Grateful Dead Music

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Music

Althea (Hunter/Garcia)
Attics of my Life (Hunter/Garcia)
Beat it On Down the Line (Fuller)
Bertha
Bird Song (Hunter/Garcia)
Black Peter (Hunter/Garcia)
Black Throated Wind (Weir/Barlow)
Box of Rain (Hunter/Lesh)
Brokedown Palace
Brown-Eyed Woman (Hunter/Garcia)
Candyman (Hunter/Garcia)
Cassidy (Weir/Barlow)
China Doll (Hunter/Garcia)
Comes a Time (Hunter/Garcia)
Crazy Fingers (Hunter/Garcia)

More



Althea -- Grateful Dead (Hunter/Garcia)

 
INTRO: Bm - A - E - A - Bm - A - E - Bm - A - E - A - Bm - A - E


 
Bm       A          E          A  Bm         A      E


I told Althea I was feeling lost, lacking in some direction.
 
Bm          A       E      A         Bm       A         E
Althea told me upon scrutiny that my back might need protection.
 
  A                C#m           D          A
I told Althea that treachery was tearing me limb from limb.
 
  C#m                 E         A    Bm          A         E
Althea told me better cool down boy, settle back, easy Jim.
 
Bm         A          E         A
You may be Saturday's child, all alone,
 
Bm          A          E
Moving with a tinge of grace.
 
Bm          A         E           A
You may be a clown in the burying ground,
 
Bm             A       E
Or just another pretty face.
 
A                            C#m    D                        A
You may meet in the fate of Ophelia sleeping and penchant to dream.
 
C#m                    E             Bm           A       E
Honest to the point of recklessness, self-centered in the extreme.
 
Bm           A            E        A
Ain't nobody messing with you, but you,
 
Bm               A            E
Your friends are getting most concerned.
 
Bm             A          E         A    Bm       A         E
Loose with the truth baby it's your fire but baby don't get burned.
 
A                  C#m                D                    A
When the smoke has cleared, she said, that's what she said to me.
 
C#m                 E             Bm          A         E
Gonna want a bed to lay your head and a little sympathy.
 
D                                 E
There are things you can replace, and others you cannot.
 
D                    G
The time has come to weigh those things.
 
E                          Bm            A                E
This space is getting hot, you know this space is getting hot.
 
Bm       A          E      A    Bm        A              E
I told Althea I'm a roving son, and I was born to be a bachelor.
 
Bm         A          E           Bm    A              E
Althea told me, okay, that's fine so now I'm trying to catch her.
 
A                       C#m
Can't talk to you about talking to me,
 
      D                            A
We're guilty of the same old thing.
 
C#m                     A
Been talking a lot about less and less
 
Bm            A            E
And forgetting the love we bring.
 


Attics Of My Life -- Grateful Dead (Hunter, Garcia)





Esus4  E B    E  B7 E     A       E    B A        E
In the attics of my life, full of cloudy dreams unreal.
 
Esus4   E      B7 E      B7  E     A   E      B  A       E
Full of tastes no tongue can know, and lights no eye can see.
 
E    G#    A      E  F#m E/A               E
When there was no ear to hear, you sang to me.
 
E B7   E     B7 E    A       E   B      A     E
I have spent my life seeking all that's still unsung.
 
Esus4   E   B7 E    B7  E     A   E      B  A       E
Bent my ear to hear the tune, and closed my eyes to see.
 
E    G#    A       E      F#m E/A                 F#m  F#  B
When there were no strings to play, you played to me.
 
B           A             D   A  E     Esus4        E7  Asus4  A
In the book of love's own dream, where all the print is blood.
 
     Asus4 A  Asus4 A Aus4 A  D B        B7             E
Where all the pages are my days, and all my lights grow old.
 
A            Asus4  A  D  A E Esus4     D  B    B7      A  E  Esus4
When I had no wings to fly, you flew to me, you flew to me.
 
E      B7     E     B7 E       A       E   B    A    E
In the secret space of dreams, where I dreaming lay amazed.
 
Esus4    E B7    E   B7  E     A       E  B   A   E
When the secrets all are told, and the petals all unfold.
 
