Grateful Dead - Ripple (1970)

The Grateful Dead began recording their American Beauty album just a few months after the band had released Workingman’s Dead. The close proximity of the two works has led many Deadheads to consider the two albums as a pair. Some of the notable aspects of the album were its abundant folk influences, as well as its improved and more complex harmonies. The latter was in thanks to Crosby, Stills & Nash, who had been giving the Dead tips on how to harmonize and sing together. The two bands had had their social circles intersect more and more at that time, as CSN had been recording their album Déjà Vu at Wally Heider Studios, the same place the Dead were recording American Beauty.

With music written by Jerry Garcia and lyrics by Robert Hunter, the song below was released as the opening track to Side Two of American Beauty. And when the group’s famed “Truckin’” was chosen from that album to be released as a single, it was the song below which accompanied it as its B-Side. Hunter’s lyrics were said to have been written after drinking half of a bottle of retsina; and much of the lyrics seem to have been influenced by the 23rd Psalm of the Bible.



Grateful Dead - Ripple (1970)

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Lyrics:

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine
And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung
Would you hear my voice come through the music?
Would you hold it near as it were your own?

It’s a hand-me-down; the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they’re better left unsung
I don’t know- don’t really care
Let there be songs to fill the air

Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

Reach out your hand if your cup be empty
If your cup is full, may it be again
Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men

There is a road- no simple highway
Between the dawn and the dark of night
And if you go, no one may follow
That path is for your steps alone

Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow

You who choose to lead must follow
But if you fall, you fall alone
If you should stand, then who’s to guide you?
If I knew the way, I would take you home

New Riders of the Purple Sage - Rainbow (1972)

Often shortened to the New Riders or NRPS, this country rock band was formed in San Francisco, California in 1969 by a handful of notable musicians in the Bay area. As far back as the early ‘60s, John Dawson, nicknamed “Marmaduke,” had been known by his friends to have a penchant for the country music heard in the eastern parts of the United States. In 1966, Dawson’s tastes had expanded quite a bit (along with his mind) through the blooming drug culture and acid experimentation popular at the time. After some short stints performing in various bands in 1967 and ’68, Dawson began performing in local coffeehouses where he blended his new found love of psychedelics with his classic love of country and bluegrass. By 1969, Dawson began featuring his old friend, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, in his shows when the Dead were taking a break from touring. As luck would have it, country rock had been climbing in popularity over the past few years in thanks to artists like The Band, Gram Parsons' era of The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers, and Bob Dylan all releasing country-inspired albums. Thinking that they should have a full-fledged band to back them, Dawson (on acoustic guitar) and Garcia (on the pedal steel guitar) picked up David Nelson of Big Brother and the Holding Company to play lead electric guitar and Phil Lesh and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead to play bass and drums, respectively. Although this lineup would change very frequently over the next forty-plus years, these noted musicians became the first lineup of the New Riders of the Purple Sage.

In 1970, Spencer Dryden of Jefferson Airplane replaced Mickey Hart on the drums while Dave Torbet of the Grateful Dead replaced Phil Lesh on the bass. In 1971, Buddy Cage replaced Jerry Garcia on the pedal steel guitar. The band’s second released album, titled Powerglide, was this new lineup’s first album together. It was the highest charting album released by any incarnation of the band, reaching number thirty-three on the Billboard 200 in 1972. Although the album featured guest appearances by Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, and Nicky Hopkins, this particular song only featured the new official lineup mentioned above. Written by John “Marmaduke” Dawson, this song was the second track and one of six original songs on the Powerglide album.



New Riders of the Purple Sage - Rainbow (1972)

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Lyrics:

Sing me a rainbow, shine me a dime
Drop in and see me any old time, honey
And if you love me, tell me you do
Reason I’m asking is ‘cause I love you, honey
Oh, don’t you know that I love you?

When I was living, I felt so ashamed
Well, now I’ve been giving and feeling less pain
So, honey

Sing me a rainbow, shine me a dime
Drop in and see m any old time, honey
And if you love me, tell me you do
Reason I’m asking is ‘cause I love you, honey
Oh, don’t you know that I love you?

Oh, yes, you are magic, I know that you are
‘cause I saw you riding last night on a star, honey

Sing me a rainbow, shine me a dime
Drop in and see me any old time, honey
And if you love me, tell me you do
Reason I’m asking is ‘cause I love you, honey
Oh, don’t you know that I love you?

Oh, honey
Oh, don’t you know that I love you?

Jerry Garcia and David Grisman - Friend of the Devil [Live] (1991)

Although he would never concede that the Grateful Dead had an official leader, Jerry Garcia was definitely the frontman leading the band. As the group’s lead guitarist and primary singer/songwriter, he led the Dead through thirteen studio albums, nine live albums, and over thirty years of successful music making. He’s been featured as a guest artist on a “who’s who” list of famous names, formed numerous successful side bands, and even put out an extensive solo library. His life was cut short by a heart attack related to years of drug abuse, but his legacy left an imprint far larger than anything that could be summarized here.

Given the nickname “Dawg” by Garcia in 1970, David Grisman has been in numerous groups since the age of eighteen. From the Even Dozen Jug Band in the Greenwich Village folk scene to the psychedelic rock group known as Earth Opera, he has always dabbled in various musical endeavors. In 1990, he founded a record label, Acoustic Disc, in an attempt to widen the popularity of folk, bluegrass, and acoustic music.

