wrote the song, but shared the songwriting credit with Kim Payne, a roadie for the band who came up with the classic line, "The road goes on forever."


After he wrote this song, Gregg Allman wanted to start recording it right away, so with the help of Kim Payne, who was guarding their equipment, he broke into the band's Macon, Georgia recording studio in the middle of the night and went to work, figuring he should get some tracks down before he forgot them.


This first appeared on the second Allman Brothers album, Idlewild South, but it wasn't released as a single. The song became a live favorite and one very identifiable with Gregg, so when he recorded his first solo album, Laid Back, in 1973, he recorded a new version of this song and released it as a single. It became his biggest hit as a solo artist, charting at #19 US.






Lyrics


Well, I've got to run to keep from hiding

And I'm bound to keep on riding

And I've got one more silver dollar

But I'm not gon' let 'em catch me, no

Not gon' let 'em catch the midnight rider


And I don't own the clothes I'm wearing

And the road goes on forever

And I've got one more silver dollar

But I'm not gon' let 'em catch me, no

Not gonna let 'em catch the midnight rider


And I've gone by the point of caring

Some old bed I'll soon be sharing

And I've got one more silver dollar

But I'm not gon' let 'em catch me, no

Not gon' let 'em catch the midnight rider


No, I'm not gon' let 'em catch me, no

Not gon' let 'em catch the midnight rider

No, I'm not gon' let 'em catch me, no

I'm not gon' let 'em catch the midnight rider

But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no

Not gon' let 'em catch the midnight rider



Songwriters: Gregg L. Allman / Robert Kim Payne

Midnight Rider lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

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