The Band - I Shall Be Released

According to Wikipedia: “I Shall Be Released“ is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan. The Band played it on their debut album, Music from Big Pink (1968), with Richard Manuel singing lead vocals, and Rick Danko and Levon Helm harmonizing in the chorus. A legendary performance of the song was performed near the end of The Band’s farewell concert, The Last Waltz, in which all the night’s performers (with the exception of Muddy Waters) plus Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood graced the same stage. Dylan recorded two primary versions. The first is the Basement Tapes initial recording, recorded in 1967 and released on Bootleg Series 1-3 in 1991. Dylan recorded the song a second time in 1971, releasing this new recording on Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II. In 1969, the Jamaican harmony group The Heptones covered “I Shall Be Released“ as a Reggae tune in 1969 for Studio One and then later on in 1976 at Lee “Scratch“ Perry’s Black Ark studio and label for the album Party Time. Lyrics: They say everything can be replaced They say every distance is not near So I remember every face Of every man who put me here I see my light come shinin’ From the west down to the east Any day now, any day now I shall be released They say every man needs protection They say that every man must fall Yet I swear I see my reflection Somewhere so high above this wall I see my light come shinin’ From the west down to the east Any day now, any day now I shall be released Now yonder stands a man in this lonely crowd A man who swears he’s not to blame And all day long I hear him shouting so loud Just crying out that he was framed I see my light come shinin’ From the west down to the east Any day now, any day now I shall be released