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Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead


Background information
Origin San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genre(s) Rock
Years active 1965—1995
Label(s) Arista Records
Rhino Records
Associated acts Bob Dylan
The Other Ones
The Dead
Jerry Garcia Band
RatDog
Phil Lesh and Friends
Rhythm Devils
BK3
Donna Jean Godchaux Band
Heart of Gold Band
Missing Man Formation
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Old and in the Way
Legion of Mary
Reconstruction
Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band
Kingfish
Bobby and the Midnites
The Tubes
Bruce Hornsby
Furthur
7 Walkers
Website Website
Former members
Jerry Garcia
Bob Weir
Phil Lesh
Bill Kreutzmann
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan
Mickey Hart
Tom Constanten
Keith Godchaux
Donna Jean Godchaux
Brent Mydland
Vince Welnick



Music World  →  Lyrics  →  G  →  Grateful Dead  →  Albums  →  Reckoning

Grateful Dead Album


Reckoning (1981)
1981
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In the timbers of Fennario
the wolves are running round
The winter was so hard and cold
froze ten feet neath the ground

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

I sat down to my supper
T'was a bottle of red whiskey
I said my prayers and went to bed
That's the last they saw of me

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

LyricsWhen I awoke, the Dire Wolf
Six hundred pounds of sin
Was grinnin at my window
All I said was "come on in"

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

The wolf came in, I got my cards
We sat down for a game
I cut my deck to the Queen of Spades
but the cards were all the same

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me

In the backwash of Fennario
The black and bloody mire
The Dire Wolf collects his due
while the boys sing round the fire

Don't murder me
I beg of you don't murder me
Please
don't murder me


. . .



I feel tears welling up from down deep inside,
Like my heart's got a big break
And a stab of loneliness sharp and painful that I may never shake.

You might think that I'm taking it hard since you broke me off with a call,
You might wager that I'll hide in sorrow and I might lay right down and bawl.

Now the race is on and here comes pride up the back stretch,
Heartaches a goin' to the inside, my tears are holding back, tryin' not to fall.

My heart's our of the running, true love scratched for another's sake,
The race is on and it looks like heartaches, and the winner loses all.

One day I ventured in love never once suspecting
What the final result would be.
Now I live in fear of waking up each morning,
And finding that you're gone from me.

There's an aching pain in my heart for the name of the one that I hated to face,
Someone else came out to win her, and I came out in second place


. . .



Annie laid her head down in the roses.
She had ribbons, ribbons, ribbons, in her long brown hair.
I don't know, maybe it was the roses,
All I know I could not leave her there.

I don't know, it must have been the roses,
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair.
I don't know, maybe it was the roses,
All I know I could not leave her there.

Ten years the waves roll the ships home from the sea,
Thinkin' well how it may blow in all good company,
If I tell another what your own lips told to me,
Let me lay 'neath the roses, till my eyes no longer see.

I don't know, it must have been the roses,
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair.
I don't know, maybe it was the roses,
All I know I could not leave her there.

LyricsOne pane of glass in the window,
No one is complaining, no, come in and shut the door,
Faded is the crimson from the ribbons that she wore,
And it's strange how no one comes round any more.

I don't know, it must have been the roses,
The roses or the ribbons in her long brown hair.
I don't know, maybe it was the roses,
All I know I could not leave her there.

Annie laid her head down in the roses.
She had ribbons, ribbons, ribbons, in her long brown hair.
I don't know, maybe it was the roses,
All I know I could not leave her there


. . .



I'd rather be in some dark hollow where the sun don't ever shine
Then to be at home alone and knowin' that you're gone
Would cause me to lose my mind.

Well blow your whistle freight train carry me far on down the track
Well I'm going away, I'm leaving today
I'm goin', but I ain't comin' back.

I'd rather be in some dark hollow where the sun don't ever shine
Then to be in some big city, in a small room, with you upon my mind.

