Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Phil Lesh
Played a few times by the Grateful Dead in 1968--and not to be confused with the
traditional Oh My Darling Clementine. It was played as an instrumental during the Mickey and the Hartbeats
shows in 1968, with Phil Lesh saying "Wanna try The Six?" before one of them (it is in 6/8 time).
The lyric is not in Robert Hunter's book "Box Of Rain",
but he has confirmed he wrote it.
The full Hunter lyrics, as given to Phil Lesh
(and first reproduced in David Dodd's book
"The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics") are:
Chopped olive sandwiches, roses and wineThe only versions with lyrics that circulate are 20 Jan, 23 Jan and 2 Feb 1968 (on "So Many Roads") and 26 Jan 1969 (other versions circulate as jams only). Thanks to Brad Dilli, Melanie Ryan, Jeff Lester, Andrew Sonnabend and Ihor Slabicky for their help with the lyrics.
Cold ripe persimmons, my sweet Clementine
There's a chill in the meadow, of bottomless time
I go on, I go on, I cannot fill my cup
There's a hole in the bottom, the spring has dried up
I run through the forests of linear time
Chop through the branches and cut through the vines
I'll be back in a moment, though it may take me years
In the lava rock canyons corroded with fears
Of corruptible bodies and grief beyond tears
I'll go on till I hear the sweet voices behind
That I've left for the comfort of cold Clementine
Chopped olive sandwiches, roses and wineNotes
Red ripe persimmons, my sweet Clementine (note 1)
I go on, I go on, I can't fill my cup
There's a hole in the bottom, the well has dried up
I run through the forest, I cut past the vine
Head through the thickets of linear time
[A field full] of voices, sweet voices behind (note 2)
I've left for the comfort of cold Clementine
Chopped olive sandwiches, roses and wine
Cold ripe persimmons, my sweet Clementine
There's a chill in the meadow of bottomless time
I go on, I go on, I can't fill my cup
There's a hole in the bottom, the spring has dried up
Just a thought for the moment, it never was mine
Just like a [fat through] and cut past the vines
I run through the forests of linear time
I go on, I go on, I can't fill my cup
I go on, I go on, though it might take me years
In the lava rock canyons all corroded with fears
Corruptible bodies and grief beyond tears
I go on till I hear the sweet voices behind
That I've left for the comfort of cold Clementine
Grateful Dead Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | ||||
live 2 Feb 1968 | So Many Roads (1965-1995) | ||||
studio 13 Aug 1968 | Aoxomoxoa (instrumental) (note a) | ||||
26 Jan 1969 | Aoxomoxoa (2019 bonus disc) | ||||
Other Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
2016 | Day Of The Dead | Orchestra Baobab (jam) |