Other Lyricists

This page sets out some information about the lyricists other than Hunter and Barlow who wrote lyrics to songs with music by members of the Grateful Dead.

Peter Monk

Peter Monk was born Peter Zimels but changed his name after being ordained as a Buddhist monk.(I have also seen his name spelt 'Zimmels', 'Zimmel' and 'Zimel'). He wrote the lyrics for Passenger and Equinox for the Grateful Dead, with music by Phil Lesh.

Peter Monk also wrote the lyrics for Speed Racer, Young Man, Blind John and Hangin' On with Mickey Hart and Could You Drive Forever, Harbinger and Strange Way with Barry Melton

Ed McCauley kindly sent me three lyrics Peter Monk had written and sent to Jerry Garcia: July Fourth 1977, Cabin and Requiem - though there's no evidence Garcia wrote music for them.

Peter Monk also wrote the lyrics to Rich Man, Poor Man by Peter, Paul and Mary. There are references to his songs having been performed by Richie Havens, but I haven't seen any confirmation of this.

Robert M. Petersen

Robert M. Petersen wrote four lyrics for the Grateful Dead, set to music by Phil Lesh: New Potato Caboose, Pride Of Cucamonga, Revolutionary Hamstrung Blues and Unbroken Chain

Nicholas Meriwether has written a piece "Documenting The Dead": "The Robert M. Petersen Papers" describing a collection in Grateful Dead Archive of Petersen's poems, lyrics, essays etc. Meriwether has also written a Guide to the Robert M. Petersen papers in the Online Archive of California. This lists a collection of Petersen's lyrics. As well as 'Pride of Cucamonga' and 'Revolutionary Hamstrung Blues', it includes 'Pretty to Remember', 'Sheet-Iron Jack Was A Highwayman', 'The Flying of the Raven', 'Upon the Road A Silver Scarab' and 'Winter Blue'. None of these seem ever to have been set to music.

The book "Alleys Of The Heart" is Petersen's collected poems. They contain many references to the Dead. One is "He Was A Friend Of Mine", written on the news of Pigpen's death. Others include "For The Grateful Dead", "Morning Raga for Phil Lesh" and a portion of "Fern Rock". Peter Connors wrote an essay "Sink Like a Stone, Float Like a Feather: The Poetics of Bobby Petersen" to accompany the re-issue of "Alleys Of The Heart". This is a shortened version.

Gerrit Graham

Gerrit Graham wrote the lyrics to Victim Or The Crime, sung by Bob Weir with the Grateful Dead. He gives an account of the process of writing that with Bob Weir here.

Graham also wrote or contributed to the lyrics for several songs for Bob Weir with Ratdog and with Bobby and the Midnites: Money For Gasoline, Even So, Just Like Mama Said, City Girls, I Want To Live In America, Bury Me Standing, Odessa, Just Like Mama Said and Two Djinn.

Andrew Charles

Andrew Charles wrote the lyrics to If The Shoe Fits, with music by Phil Lesh. All I know about him is this note in David Dodd's book 'The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics':

Andrew Charles is a self-taught musician born and raised on the island of Barbados, the West Indies. After moving to the Bay Area in 1993, he played with several local Caribbean bands and then expanded his musical talent to songwriting. Jill Lesh introduced Phil to Andrew. Phil listened to a few songs and asked if he could play around with 'If the Shoe Fits,' which was originally entitled 'Give It Up.'

Eric Andersen

Eric Andersen co-wrote the lyrics to Weather Report Suite Part 1 with Bob Weir - who wasn't happy with it: "Eric Andersen and I got a bottle of whiskey and wrote this sappy love song. I always hated what we did, which is why that part of the song vanished for years" - it was only ever played in 1973 and 1974.

Eric Andersen is a folk singer/songwriter who was part of the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960s. His best known song is probably "Thirsty Boots". He travelled with the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin etc on the Festival Express tour across Canada in 1970.

Willy Legate

Willy Legate was an old friend of Garcia's who was part of the Grateful Dead 'family'. He wrote the lyrics to Wandering Man with music by Phil Lesh. Rehearsed by the Dead in 1966 but never played live.

Dave Parker

Dave Parker, described as "Garcia's friend (and long-time Dead employee)" was a member of Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, playing washboard, kazoo etc. He wrote the lyrics to The Only Time Is Now.

Willie Dixon

Willie Dixon, the blues musicians and songwriter", wrote the lyrics for Eternity, with music by Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman. There is an account by Bob Weir, in an interview with David Gans, about the writing of the song.

The Grateful Dead, and other spin-off bands, played many Willie Dixon songs. A full list is here.