Well I'm going away, I'm leaving today
I'm goin' but I ain't comin' back


. . .



A pistol shot at 5 o'clock
The bells of heaven ring
"Tell me what you done it for"
"No I won't tell you a thing

"Yesterday I begged you
before I hit the ground -
all I leave behind me
is only what I found

"If you can abide it
let the hurdy-gurdy play -
Stranger ones have come by here
before they flew away

"I will not condemn you
nor yet would I deny"
"I would ask the same of you
but failing will not die

"Take up your china doll
it's only fractured -
and just a little nervous
from the fall"


. . .


I BEEN ALL AROUND THIS WORLD
Music: Traditional
Lyrics: Traditional

Upon the Blue Ridge mountains
That's where I'll take my stand

Upon the Blue Ridge mountains
That's where I'll take my stand

A rifle on my shoulder
Six-shooter in my hand, Lord, Lord
I been all around this world


Lulu, my Lulu
Come and open the door

Lulu, my Lulu
Come and open the door

Before I have to walk on in
With my old forty-four, Lord, Lord
I been all around this world


Hang me, oh hang me
I'll be dead and gone

Hang me, oh hang me
Well, I'll be dead and gone

I wouldn't mind your hangin', boys,
but you wait in jail so long, Lord, Lord
I been all around this world


Upon the Blue Ridge mountains
That's where I'll take my stand

Upon the Blue Ridge mountains
That's where I'll take my stand

A rifle on my shoulder
Six-shooter in my hand, Lord, Lord
I been all around this world

. . .



Once upon a time there was an engineer.
Drove a locomotive both far and near.
Accompanied by a monkey that would sit on a stool
Watching everything the engineer would do
One day the engineer wanted a bite to eat,
He left the monkey sitting on the driver's seat,
The monkey pulled the throttle, the locomotive jumped the gun
And did 80 miles an hour down the mainline run.

Big locomotive right on time, big locomotive coming down the line.
Big locomotive No. 99, left the engineer with a worried mind.

The engineer called up the dispatcher on the phone,
To tell him all about his locomotive was gone.
Dispatcher got on the wire, switch operator to the right,
Cause the monkey's got the main line sewed up tight.
The switch operator got the message on time,
Said there's a Northbound livin' on the same main line,
Open up the switch I'm gonna let him through the hole,
Cause the monkey's got the locomotive under control.

Big locomotive right on time, big locomotive coming down the line.
Big locomotive No. 99, left the engineer with a worried mind


. . .



There was a wealthy merchant, in London he did dwell
He had a Beautiful daughter, the truth to you we'll tell
Oh the truth to you we'll tell

She had sweethearts a plenty, and men of high degree
But none but Jack the sailor, her true love ever be
Oh her true love ever be

Jackie's gone a sailing, with trouble on his mind
He's left his native country and his darling girl behind
Oh his darling girl behind

She went down to a tailor shop and dressed in man's array
She climbed on board a vessel to convey herself away
Oh convey herself away

Before you get on board sir, your name we'd like to know
She smiled on her countenance, they called me Jack-A-Roe
Oh they called me Jack-A-Roe

LyricsI see your waist is slender, your fingers they are small
Your cheeks too red and rosy to face the cannonball
Oh to face the cannonball

I know my waist's to slender, my fingers they are small
but it would not make me tremble to see ten thousand fall
Oh to see ten thousand fall

The war soon being over she went and looked around
among the dead and wounded her darling boy she found
Oh her darling boy she found

She picked him up on in her arms and carried him to the town
she sent for a physician to quickly heal his wounds
Oh to quickly heal his wounds

This couple they got married so well they did agree
This couple they got married so why not you and me?
Oh why not you and me?
Oh why not you and me?


. . .



