Black Throated Wind

Lyrics: John Barlow
Music: Bob Weir

Lyrics written by John Perry Barlow for Bob Weir's solo album Ace. In a piece Barlow penned about the writing of the song Cassidy, he says of the early studio sessions for Ace "I'd come up with some lyrics (for Looks Like Rain and most of Black-Hearted Wind)". I've no idea if "Black-Hearted Wind" was the original title or whether that was a mistake - I've never seen any other references to that title.

Bringing me down, I'm running aground (note a)
Blind in the light of the interstate cars
Passing me by, the buses and semis
Plunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars

But I'm here by the road, bound to the load
That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars
Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
The highway, the moon, the clouds, and the stars

The black throated wind keeps on pouring in
With its words of a life where nothing is new
Ah, Mother American Night, I'm lost from the light
Oh I'm drowning in you

I left Saint Louis, City of Blues
In the midst of a storm I'd rather forget
I tried to pretend it came to an end
'Cause you weren't the woman I once thought I'd met

But I can't deny, that times have gone by
Where I never had doubts or thoughts of regrets
And I was a man when all this began
Who wouldn't think twice about being there yet

The black throated wind whispering sin,
And it speaks of a life that passes like dew
It forced me to see
That you've done better by me
Better by me than I've done by you

Now what's to found, racing around
You carry your pain wherever you go
Full of the blues, and trying to lose
You ain't going to learn what you don't want to know

So I give you my eyes, and all of their lies
Please help them to learn as well as to see
And capture a glance, whoa and make it a dance
Of looking at you looking at me

The black throated wind keeps on pouring in
With its words of a life that could almost be true
Ah, Mother American Night, here comes the light
I'm turning around that's what I'm going to do
Going back home that's what I'm gonna do
Notes
(a) in some early versions, Weir sang "Running around, this cloverleaf town"

Some alternative words were tested out in 1990 but mostly did not last:
Verse 2
Well, it's me and the road, yeah, we're unlocking the code
That will lead us to some as yet unforseen bar
Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
The highway, the moon, the clouds and the stars

But I'm here by the road, yeah, unravelling the code
That will lead us to some as yet unforseen bar

Verse 3
The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
Like a siren it promises everything new
Ah, Mother American Night, invisible light
Ohhh, I'm flying in you

The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
With its words of a life where everything's new

Verse 4
I left St Louis, the City of Blues
On a screaming blue bender I'd rather forget
With no scars that show, the keys to the road
A couple of tens and some stale cigarettes

Verse 5
But I can't deny that times have gone by
Nothing is left but thoughts of regret
When I was a man, with so much in hand
That a bird in the bush would be singing there yet

But I can't deny that times have gone by
When being with her was as good as it gets

Verse 6
The black-throated wind, whispering sin
And speaking of life that passes like dew
It's led me to see if you want to be free
Have your way with each day as its granted to you

Verse 7
What's to be found, racing around
You carry your blues to the edge of the sky
Think a coyote could care about birds in the air?
Think a raven thinks coyotes should learn how to fly?

We drew lines all around us when I was down
So now mine turns out to go right to the sky

Verse 8
So I give you my eyes, they were just a disguise (note b)
Anyway where I'm going it's too dark to see
Yes, and toss me to Chance and watch me dance
Choreography certain as bats on the breeze

So I leave you my eyes ...

Verse 9
The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
With it's words of a lie I think just might be true
Oh, Mother American Night, here comes the light
I'm going right on ahead, that's what I'm gonna do

The black-throated wind keeps on pouring in
The prophet that promises everything new
Ah, Mother American Night, come wrong or come right
I will always go onward in you
Notes
(b) "they were just a disguise" has been used more recently. I haven't checked back, but I noticed Bob Weir singing this with Wolf Bros in 2022.

Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     26 Mar 1972 Dave's Picks Vol 14
     28 Mar 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 30
      7 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
      8 Apr 1972 Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72 (note 1)
     11 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     14 Apr 1972 Europe '72: Vol. 2 (note 1)
     16 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     17 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     24 Apr 1972 Rockin' The Rhein (note 1)
     26 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     29 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
      3 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
      7 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     10 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     11 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     13 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     16 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     18 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     23 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     24 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     25 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     26 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     21 Jul 1972 Download Series Vol 10
     25 Aug 1972 Dave's Picks Volume 24
     27 Aug 1972 Sunshine Daydream (CD only)
     9 Sep 1972 Dave's Picks Volume 46
     17 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 23
     21 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 36
     24 Sep 1972 30 Trips Around The Sun
     27 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 11
     17 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
     23 Oct 1973 30 Days Of The Dead (2015)
     29 Oct 1973 Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73
      9 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     11 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     14 Nov 1973 30 Trips Around The Sun
     21 Nov 1973 Road Trips Volume 4, Number 3
     30 Nov 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 14
     19 Dec 1973 30 Days Of The Dead (2022)
     22 Feb 1974 Dave's Picks Volume 42 (bonus disc) (note 4)
     23 Mar 1974 Dick's Picks Vol 24
     14 May 1974 Dave's Picks Volume 9
     19 May 1974 Pacific Northwest '73-'74
     23 Jun 1974 Dave's Picks Volume 34
     25 Jul 1974 30 Days Of The Dead (2016) (note 3)
     10 Sep 1974 Dick's Picks Vol 7
     18 Sep 1974 30 Trips Around The Sun
     19 Oct 1974 Steal Your Face
     16 Mar 1990 Spring 1990
     26 Mar 1990 Spring 1990
     20 Oct 1990 30 Days Of The Dead (2020)
     27 Oct 1990 30 Trips Around The Sun
     12 May 1991 30 Days Of The Dead (2018) (note 2)
     14 Jun 1991 View From The Vault II (video/DVD & CD soundtrack)
     10 Sep 1991 30 Trips Around The Sun
     21 Feb 1995 30 Trips Around The Sun
Notes
(1) also on the box set Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
(2) also released in 30 Days Of The Dead (2019)
(3) also released in 30 Days Of The Dead (2021)
(4) also released in 30 Days Of The Dead (2018)
 
Bob Weir Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     studio 1972 Ace Bob Weir
     1 Dec 2012 A Buckdancer's Choice Bob Weir (solo)
     3 Apr 2022 Ace (50th anniversary edition) Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros

(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
     2004 Werewolves Of Atlanta: Halloween 2004 Dark Star Orchestra


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 David Dodd's discussion of this song on dead.net see Greatest Stories Ever Told
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For sheet music, see:
          Grateful Dead Anthology Volume 2 (piano arrangement)

 


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