Original sentence: "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is a rock and roll song written by Robbie Robertson and first recorded by The Band in 1969.Adding further resonance is the vocal delivery of the song by Arkansas-bred Levon Helm, who also provides the loping, ragged beat that suits the song's defeated yet proud theme.At first consideration it may seem odd that Robertson, a half-Mohawk Indian, half-Jewish Canadian, could have created a song about the American South.But consider the story within the song, as told by Virgil Cain, a non-combatant railroad worker witnessing the scorched-earth atrocities of the American Civil War from the losing side.Cain watches as the Union Army General George Stoneman destroys the railroad that is his livelihood; watches as Richmond, Virginia falls; mourns the loss of his brother who was "proud and brave/but a Yankee put him in his grave"
Edited sentence: "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" is an important rock song written by Robbie Robertson and first recorded by The Band in 1969.Adding further resonance is the heartfelt vocal delivery of the song by Arkansas-bred Levon Helm, who also provides the loping, ragged beat that perfectly suits the song's defeated yet proud theme.At first consideration it may seem odd that Robertson, a half-Mohawk Indian, half-Jewish Canadian could have created what is probably the best song ever written about the American South.But consider the story within the song, as told by Virgil Cain, a non-combatant railroad worker witnessing the scorched-earth atrocities of the Civil War from the losing side.Cain watches as the Union Army General George Stoneman destroys the railroad that is his livelihood; watches as Richmond falls; mourns the loss of his brother who was "proud and brave/but a Yankee put him in his grave".Who better than someone with Robertson's background could understand the feelings of persecution and impotent rage felt by war's bystanders