The Band "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" (from "The Last Waltz")

If you haven't heard of or aren't very familiar, ask someone whose musical knowledge you truly respect what they think of The Band, and they will likely light up.

Few collections of multi-instrumentalists have had the level of talent The Band brought to every song, which shows throughout during their farewell concert, The Last Waltz, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest concert films ever.

One of the highlights of the show is "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," a dower tale of the Civil War from the perspective of Southern farmer.

The Band was full of Canadians with one American, Levon Helm, who sings and plays drums on the song. However, the song was written by bandmate Robbie Robertson, who grew up in Ontario.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest songs in rock history, it has a troubled legacy as seemingly nostalgic for the Confederacy. It's a subject that's gotten many scholarly treatments and a long look from On the Media.

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