| The Raconteurs – Consoler of the Lonely Lyrics | 13 years ago |
| Seems like this one may have come about after an evening with the powder. Probably not what old Jackie-boy had in mind, but can't help but think of some of those cold shivery mornings, can't eat, can't sleep, can't bear to be near anyone else, nothing excites you, nothing can make you feel. | |
| Grateful Dead – Playing in the Band Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Also known as the "Main Ten," because of the irregular meter; Hunter and Weir wrote the tune in ten. | |
| Grateful Dead – Sunshine Daydream Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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This is the ending from the Dead classic "Sugar Magnolia." *Copied from my post on "Sugar Magnolia": First released on 1970's 'American Beauty', and first played June 7 of the same year at Filmore West. Written by Robert Hunter and Bobby Weir. Sometimes the boys would insert a break between the beginning and "Sunshine Daydream," sometimes for only a few moments. In the week of Bill Graham's death, the pause between the two parts of this song lasted a full week. |
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| Grateful Dead – Sugar Magnolia Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The song is not necessarily about drugs. It is a love song, but the boys, as in all of their songs, really just wanted each Deadhead to take from it what they felt was right. For some of us, Sugar Magnolia is about a girl, for some of us, its about getting high, and for some of us, myself included, its about both. Stop fighting over this...that's definitely not what Jerry would have wanted as the result of this song. It's music, which is meant to be a personal experience. First released on 1970's 'American Beauty', and first played June 7 of the same year at Filmore West. Written by Robert Hunter and Bobby Weir. Sometimes the boys would insert a break between the beginning and "Sunshine Daydream," sometimes for only a few moments. In the week of Bill Graham's death, the pause between the two parts of this song lasted a full week. |
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| Grateful Dead – Playing in the Band Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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First released on 'Skulls & Roses' in 1971 and written by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir, who sang the song for the Dead. The song often appeared towards the end of a first live set, and, encouraged by Deadheads, the band very often used the song as an end to their famous jams that would encompass several songs. Bobby was trying to tell Deadheads that the dead weren't Gods, they just wanted to play their music and have people listen. *When performed by the Grateful Dead, the lyrics read "Some folks up in treetops, just look to see the sights..." When performed by Bob Weir on Ace, several changes are made, including singing the above line as it is seen in these lyrics: "Some folks up in treetops, just looking for their kites." He also sings "Daybreak while I'm playing in the band," in place of "Daybreak, daybreak on the land," and in some places sings "Playing, like a wave upon the sand." |
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| Grateful Dead – Dear Mr. Fantasy Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Originally performed by Steve Winwood with his band Traffic on the album 'Mr. Fantasy.' The Dead included this song in their live repertoire, often performing it with their friend, none other than Winwood himself. *Correction: The sixth verse should read: "Please don't be sad, if it was a straight life you had..." Also performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix, Gov't Mule, and Widespread Panic. |
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| Grateful Dead – Picasso Moon Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Recorded in the penultimate position on 1989's "Built to Last," the Grateful Dead first performed Picasso Moon, sung by Bob Weir, at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in Irvine, CA in April of 1989. According to The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics (http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl), the phrase 'Picasso Moon' "just popped out of Phil Lesh's mouth one day..." The song refers to shady drug deals, which took place in the part of San Fransisco south of Market Street, a sketchy area known for junkies and dealers: "South of market in the land of ruin..." |
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| Grateful Dead – Dancin' in the Streets Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| Originally performed by Martha and the Vandellas, the Grateful Dead included this tune in their live repertoire for over thirty years. | |
| Grateful Dead – Casey Jones Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Casey Jones was a railroad engineer until his death on April 29, 1900. After finishing his normal run from Canton, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee, Casey was asked to double back for one more run back to Canton. He raced to make his deadline, even thought the conditions were poor and the track dangerous. Another train was supposed to be moved onto a "saw by" to allow Casey to pass, but difficulties with an air hose left several cars on the main line that Casey was meant to pass through. As Casey rounded the mile-and-a-half curve leading up to the saw-by, he reached speeds of up to 75 miles per hour. He rounded the turn and saw the danger ahead and yelled to the fireman, Sim Webb, "There's something on the main line! Jump, Sim, jump!" Sim jumped nearly 300 feet before landing an being knocked out cold. At this point, Casey was only two minutes behind schedule, after starting the 190-mile trip nearly an hour and a half behind. Casey was able to slow down to around 35mph from 75 due to his bravery in staying aboard the doomed engine. No passengers were seriously injured or killed, and Sim sustained bruises. Legendary Casey Jones was said to have been pulled from the wreckage with his hands still wrapped around the brake and steam whistle cords. This ballad is credited to a friend of Casey Jones, a black engine wiper named Wallace Saunders, to the tune of a folk song popular in the time "Jimmie Jones." Famously performed by many including Pete Seeger and Johnny Cash. See also "Casey Jones" by the Grateful Dead. |
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| Grateful Dead – Alice D. Millionaire Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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The song is in fact about an acid dealer, Owsley Stanley. The name comes from a famous headline in San Francisco (the hometown of the Dead and also the center of the acid movement in 1966), which read "LSD Millionaire Arrested." The boys included the song in their repertoire for a short time in 1966, and when bassist Phil Lesh began touring in 1998 with several Grateful Dead members under the name Phil Leash and Friends, he included Alice D Millionaire in several sets. The lyrics are typical reflections of acid trips: "Your yesterdays are all left behind, there's a brand new light in your mind..." "Even bad scenes are for real..." |
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| America – A Horse With No Name Lyrics | 15 years ago |
| This song is about heroin withdrawal..."horse" is slang for heroin. | |
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