E    G#m   A      E    F#m E/A                  E   A  E
When there was no dream of mine, you dreamed of me.
 
 




Brokedown Palace
Grateful Dead

G                 Am     Bb                         C
Fare you well, my honey, fare you well my only true one.
G                       Dm          Bb                C
All the birds that were singing are flown, except you alone

F                   Bb
Going to leave this Brokedown Palace,
F              Dm            Bb    F     Gm
On my hand and knees, I will roll, roll, roll
F             A          Bb        F
Make myself a bed by the waterside,
F                 G            Bb     F
In my time, in my time, I will roll, roll, roll
F         A                Bb               F      G
In a bed, in a bed, by the waterside I will lay my head
F                   G                   Bb      F
Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul



 


Bertha
The Grateful Dead

Intro (Repeat a few times):
G C/G

Verse 1:
        C                           G C/G
I had a hard run, runnin' from your window
                C                                      G C/G
I was all night runnin', runnin', Lord I wonder if you care
        C                      G       C/G
I had a run in, run around and run down
               C                                       G C/G
Run around the corner, corner, Lord I run smack into a tree


Chorus:
         C     D     Am            G D 
I had to move, move, really had to move
C                 G            D              C    
That's why uf you please, I am on my hand and knees
Am                           C    C/G     
Bertha don't you come around here anymore


Verse 2:
                  C                           G C/G
Dressed myself in green, I went down unto the sea
                        C                             G C/G
Try to see what's goin' down, try to read between the lines
                      C                                   G C/G
I had a feelin' I was fallin', fallin, I turned around to see
              C                              G C/G
Heard a voice callin', you were comin' after me

(Chorus)


Verse 3:
           C                                    G C/G
Ran into a rainstorm, I ducked back into a bar door
               C                                         G C/G
It's all night pourin', pourin', Lord but not a drop on me
         C                                G       C/G
Test me, test me, test me, why don't you arrest me
                  C                                   G C/G
Throw me into the jail house, Lord until the sun goes down

(Chorus - Repeat a few times)
                    
     G              C/G
  x o o o         x   o       
| | | | | |     | | | | * |
| | | | | |     | | * | | |
* | | | | *     * | | | | *
| | | | | |     | | | | | | 
                (impose C onto G)






Beat It On Down the Line -- Grateful Dead (Jesse Fuller)
 
          C                      F          C
Well this job I've got is just a little too hard
 
C                                          G
Running out of money, Lord, I need more to pay,
 
      C                                  F
Gonna wake up in the morning Lord, gonna pack my bags,
 
          C    A     D    G        C  F  C
I'm gonna beat it on down the line.
 
C                  F                    C
I'm goin' down the line (goin' down the line)
 
               G                         C
Goin' down the line (goin' down the line)
 
               F                    C    A
Goin' down the line (goin' down the line)
 
D          G             C  F  C
Beat it on down the line.
 
 
Yes and I'll be waiting at the station, Lord,
When that train pulls on by,
I'm goin' back where I belong.
I'm goin' north to that same old used to be,
Down in Joe Brown's coal mine.
 
Coal mine (coal mine)
Coal mine (coal mine)
Coal mine (coal mine)
Down in Joe Brown's coal mine.
 
Yeah, I'm goin' back to that shack way across the railroad track
That's where I think I belong.
I got a sweet woman, Lord, she's waiting there for me
That's where I'm gonna make my happy home.
 
Happy home (happy home)
Happy home (happy home)
Happy home (happy home)
That's where I'm gonna make my happy home.








Bird Song -- Grateful Dead  (Hunter, Garcia)
 
 
Intro/Riff:  D7--C-D7--C-D7
 
D7                                                    Riff
All I heard was something like a bird within her sing,
 
D7                                                  Riff
All I know she sang a little while and then flew on,
 
Bb   F      C                     G                    D7  Riff
Tell me all that you know and I'll show you snow and rain.
 
 
If you hear that same sweet song again will you know why?
Anyone who sings a tune so sweet is passing by.
Laugh in the sunshine, sing, cry in the dark, fly through the night.
 
