<P> "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is a song written by Robbie Robertson and originally recorded by the Canadian - American roots rock group the Band in 1969 and released on their eponymous second album . Levon Helm provided the lead vocals . The song is a first - person narrative relating the economic and social distress experienced by the protagonist, a poor white Southerner, during the last year of the American Civil War, when George Stoneman was raiding southwest Virginia . Frequently appearing on lists of the best rock songs of all time, it has been cited as an early example of the genre known as roots rock . </P> <P> Joan Baez recorded a version of the song that became a top - five chart hit in late 1971 . </P> <P> The song was written by Robbie Robertson . According to Rob Bowman's liner notes to the 2000 reissue of the Band's second album, The Band, it has been viewed as a concept album, with the songs focusing on peoples, places and traditions associated with an older version of Americana . The lyrics tell of the last days of the American Civil War, portraying the suffering of the protagonist, a poor white Southerner . </P> <P> Robertson stated that he had the music to the song in his head but at first had no idea what it was to be about . Then the concept came to him and he did research on the subject, relying heavily on the Dunning School theories of the period . Levon Helm, a native of Arkansas, stated that he assisted in the research for the lyrics . In his 1993 autobiography, This Wheel's on Fire, Helm wrote, "Robbie and I worked on' The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' up in Woodstock . I remember taking him to the library so he could research the history and geography of the era and make General Robert E. Lee come out with all due respect ." </P>

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