Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
Rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limbNotes
You know better, but I know him
Like I told you, what I said
Steal your face right off your head
Chorus
And now he's gone
Now he's gone, Lord he's gone
He's gone
Like a steam locomotive rolling down the track
He's gone, gone, and nothing's gonna bring him back
He's gone
Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride (note 1)
Hot as a pistol but cool inside
Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile (note 1)
Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile
[chorus]
Going where the wind don't blow so strange
Maybe off on some high cold mountain range (note 2)
Lost one round but the price wasn't anything (note 3)
A knife in the back and more of the same
Same old
Rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limb
You know better, but I know him
Like I told you, like I said
Steal your face right off your head
[chorus]
Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back
Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back
Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back
[etc]
So long baby, rip it up today(5) Another version of the handwritten lyrics, put up for aucion in 2015 by Dennis McNally, had further differences and additional verses/fragments (some crossed out). As best I can decipher:
Write me a letter when you mend your ways
Hanging on a meat hook, coolin' my heels
Sign no papers and make no deals
Take me to the kickshop, hang me up for poor
Just try to see you don't shame me no more
North wind rain, I can't complainRobert Hunter was asked about the origins of the song in an interview in Relix Volume #5 Issue #2:
Here come Tony with a hat and cane
Black cloud rain
Hot as a cracker but cool inside
Hanging on a meat hook, checking your file
You may know his sister but I know him
[Chokin'] on a hymn, shot out on a limb
So long Delia, I'm going away
Maybe come back to you some day
Write you a letter when I paid my way
... a long ol' way
[?] to do but that's OK
Relix: Who was the inspiration for "He's Gone"?This was discussed by the band during the 28 August rehearsals with Vince Welnick:
Hunter: Lenny.
Relix: Lenny of Hart? Great. [laughter]
Hunter: I warned them about him from the beginning. That song just contained more warning: "Rat in a drain ditch out on a limb/You know better but I know him". People thought it was about Pigpen after Pig died, but they didn't think. It was predated and stuff.
Weir: This was about Lenny.
Welnick: Lenny Bruce?
Weir: Lenny Hart, a manager that we had. That's what Hunter says.
Garcia: Yeah, that that's the discrepancy. He keeps saying it's about Lenny, but we wrote this way after Lenny was gone... for a while, he was saying it's about Nixon. But we wrote it way before Nixon was gone. I don't think we can trust Hunter on this. What the fuck does he know? He just writes 'em.
Kidd: [laughs]
Weir: Well, you made Candelario laugh.
Garcia: Is that a bad sign or a good sign?