Bm        A    G     D   A    G     D   A         G            D
Don't cry now, don't you cry, don't you cry anymore, la da da da.
 
Bm           A      G     D   A    G   D    A           G              D

 D7
Sleep in the stars, don't you cry, dry your eyes on the wind, la da da
da, da.
 
 Early versions were played in D and then switched to E.


 


Black Peter -- Grateful Dead (Hunter, Garcia)
 
A7                       D7
All of my friends come to see me last night,
 
A7                         D7
I was layin' in my bed and dyin'.
 
Em          Bm     A   G F#m        Em                    D7
Annie Bonneau from St. Angel say the weather down here so fine.
 
 
Just then the wind came squallin' through the door,
But who can the weather command?
Just want to have a little peace to die,
And a friend or two I love at hand.
 
Fever roll up to a hundred and five,
Roll on up, gonna roll back down.
One more day I find myself alive,
Tomorrow maybe go beneath the ground.
 
C                       D/Em
See here how everything lead up to this day,
 
Dm                 Am            Em
And it's just like any other day that's ever been.
 
D          G               C   Em    Am
Sun comin' up and then the sun goin' down.
 
F                              C                 D
Shine through my window and my friends they come around,
 
     Dm            F     A7
Come around, come around.
 
 
The people might know, but the people don't care,
That a man can be as poor as me.
Take a look at poor Peter, he's lying in pain,
Now let's go run and see, run and see.
 


 

BLACK THROATED WIND

By: Weir/Barlow
As performed on the Album Ace

Chorded by Abe Klagsbrun ([email protected]) 12/1/95


 E                F#m
Bringing me down, I'm running aground,
D              A                      E
Blind in the light of the interstate cars
E              F#m
Passing me by, the busses and semi's,
D               A                         E
Plunging like stones from a slingshot on mars
A                          D  C#m       Bm   A
But I'm here by the road, bound to the load
Bm                                          E
That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars
A                                       D            C#m   Bm   A
Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
Bm                                          E
The highway, the moon, the clouds, and the stars

D                  C#m          A
Black throated wind, keeps on pouring in
                                           E    C   A
With its words of a life where nothing is new
D            C#m           E          A
Ah, mother american night, I'm lost from the light
G   D                A
Oh, I'm drowning in you

E                          F#m   D                  A               E
I left St. Louis, city of blues, in the midst of a storm I'd rather
forget
E                                F#m
I tried to pretend it came to an end
D                       A                      E
Cause you weren't the woman I once thought I'd met

A                       D  C#m         Bm  A Bm
But I can't deny, that times have gone by Bm        
Bm                                       E
Where I never had doubts or thoughts of regret
A                               D  C#m  Bm  A
And I was a man when all this began
Bm                                         E
Who wouldn't think twice about being there yet

D                   C#m         A
Black throated wind, keeps on pouring in
                              E              C   A
And it speaks of a life that passes like dew
D                 C#m                    E       A
It's forced me to see that you've done better by me
G         D                     A
Better by me than I've done by you

E                               F#m               
Now what's to be found racing around.
D               A                 E
You carry your pain wherever you go
E                                    F#m
All full of the blues and trying to lose
D                 A                          E
You ain't gonna learn what you don't wanna know

A                        D  C#m         Bm    A
So I give you my eyes, and all of their lies
Bm                                       E
Please help them to learn as well as to see
A                 D   C#m      Bm    A
Capture a glance, and make it dance
Bm                            E
Of looking at you, looking at me

D                   C#m          A
Black throated wind, keeps on pouring in
                                     E            C   A
With its words of a lie that could almost be true
D            C#m            E     A
Ah, mother american night, here comes the light
G             D                       A
I'm turning around, that's what I'm gonna do
G           D                     A
Going back home that's what I'm gonna do


 


Box Of Rain
Grateful Dead
Music by Phil Lesh
Words by Robert Hunter
======================

[INTRO]
(A) (Bm7/A) (A) (Asus4)


(D)         (Am)
Look out of any window
(Em)         (C)
Any morning, any evening, any day

