"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" was written by Robbie Robertson, a Canadian, after he had known Levon Helm for several years, and had spent a lot of time soaking in the southern psyche of wounded pride. I think it's a great song, as evidenced by the fact that it's one of the most effective sing-alongs you can have in your repertoire. It took me awhile to realize that The Band's original version is the truest to the spirit of the song. It's a strong enough work that it's hard to really butcher it. I heard Baez sing it first so I always liked her version. (Your mileage may vary)

Robertson wasn't an Acadian either, but his other great work "Acadian Driftwood" shows he had the ability to walk a mile in anyone's moccasins, then write convincingly about it from a very emotional perspective. Interestingly, he never wrote songs about his own Mohawk heritage until after he left The Band--he has said that he thought that would be too self-indulgent to do as part of the group.

W-O