Alabama Getaway

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia

This is the version as Jerry Garcia sang it on "Go To Heaven":

Thirty-two teeth in a jawbone
Alabama's tryin' for none
Before I have to hit him
I hope he's got the sense to run

Reason the poor girls love him
Promise them everything
Why they all believe him?
He wears a big diamond ring (note a)

Chorus
Alabama getaway, get away
Alabama getaway, get away
Only way to please me
Just get down and leave and walk away (note b)

Majordomo Billy Bojangles
Sat down and had a drink with me
Said what about Alabama
That keeps a-coming back to me?

I heard your plea in the court house
Witness box began to rock and rise
Forty nine sister states
Had Alabama in their eyes

[chorus]

Major said why don't we give him
Rope enough to hang himself?
No need to worry the jury
They'll probably take care of themselves

Twenty third psalm Majordomo
Reserve me a table for three
Down in the valley of the shadow
Just you, Alabama and me

[chorus]

Notes
(a) Jerry sometimes varied this--eg to "He wears a frickin' diamond ring" (thanks to Brian Schnapp for this)
(b) it's not clear whether Jerry sang "Just get down ..." or "Just sit down ..." - though the former makes more sense.

Grateful Dead Recordings
	Date	Album
	studio 1980	Go To Heaven (note 1)
	6 Nov 1979	Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/6/79
	10 Nov 1979	Road Trips Volume 1, Number 1
	3 Dec 1979	Dave's Picks Vol 31
	9 Dec 1979	Dave's Picks Vol 47
	26 Dec 1979	Dick's Picks Vol 5
	28 Dec 1979	Road Trips Vol 3, No 1
	5 Apr 1980	Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD)
	15 May 1980	Go To Nassau
	6 May 1981	Dick's Picks Vol 13
	31 Jul 1982	30 Trips Around The Sun
	11 Sep 1983	Dave's Picks Vol 52
	14 Oct 1983	Dick's Picks Vol 6
	24 Jun 1985	30 Trips Around The Sun
	27 Mar 1987	Dave's Picks Volume 36

(Plus live recordings by The Dead, Furthur, Dead & Company, Ratdog, Phil Lesh & Friends etc not listed here. See Grateful Dead Family Discography for a full list.)

Other Recordings
	Date	Album	Recorded By
	studio 1982	Run For The Roses	Jerry Garcia Band (note 2)
	1996	Long Live The Dead	Billy and Terry Smith
	2000	Dead Grass	Vassar Clements
	2003	Gods And Fraks	Scott Finch
	2004	20 Degrees Of Solitude	The Grass Is Dead
	2010	Songs Of The Grateful Dead	Jesse McReynolds
	2010	Let The Music Live	Skeleton Key Band
	2011	The Wheel: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Garcia	Jesse McReynolds, David Nelson et al
	2012	Run For The Roses	Greg Anton et al (Rex Foundation)
	2015	Songs Of Their Own	Toby Oler

Notes
(1) also on the compilation The Arista Years
(2) bonus track on the reissued album included in the box set All Good Things

Robert Hunter's lyrics in "Box Of Rain" have lots of minor differences, indicated in italics below:

Thirty-two teeth in a jawbone
Alabama cryin' for none
Before I have to hit him
I hope he's got the sense to run

Reason those poor girls love him
Promise them anything
Reason they believe him?
He wears a big diamond ring

Chorus
Alabama getaway, get away
Alabama getaway, get away
Only way to please me
Turn around and leave and walk away

Majordomo Billy Bojangles
Sit down and have a drink with me
What's this about Alabama
Keeps coming back to me

I heard your plea in the courthouse
Jury box began to rock and rise
Forty nine sister states
All had Alabama in their eyes

[chorus]

Why don't we just give Alabama
Rope enough to hang himself?
Ain't no call to worry the jury
His kind take care of itself

Twenty third psalm Majordomo
Reserve me a table for three
In the valley of the shadow
Just you, Alabama and me

[chorus]

Further Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For information on references in the lyrics see David Dodd's Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For sheet music, see:
Grateful Dead Anthology Volume 2 (piano arrangement)
Garcia/Hunter Songbook (vocal line and chords/TAB)