(D)       (Am)
Maybe the sun is shining
(Em)                  (G)                    (A)
Birds are winging, no rain is falling from a heavy sky
(D)         (G)              (Am)           (Em)    (D)
What do you want me to do, to do for you to see you through?
    (C)             (D)                 (Am)
For this is all a dream we dreamed, one afternoon long ago

(D)         (Am)
Walk out of any doorway
(Em)           (C)                          (G)
Feel your way, feel your way like the day before

(D)          (Am)
Maybe you'll find direction
(Em)
Around some corner where
(G)                  (A)
It's been waiting to meet you

(D)          (G)
What do you want me to do?
   (Am)                       (Em)   (D)
To watch for you while you're sleeeeeeeeping?
     (Am)                (C)                (G)          (D)
Then please don't be surprised when you find me dreaming too.
(D)       (Am)
Look into any eyes
(Em)             (C)                          (G)
You find by you, you can see clear to another day

(D)        (Am)                (Em)
Maybe been seen before through other eyes
    (G)                   (A)
On other days while going home
(D)          (G)             (Am)            (Em)     (D)
What do you want me to do, to do for you, to see you through?
     (C)             (Em)              (D)         (G)
It's all a dream we dreamed, one after-noon long a-go

(D)            (Am)            (Em)
Walk into splintered sunlight, inch your way through
(C)                    (G)
Dead dreams to another land

(D)           (Am)                  (Em)
Maybe you're tired and broken, your tongue is twisted with
(G)                    (A)
Words half-spoken and thoughts unclear

(D)          (G)             (Am)            (Em)     (D)
What do you want me to do, to do for you, to see you through?

  (Am)             (C)                (G)                (D)
A box of rain will ease the pain, and love will see you through.

(G)                 (Am)     (Em)
Just a box of rain, wind and water
   (C)             (A)             (D)
Be-lieve it if you need it, if you don't, just pass it on.

(G)             (Am)     (Em)
Sun and shower, wind and rain
(C)             (D)           (Em)          (A)
In and out the window, like a moth before a flame

(A)      (D)           (Em)
And it's just a box of rain
(Em)     (G)             (D)
I don't know who put it there;
(D)               (Bm)        (G)             (A)
Believe it if you need it, or leave it if you dare.

(A)      (D)           (Em)
And it's just a box of rain
(Em)   (G)           (D)
Or a ribbon for your hair
             (Em)
Such a long, long time to be gone
      (G)               (D)
And a short time to be there.


[OUTRO]
(D) (C) (G) (D) (Asus4)



   A                (Bm7/A)           (Asus4)            (D)

  o       o         o o   o           o       o           o
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |
| | * * * |       | | | * | *       | | * * | |       | | | * | *
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | * |       | | | | * |
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |



   Am                 Em                 C                 G
  o       o       o     o o o             o   o         x o o o
| | | | * |       | | | | | |       | | | | * |       | | | | | |
| | * * | |       | * * | | |       | | * | | |       | | | | | |
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | * | | | |       * | | | | *
| | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |       | | | | | |



   Bm
x
| | | | | |
| ---------  
| | | | * |        
| | * * | |






Brown-Eyed Woman
(Hunter, Garcia)

Dm                         F
Gone are the days when the ox fall down,

C                             Bb
Take up the yoke and plow the fields around.

Dm                         F
Gone are the days when the ladies said, "Please,

Bb                                        F
Gentle Jack Jones, won't you come home to me?"

C
Brown-eyed women and red grenadine,

    Bb                       F          C
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean.

Bb                            F            Dm
Sound of the thunder with the rain fallin' down,

       Gm                      Bb       F
And it looks like the old man's gettin' on.


1920 when he stepped to the bar,
Drank to the dregs of the whiskey jar.
1930 when the walls caved in,
He made his way sellin' red-eyed gin.

Delilah Jones was the mother of twins,
Two times over and the rest were sins.
Raised eight boys, only I turned bad,
Didn't get the lickin's that the other ones had.

BRIDGE:
Cm                   Bb      F
Tumble down shack in Bigfoot county,
Cm                      Bb         F
Snowed so hard that the roof caved in.
Dm      C             Bb       Am
Delilah Jones went to meet her God,
        Bb                         F
And the old man never was the same again.

