Bird Song

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia

A regular for the Dead, this was also performed by Jerry Garcia with John Kahn, and more recently with all the post-Dead bands.

All I know is something like a bird within her sang (note a)
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? (note b)
Anyone who sings a tune so sweet is passing 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 any more
La da da da

Sleep in the stars
Don't you cry
Dry your eyes on the wind
La da da da da da

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
Notes
(a) Robert Hunter originally wrote the song as a tribute for Janis Joplin. Phil Lesh now sings "All I know is something like a bird within him sang", transfering it Jerry Garcia instead
(b) it's hard to make out, but I believe Garcia sometimes sang "When you hear that same sweet song again" in later years.

Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     19 Feb 1971 Three From The Vault
     21 Feb 1971 Workingman's Dead (50th Anniversary Edition)
     24 Feb 1971 30 Days Of The Dead (2014) (note 9)
     14 Apr 1971 30 Days Of The Dead (2022)
     28 Apr 1971 Ladies And Gentleman ... The Grateful Dead
     31 Jul 1971 Road Trips Number 1, Volume 3
     22 Jul 1972 Download Series Vol 10
     25 Aug 1972 Dave's Picks Volume 24
     27 Aug 1972 Sunshine Daydream (CD and DVD)
     9 Sep 1972 Dave's Picks Volume 46
     10 Sep 1972 30 Days Of The Dead (2013) (note 12)
     17 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 23
     19 Sep 1972 Dave's Picks Bonus Disc 2023
     21 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 36
     24 Sep 1972 30 Trips Around The Sun
     27 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 11
      2 Oct 1972 30 Days Of The Dead (2012)
     17 Oct 1972 Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
     18 Oct 1972 Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
     19 Oct 1972 Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
     17 Nov 1972 Dave's Picks Volume 11
     10 Jun 1973 Here Comes Sunshine (note 11)
     22 Jun 1973 Pacific Northwest '73-'74
      7 Sep 1973 Dave's Picks Volume 38
      9 Oct 1980 The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 10/9/80 & 10/10/80
     10 Oct 1980 The Warfield, San Francisco, CA 10/9/80 & 10/10/80
     14 Oct 1980 Reckoning (note 8)
     31 Oct 1980 Dead Ahead (video/DVD)
     30 Nov 1980 Dave's Picks Volume 8
     26 Feb 1981 30 Days Of The Dead (2016)
     9 Mar 1981 In And Out Of The Garden
      7 Jul 1981 30 Days Of The Dead (2024)
      9 Dec 1981 Dave's Picks Volume 20
     31 Jul 1982 30 Trips Around The Sun (note 6)
     11 Oct 1983 In And Out Of The Garden
     15 Oct 1984 30 Days Of The Dead (2018)
     28 Apr 1985 Dave's Picks Vol 49
     26 Mar 1987 Dave's Picks Volume 36 (note 10)
     26 Jul 1987 View From The Vault IV (DVD & CD soundtrack)
     18 Sep 1987 30 Trips Around The Sun
     31 Dec 1987 Ticket To New Year's (video/DVD only)
      3 Jul 1988 30 Trips Around The Sun
      9 Jul 1989 Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Boxed Set
     12 Oct 1989 30 Days Of The Dead (2021)
      9 Dec 1989 Without A Net
     16 Mar 1990 Spring 1990 (note 4)
     25 Mar 1990 Spring 1990 (The Other One)
     29 Mar 1990 So Many Roads (1965-1995) (note 3) (note 5)
     10 Jul 1990 (official YouTube video only)
     27 Oct 1990 30 Trips Around The Sun
     20 Jun 1991 Download Series Vol 11
     20 Mar 1992 30 Trips Around The Sun
      1 Jul 1992 (official YouTube video only)
     26 Jun 1993 (official YouTube video only)
      4 Jul 2015 Fare Thee Well (CD and DVD)
 
Dead-related Recordings
     studio 1972 Garcia Jerry Garcia (note 2)
     27 Jan 1986 GarciaLive Volume 14 Jerry Garcia/John Kahn
     28 Feb 1986 Pure Jerry: Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium Jerry Garcia/John Kahn
     25 Apr 2001 Live At The Roseland Ratdog
     26 Apr 2001 Live At The Roseland Ratdog
 
(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.)
 
Tribute Albums And Other Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     1996 DeadBeats Acoustic DeadBeats
     1997 Jake's Leg Jake's Leg
     1997 Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead Vol 2 Ken Boothe
     1997 Pickin' On The Grateful Dead David West et al
     1998 Live, Vol 1 Joe Gallant & Illuminati
     1999 Frozen: A Selection Of Polarized Country The International Tussler Society
     1999 The Rockin' Banjos Of Bluegrass [self titled]
     2000 Wake The Dead Danny Carahanet al
     2000 Lost Marbles Lost Marbles
     2001 Pickin' On Jerry Garcia David West et al
     2001 The Electric Roses Tour Elegy
     2003 The Tussler (re-issue) Motorpsycho
     2004 Stage Keller Williams
     2004 I'll Take A Melody Heidi Joy
     2005 The 1000th Show Dark Star Orchestra
      8 Feb 2006 Live At The Fillmore Grateful Grass
      2007 Dead Symphony Lee Johnson
     2008 Fennario: Songs by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter Emory Joseph
     2009 Better Off Dead Great Caessar's Ghost
     2010 Songs Of The Grateful Dead Jesse McReynolds
     2010 Celtar Von Cello
     2012 Run For The Roses Tim Bluhm et al (Rex Foundation)
     2013 Keys Keller Willams
     2013 First Reearsals Sycamore Slough String Band
     2013 Move Me Brightly Bob Weir et al (DVD - bonus track)
     2015 A Grand Piano Tribute to the Grateful Dead Rob Catterton
     2015 In A Hurry Blue Mule
     2015 Songs Of Their Own Nicki Bluhm & The Gamblers
     2016 Songs To Fill The Air (WFMU Pledge Drive) Lake Mary
     2016 Day Of The Dead Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Friends
     2016 Better Left Unsung Holly Bowling
     2016 Aug 12 2016 Alta WY The Infamous Stringdusters (note 7)
     2018 Cut The Dead Some Slack Stephen Inglis
     2019 Sabertooth Plays Dead Sabertooth
     2019 Dead Air Charlottesville Day School
     2019 Chip's Picks Vol 1 High Time
     2020 Time Has Come Full Moonalice
     2021 The Relix Sessions Keller Williams
     2023 Grateful Deadication 2 Dave McMurray
Notes
(2) also on the compilation The Best Of Jerry Garcia
(3) this track (with Branford Marsalis) was previously released on the CD "Warriors: KFOG Jam" in 1994.
(4) also on the compilation So Glad You Made It
(5) also in Wake Up To Find Out, and included in box set Spring 1990 (The Other One)
(6) also on the compilation 30 Trips Around The Sun: The Definitive Live Story 1965-1995
(7) The list above includes only one illustrative example of the series of live recordings by this band.
(8) also on the compilation The Best Of The Grateful Dead Live. For a full list see the Grateful Dead Family Discography.
(9) also on 30 Days Of The Dead (2020)
(10) also made available on 30 Days Of The Dead (2017)
(11) also made available on 30 Days Of The Dead (2011)
(12) also made available on 30 Days Of The Dead (2024)


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 Songbook (piano arrangement)
          Without A Net Songbook (piano arrangement)
          Jerry Garcia Songbook (vocal line and chords)
          Garcia/Hunter Songbook (vocal line and chords/TAB)

 


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