If You Go Down To Deep Elm Put Your Money In Your Shoes
The Women In Deep Elem They Give You The Deep Elem Blues

Oh, sweet Mama, Your Daddy's Got Them Deep Elem Blues

Once I Had A Girlfriend, She Meant The World To Me
She Went Down To Deep Elem, Now She Ain't What She Used To Be

Once I Knew A Percher, Preached THe Bible Thru And Thru
He Went Sown To Deep Elem, Now His Preaching Days Are Thru

When You Go Down To Deep Elem To Have A Little Fun,
Have Your Ten Dollars Ready When The Police Man Comes

When yo go down to Deep Elem put your money in your pants
Cause the women in Deep Elem they don't give a man a chance

Oh, Sweet Mama, Your Daddy's Got Them Deep Elem Blues


. . .



I have seen where the wolf has slept by the silver stream.
I can tell by the mark he left you were in his dream.
Ah, child of countless trees.
Ah, child of boundless seas.
What you are, what you're meant to be
Speaks his name, though you were born to me,
Born to me,
Cassidy...

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

Quick beats in an icy heart.
catch-colt draws a coffin cart.
There he goes now, here she starts:
Hear her cry.
Flight of the seabirds, scattered like lost words
Wheel to the storm and fly.

Faring thee well now.
Let your life proceed by its own design.
Nothing to tell now.
Let the words be yours, I'm done with mine.
(Repeat)


. . .



To lay me down, once more
to lay me down with my head in sparklin' clover
to lay me down, on e last time, to lay me down

To be with you, once more, to be with you.
With our bodies close together
let the world go by, like the clouds a'streamin'
to lay me down, on e last time, to lay me down

to lay me down, to lay me down, to lay me down, one last time,
to lay me down
to lie with you, once more, to lie with you
with our dreams entwined together
to wake beside you, my love still sleepin'
to tell sweet lies, one last time and say good night
to lay me down, to lay me down, to lay me down, one last time,
to lay me down, one last time, to lay me down
to lay me down, to lay me down, to lay me down, to lay me down
to lay me down


. . .


ROSA LEE MCFALL
Lyrics: Charlie Monroe
Music: Charlie Monroe, arranged by Grateful Dead

Out on the lonely hillside
In a cabin low and small
Lived the sweetest rose of color
My Rosa Lee McFall

Her hair was brightsome color
And her voice was sweet and pure
I knew that I would always love her
And I hoped that she loved me.

I asked her to be my darlin'
And this is what she said:
"I know that I could never be happy
Until you and I are wed."

Then God way up in Heaven
One day, on her did call
I lost my pride, oh how I loved her
My Rosa Lee McFall

I've searched the wide world over
In cities great and small
But I've never found another
Like my Rosa Lee McFall

. . .



Why I married me a bad girl, tell you the reason why
Bad girls will even do things on the sly
Look for your supper to be good and hot
She never even put a stew bone in the pot

She's on the road again, sure as you're born
Natural born easy on the road again

Friend come by, say looking for his hat
Wants to know where your husband's at
I don't know, he's on his way to the pen
Come on pretty mama, let's get on the road again

Went to my house the front door was locked
Went 'round to my window, but my window was locked
Jumped right back, shook my head,
Big old rounder in my folding bed
Jumped into the window, broke the glass
Never seen that little rounder run so fast

Come on pretty mama, let's get on the road again


. . .



All I know is something like a bird within her sang,
All I know she sang a little while and then flew on,
Tell me all that you know, 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 passin' by,
Laugh in the sunshine, sing, cry in the dark, fly through the night.

Don't cry now, don't you cry, don't you cry anymore.
Sleep in the stars, don't you cry, dry your eyes on the wind.

All I know is something like a bird within her sang,
All I know she sang a little while and then flew off,
Tell me all that you know, I'll show you snow and rain


. . .



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 thru 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,
LyricsBetween 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.

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.

La dee da da da, La da da da da, Da da da, Da da, Da da da da da
La da da da, La da da, Da da, La da da da, La da, Da da


. . .


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