Daddy made whiskey and he made it well,
Cost two dollars and it burnt like hell.
I cut hick'ry just to fire the still,
Drink down a bottle and ready to kill.



And in the key of D:

Brown-Eyed Woman
(Hunter, Garcia)

Bm                         D
Gone are the days when the ox fall down,

A                              G
Take up the yoke and plow the fields around.

Bm                         D
Gone are the days when the ladies said, "Please,

G                                         D
Gentle Jack Jones, won't you come home to me?"

A
Brown-eyed women and red grenadine,

    G                        D          A
The bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean.

G                             D            Bm
Sound of the thunder with the rain fallin' down,

       Em                     G        D
And it looks like the old man's gettin' on.


1920 when he stepped to the bar,
Drank to the dregs of the whiskey jar.
1930 when the walls caved in,
He made his way sellin' red-eyed gin.

Delilah Jones was the mother of twins,
Two times over and the rest were sins.
Raised eight boys, only I turned bad,
Didn't get the lickin's that the other ones had.

BRIDGE:
Am                   G       D
Tumble down shack in Bigfoot county,
Am                      G          D
Snowed so hard that the roof caved in.
Bm      A              G        Am
Delilah Jones went to meet her God,
        G                          D
And the old man never was the same again.

Daddy made whiskey and he made it well,
Cost two dollars and it burnt like hell.
I cut hick'ry just to fire the still,
Drink down a bottle and ready to kill.







Candyman -- Grateful Dead (Hunter, Garcia)
 
C                                   Gm             F
Come all you pretty women with your hair a hangin' down,
 
F                                             G
Open up your windows 'cause the Candyman's in town.
 
                 Dm      G                   Dm
Come on boys and gamble, roll those laughing bones,
 
F                                             G
Seven come eleven, boys, I'll take your money home.
 
Bb             F        C
Look out, look out, the Candyman,
 
Bb      F             C
Here he come and he's gone again,
 
Am                G
Pretty lady ain't got no friend 'til
 
    F              G
The Candyman comes around again.
 
 
I come in from Memphis where I learned to talk the jive,
When I get back to Memphis, there'll be one less man alive.
Good mornin', Mr. Benson, I see you're doing well,
If I had me a shotgun, I'd blow you straight to hell.
 
Come on boys and wager if you have got the mind,
If you've got a dollar, boys, then lay it on the line.
Hand me my old guitar, pass the whiskey 'round,
Won't you tell everybody you meet that the Candyman's in town.
 

 

CASSIDY- The Grateful Dead                                        
   
E                                             A           
I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream     
E                                                  A   
I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream        
Em                       Am
Ah, child of countless trees                     
Em                      Am   
Ah, child of boundless seas             
F#m/G#                            Am                
What you are, what you're meant to be       
F#m/G#                                   A                   
Speaks his name, though you were born to me       
A              E
Born to me, Cassidy                         
                      
Lost now on the country miles in his Cadillac      
I can tell by the way you smiled, he is rolling back  
Come wash the nightime clean             
Come grow the scorched ground green           
Blow the horn, tap the tambourine       
Close the gap of the dark years in between    
You and me, cassidy        
       
BRIDGE: 
A                  E                       
Quick beats in an icy heart        
A                  E          
Catch-colt draws a coffin cart   
A                      E        
There he goes and now here she starts      
          B                       
Hear her cry                    
F#m7 E  B          
(Do do do) Flight of the seabird                    
F#m7 E  B         
(Do do do) Scattered like the lost words               
F#m7 E  B                          E  
(Do do do) Wheel to the storm and fly                    

 E                                                       A
Fare thee well, now  let your life proceed by it's own design     
E                                                 A             
Nothing to tell now, let the words be yours, I'm done with mine      
(repeat) 
       
And here is a harder key to play in for those aspiring guitarists.



F                                                  Bb
I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream,

F                                              Bb
I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream

Fm7                     Bbm   Fm7                    Bbm
Ah, child of countless trees, ah, child of boundless seas

Gm                                 Bb
What you are, what you're meant to be

Gm                                      Bb                    F
Speaks his name though you were born to me, born to me, Cassidy.


