Melissa (song)
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"Melissa" is a song released on the Eat a Peach album in 1972 by the American rock music group The Allman Brothers Band.
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[edit] Lyrical allusions
"Crossroads -- will you ever let him go,
or will you hide the dead man's ghost?
Lord, will he lie beneath the clay,
or will his spirit float away?"
The lines may be a reference to Duane Allman. He died as the result of a collision he had with an oncoming truck at a crossroads in Macon.
The lines may also be a reference to blues legend Robert Johnson. In blues folklore it is supposed that Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil at a county crossroads in the Delta. Coincidentally he died at a county crossroads near Greenwood, Mississippi of debated causes.[citation needed]
[edit] Who is Melissa
The song was not written for a woman named Melissa. The song was written before Gregg came up with the name. He said he was standing in line at a grocery store when he overheard a woman yelling to her young daughter who had scampered off, "Oh, Melissa! Melissa, come back, Melissa". He liked the name and decided it was a perfect fit for the song.[1]
[edit] Uses and References
"Melissa" has enjoyed renewed popularity in the 2000s due to its feature in a commercial for Cingular/AT&T Wireless cell phone company and the use of it in a scene in Brokeback Mountain. It was prominently featured in the 2005 film House of D, performed by both the Allman Brothers and Erykah Badu.
The Dave Matthews Band occasionally covers "Melissa" in concert. A version with Gregg Allman guesting on vocals appears on their live album, Live at Piedmont Park.
[edit] Notes
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