Ophelia

Don't be offended bradburyesqu; you have to admit that at 27 you're an exception to the rule. In any case, I'm glad you've discovered real rock 'n roll. By the way, I never mentioned Ophelia's skin colour; I didn't think it was relevant to the song. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; pick a colour. You're idea that she must be black, and that therefore a law was broken, doesn't quite ring any bells (belles?) with me! The name "Ophelia" is perhaps more common among whites than blacks (read Hamlet). And the common phrase "darken my door" has always applied to anyone, not just people with dark skin. Besides, if it's a song about the old south's racial repression, then what's a single black female doing owning her own property in the first place? No, I think Ophelia is simply a mysterious woman whose overt beauty gets her into all kinds of trouble and intrigue. A touch of Gypsy blood perhaps! The important thing is that we both love the tune.

great fucking song; i especially enjoy the version on the last waltz.

Amazing tune! Ophelia is that beautiful, dark, mysterious Southern Belle every real man would give his right arm for! The Band do it right, especially LIVE on The Last Waltz. If you're under 45, you probably don't have a CLUE, do you? That's why there are only 2 postings to this beauty! If you're reading this, do yourself a HUGE favour and go out and buy a copy of the The Last Waltz on DVD, make sure the audio feeds though your stereo, crank it WAY UP LOUD, and get schooled on what ROCK AND ROLL really is!!!

^^^ agreed ^^^

I’m 27 and quite offended Rayman. This is one of my all time favorite band songs. And I’ve always thought it wasn’t just about any southern belle, but a black woman. I’ve always thought that that is why she had to run away and how they where “up against the law” but then again what do I know ;)

Don't worry too much Rayman the part about being offended was said with my tou firmly in cheek. And yes, I am by far the exception. I never even thought "darken my door" referred to skin color although it's an intriguing thought. BTW nowhere in the song does it talk about her owning land. An other interesting interpretation (speaking of hamlet) a friend of mine always thought "The Ghost is Clear" was a reference to hamlet and that this Ophelia also committed suicide. (I’m more partial to Beatrice as an interesting female character my self) Something else worth noting Ophelia is a Greek name meaning “help” it is quite fitting for the song, I’ve often wondered if that was intentional. I don't know. We do agree about one thing, I don't think who Ophelia is or isn’t is at all important to the song. In fact, she could be a pet and not even a human at all and it wouldn't change this great song. What really matters is how deeply the narrator misses her. The beauty of the song is how much longing and love is portrait in relatively few words. You intertwine that with the horns and you have a song that gets better with each listening.

Agreed. The lyric contains enough embellishment to captivate the imagination, but is yet ambiguous enough to allow for a variety of interpretations. And you're right, the beauty of the lyric truly lies in the passion with which it's delivered. The Band has a lot of vocal talent, but Levon Helm has to be first in line. He belts out this beauty with passion and gusto, and that subtle southern drawl of his adds just the right touch... all the while playing that drum kit for all it's worth to punctuate that swinging rhythm perfectly. Poetry in motion. Play it again...

I'm 18 and I love The Band and Van Morrison and The Beatles, Rayman. Believe it or not, today's generation is starting to wake up to the fact that today's music sucks, and are looking for alternatives. In fact, almost none of my friends listen to mainstream rock, preferring the classics instead. Rock n Roll won't die as long as we all remember what it really is.

bradburyesqu I don't think we can just say that Ophelia has not meaning in the song. Oh course she does! Actually, the beauty of this song isn't the longning it's the mystery behind Ophelia like RayMan had said. However, I wouldn't go diving too deep either. Some songs are, although great, superfical. The meaning here is quite straight forward. I'm not sure if anyone here has every read "The Day of the Locust" but the Ophelia character here reminds my of Faye Greener, and the narrator Tod. I'm not saying the song is based on "The Day of the Locust", I am certain it is not, but what I am drawing a connection between is this notion of the watched and the watchers. Ophelia seems like one of the watched, obviously she was a bit promicious, and the singer and the "they" he refers to, are the watchers. However, at the end of the day, the song is about this strange women just leaving without notice, and these love struck men want her to come back. The tone of the song almost sounds as if they are taunting her, this could also suggest the lack of respect the singer feels for the women.

This song is beyond amazing. Definitely my favorite "Band" song. And I have to agree with what many of you are saying, the Last Waltz version is the best I've heard it. I love watching that movie and feeling the energy and soul they put into this song. It's just...awesome!