2. Lost now on the country miles in his Cadillac,
I can tell by the way you smile he is rolling back
Come wash the nighttime clean, come grow the scorched ground green
Blow the horn and tap the tambourine,
Close the gap on the dark years in between you and me, Cassidy.

Bb                F          Bb                    F
Quick beats of an icy heart, catch colt(?) draws a coffin cart

Bb                    F                         C
There he goes and now here she starts, hear her cry

Gm7 F C
        Flight of the seabirds,
Gm7 F C 
        Scattered like lost words

C                Bb     F
Wheel to the storm and fly

(Go through the verse chords again)

[2x]:
F                                                      Bb
Faring the well now, let your life proceed by its own design
           F                                              Bb
Nothing to tell now, let the words be yours I'm done with mine






CHINA DOLL - Grateful Dead
Words by Robert Hunter
Music by Jerome Garcia

Dm: xx0231      Fmaj7: xx3210   Bo7: x2x131
Bb: x13331      A7: x02020

in 4/4 except the line "china doll" which is in 2/4

Dm            Fmaj7          Bo7                   Bb
A pistol shot at five o'clock; the bells of heaven ring.
If you can abide it let the   hurdy-gurdy          play.

A7               Dm                 F                C
Tell me what you done it for.  No I won't tell you a thing.
Stranger ones have come by here before they flew   away.

Dm          Fmaj7      Bo7              Bb
Yesterday I begged you before I hit the ground.
I will not condemn you nor yet would I deny.

A7              Dm              F               C
All I leave behind me is        only what I've found.
I would ask the same of you but failing, will not die.

1st time through -> A7
2nd time -> Am A7 D

D                     A            G
Take up you china doll.  It's only fractured;

                               D    G D  G                 D
Just a little nervous from the fall.     La la la la la la la.





"Comes a Time"
Jerry Garcia/Robert Hunter

(Chorus:)
A                      Em                   D
Comes a time, when the blind man takes your hand
               A
Says don't you see
              B   E
Gotta make it somehow
        D                A
On the dreams you still believe
              E                F   F#m7
Don't give it up, you got an empty cup
Em7             F#m7  Em7             F#m7
  Only love can fill,   Only love can fill

(Verse 1:)
A                 E       Bm               D
Been walking all morning, went walking all night
A                 E          Bm                  D
I can't see much difference between the dark and light
A                 E   Bm              D
And I feel the wind, and I taste the rain
A            E   Bm               D
Never in my mind to cause so much pain

(Chorus)

(Verse 2:)
>From day to day, just letting it ride
You get so far away from how it feels inside
You can't let go cause you're afraid to fall
The day may come when you can't feel at all

(Chorus)






Crazy Fingers -- Grateful Dead (Hunter, Garcia)
 
D         C                G
Your rain falls like crazy fingers
 
Bb               F       Fm           Gsus4  G
Peals of fragile thunder keeping time.
 
G     Bb     Bbm     Eb7          Cm    G    Gsus4 G
Recall the days that still are to come, some sing blue.
 
 
Hang your heart on laughing willow
Stray down in the water, deep sea of love,
Beneath the sweet calm face of the sea, swift undertow.
 
Fm                      Ab            Eb
Life may be sweeter for this, I don't know;
 
Fm         Ab           Eb  Cm/G  G7
See how it feels in the end.
 
Ab       A7           Eb7              D7    Db7                Gsus4
May Lady Lullaby sing plainly for you, soft, strong, sweet, and true.
 
 
Cloud hands reaching from a rainbow,
tapping at the window, touch your hair.
So swift and bright, strange fingers of light float in air.
 
Who can stop what must arrive now?
Something new is waiting to be born.
Dark as the night you are still by my side, shine inside.
 
Gone are the days we stopped to decide,
Where we should go, we just ride.
Gone are the broken eyes we saw through in dreams
Gone both dream and lie.
 
Life may be sweeter for this, I don't know,
Feels like it might be alright.
While Lady Lullaby sings plainly through you, love still rings true.
 
Midnight on a carousel ride,
Reaching for the gold ring down inside.
Never could reach it, just slips away, but I try.