Originally released on the Grateful Dead’s 1970 album, American Beauty, this song’s music was written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson, while the lyrics were written by Robert Hunter. After laying the original down, Robert Hunter was quoted as stating, “that was the closest we've come to what may be a classic song.” And as it turns out, it’s one of the Dead’s most covered songs, being performed by artists such as Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Elvis Costello, and many more. This version is from a soundtrack based on a documentary, Grateful Dawg, about the friendship between Jerry Garcia and David Grisman. The actual recording of the song was taken at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco, California on December 7th, 1991.



Jerry Garcia and David Grisman - Friend of the Devil [Live] (1991)

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Lyrics:

I let out from Reno
I was trailed by twenty hounds
Didn’t get to sleep that night
‘til the morning came around
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Ran into the devil, babe
He loaned twenty bills
Spent the night in Utah
In a cave up in the hills
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Ran into the levee
But the devil caught me there
Took my twenty dollar bill
And vanished in the air
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first ones named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my hearts delight
The second one is prison, babe
The sheriff’s on my trail
And if he catches up with me
You know I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she got my child
But it don't look like me
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

Got two reasons why I cry
Away each lonely night
The first ones named sweet Anne Marie
And she's my hearts delight
The second one is prison, babe
The sheriff’s on my trail
And if he catches up with me
You know I'll spend my life in jail

Got a wife in Chino, babe
And one in Cherokee
First one says she got my child
But it don't look like me
Set out runnin’
But I take my time
A friend of the devil is a friend of mine
If I get home before daylight
I just might get some sleep tonight

The Dillards - Nobody Knows (1968)

Formed by brothers Doug and Rodney in Salem, Missouri in 1962, this American bluegrass band was vital in development of the country-styled rock in southern California during the 1960s. They introduced bluegrass music to the nation as a whole by playing music on The Andy Griffith Show, starring in a recurring role as the fictional band, “The Darlings.” Many bands of the 1960s took a country and bluegrass style of music and blended it with rock, pop, and psychedelic music. Perhaps the most notable group of the time to do this was The Byrds, who cite this band as having a very strong impact on their sound. Other artists to have been influenced by this group include the Eagles, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Elton John, Fairport Convention, and many, many others. In turn, the country and bluegrass artists influenced by this band have gone on to largely influence artists in various genres to this day.

In 1968, the group decided to give in to the ’60s pop music surrounding the globe and branched out to a bluegrass sound that featured orchestration and drums. Doug Dillard, a founding brother in the band, was unhappy with the new direction that the group was headed and decided to go his own way. The new musical style of the group was first fully featured on their fourth album, Wheatstraw Suite, and rejected by Capitol Records, who the group was signed with. To get the record out, the group signed on to their old label, Elektra. This song was the second track on the album and written by Mitch Jayne, the bass player, and Rodney Dillard, a founding brother.



The Dillards - Nobody Knows (1968)

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Lyrics:

Nobody knows
Nobody ever knows
No one ever knows
When things won’t stay the same

She’s in love with you
And you know you love her, too
There will come a time
When she won’t know your name

There’s a lot of things to die
Every time the day goes by
There’s a lot of things
That people can’t explain

You can be in love today
By meaning every word you say
Knowing when tomorrow comes a word you say

Will be a lie

Nobody knows
Nobody ever knows
No one ever knows why
Love must go away

We play the games
And never really understood
Never really understand the games we play

Nobody knows
Nobody ever knows
No one ever knows
When things won’t stay the same

She’s in love with you
And you know you love her, too
There will come a time
When she won’t know your name

Grateful Dead - Alice D. Millionaire (1967)

Coming out of the San Francisco Bay Area in 1965, this band was known for their groundbreaking combinations of folk, rock, bluegrass, and psychedelia, which led to a large group of cult followers, known as Dead Heads, following the band on tour for years at a time. Quite impressively, the core of the band (Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Bill Kreutzmann) stayed together recording and performing from 1965 until the band’s end in 1995, when Garcia passed away.

This song was inspired by the headline of the Los Angeles Times, October 5, 1966, “LSD Millionaire Arrested”. It was an article about the brilliant underground chemist, Owsley Stanley, responsible for 1.25 million doses of LSD from 1965 to 1967, being arrested the day before California criminalized the drug. If you haven’t caught the connection, sound out the title of the article and the title of the song: “LSD Millionaire” and “Alice D. Millionaire”.



Grateful Dead - Alice D. Millionaire (1967)

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Lyrics:

You say you're livin’ in a world of trouble
All your schemes have popped like a bubble
Your mother told your sister
And your brother told your friend
Now your secret's out and you don't have to pretend
You can see for yourself; it's really not the end

You're standing there with tears in your eyes
There's too much going on, my my, there's no time to cry

You say the walls are closing in on you, child
All your friends have put you in exile
Bad luck seem to follow you all around the world
You can't seem to find no peace of mind, girl
You will take a chance to seem so bad

You're standing there with tears in your eyes
There's too much going on, my my, no time to cry (no time to cry)

Every minute is a brand new day
And there are some games that are just fun to play
Even bad scenes are for real; there's no time to cry

Since you left your old scene behind you
Go ahead and let the green light find you
It's warm and friendly, girl, and it won't blind you
Come out in the street and the weeds won't grind you
See that love is in the air; you feel it all around you

Standin’ there with tears in your eyes
There's too much going on, my my, no time to cry

Your yesterdays are all left behind
There's a brand new light in your mind
You don't need a key to define
What's written on the magic sign
There's no time to cry

When the season of the magic lantern
Is transformed into a funny pattern
And the wheel of fortune has a flat tire
You can't seem to get any higher
When you go above the baylor machine, you find a horseshoe

You're standing there with tears in your eyes
There's too much going on, my my, there's no time to cry