Warlocks demo, 1965 and
| Scorpio sessions, 1966:
Chorus, Verse 1, Chorus, Chorus
1966 live version:
Chorus, Verse 1, Verse 3, Verse 4, Verse 2, Chorus
Nov 1969 live version:
Chorus, Verse 1, Verse 2, Chorus, Chorus
Feb 1970 live version:
Chorus, Verse 1, Verse 2, Verse 3, Chorus, Chorus
May 1970 live acoustic version:
Chorus, Verse 1, Verse 2, Verse 3, Chorus, Verse 4, Chorus
In the very early versions, they all sang the verses together, but up until the 1975 break it then settled into all singing verses 1 and 2 and Garcia singing verse 3. In 1979, Weir sang verse 1, all sang verse 2 and Garcia sang verse 3. But soon after it settled into all singing verse 1, Weir singing verse 2 and Garcia singing verse 3.
Grateful Dead Recordings
| Date | | Album |
| demo 3 Nov 1965 | | Birth Of The Dead (note 1) |
| studio Jun 1966 | | Birth Of The Dead (note 1) |
| unknown 1966 | | So Many Roads (1965-1995) (note 2) |
| 3 Jul 1966 | | 30 Trips Around The Sun |
| 29 Jul 1966 | | The Grateful Dead: 50th Anniversary Edition |
| 8 Nov 1969 | | Dick's Picks Vol 16 |
| 12 Dec 1969 | | Dave's Picks Volume 10 |
| 20 Dec 1969 | | Dave's Picks Volume 6 |
| 21 Dec 1969 | | Dave's Picks Volume 6 (Bonus disc) |
| 26 Dec 1969 | | Dave's Picks Volume 43 |
| 2 Jan 1970 | | Dave's Picks Volume 30 |
| 18 Jan 1970 | | Download Series Vol 2 |
| 23 Jan 1970 | | Dave's Picks Volume 19 |
| 1 Feb 1970 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2010) |
| 4 Feb 1970 | | A Night At The Family Dog (DVD) |
| 4 Feb 1970 | | Download Series: A Night At The Family Dog |
| 7 Feb 1970 | | Fillmore West 1969 - The Complete Recordings (note 3) |
| 14 Feb 1970 | | Dick's Picks Vol 4 |
| 28 Feb 1970 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2023) |
| 18 Apr 1970 | | Family Dog at the Great Highway |
| 15 Apr 1970 | | 30 Trips Around The Sun |
| 1 May 1970 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2018) |
| 2 May 1970 | | Dick's Picks Vol 8 (note 4) |
| 15 May 1970 | | Road Trips Vol 3 No 3 (early show) |
| 15 May 1970 | | Road Trips Vol 3 No 3 (late show) |
| 24 May 1970 | | Long Strange Trip (DVD only, on bonus disc) |
| 19 Feb 1971 | | Three From The Vault |
| 21 Feb 1971 | | Workingman's Dead (50th Anniversary Edition) |
| 18 Mar 1971 | | 30 Trips Around The Sun |
| 14 Apr 1971 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2012) |
| 25 Apr 1971 | | Ladies And Gentlemen ... The Grateful Dead |
| 21 Jun 1971 | | Long Strange Trip Soundtrack |
| 7 Aug 1971 | | Dick's Picks Vol 35 |
| 23 Aug 1971 | | Road Trips Number 1, Volume 3 |
| 14 Nov 1971 | | Road Trips Number 3, Volume 2 (bonus disc) |
| 6 Dec 1971 | | Dave's Picks Volume 22 (bonus disc) |
| 27 Mar 1972 | | Dave's Picks Vol 14 (bonus disc) |
| 28 Mar 1972 | | Dick's Picks Vol 30 |
| 7 Apr 1972 | | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings |
| 11 Apr 1972 | | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings |
| 16 Apr 1972 | | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings |
| 17 Apr 1972 | | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings |
| 24 Apr 1972 | | Rockin' The Rhein (note 5) |
| 26 Apr 1972 | | Hundred Year's Hall (note 5) |
| 29 Apr 1972 | | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings |
| 3 May 1972 | | Europe 72 (note 5) |
| 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 | | Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72 (note 5) |
| 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 |
| 27 Aug 1972 | | Sunshine Daydream (CD and DVD) |
| 3 Sep 1972 | | Dave's Picks Bonus Disc 2023 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 21 Feb 1973 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2013) |
| 28 Feb 1973 | | Dick's Picks Vol 28 |
| 16 Mar 1973 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2015) |
| 24 Mar 1973 | | Dave's Picks Volume 32 |
| 28 Mar 1973 | | Dave's Picks Volume 16 |
| 31 Mar 1973 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2015) |
| 2 Apr 1973 | | Dave's Picks Volume 21 |
| 13 May 1973 | | Here Comes Sunshine |
| 20 May 1973 | | Here Comes Sunshine |
| 26 May 1973 | | Here Comes Sunshine |
| 9 Jun 1973 | | Here Comes Sunshine |
| 22 Jun 1973 | | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 |
| 26 Jun 1973 | | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 |
| 24 Jun 1973 | | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 |
| 8 Sep 1973 | | Dave's Picks Volume 38 |
| 24 Sep 1973 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2018) |
| 19 Oct 1973 | | Dick's Picks Vol 19 |
| 27 Oct 1973 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2024) |
| 30 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 |
| 4 Dec 1973 | | Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings (bonus disc) |
| 6 Dec 1973 | | Road Trips Volume 4 (bonus disc) |
| 14 Nov 1973 | | 30 Trips Around The Sun |
| 17 Nov 1973 | | Dave's Picks Volume 5 |
| 10 Dec 1973 | | Download Series Vol 8 |
| 22 Feb 1974 | | Dave's Picks Volume 42 (bonus disc) |
| 24 Feb 1974 | | Dave's Picks Volume 13 |
| 23 Mar 1974 | | Dick's Picks Vol 24 |
| 12 May 1974 | | From The Mars Hotel (50th anniversary bonus disc) (note 12) |
| 17 May 1974 | | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 (note 10) |
| 19 May 1974 | | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 |
| 16 Jun 1974 | | Road Trips Number 2, Volume 3 |
| 22 Jun 1974 | | Dave's Picks Volume 34 (bonus disc) |
| 26 Jun 1974 | | Dick's Picks Vol 12 |
| 31 Jul 1974 | | Dave's Picks Volume 2 |
| 5 Aug 1974 | | Dick's Picks Vol 31 |
| 17 Oct 1974 | | Grateful Dead Movie (DVD & CD soundtrack) |
| 20 Oct 1974 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2014) |
| 29 Dec 1977 | | Dick's Picks Vol 10 |
| 31 Oct 1979 | | Road Trips Volume 1, Number 1 |
| 5 Nov 1979 | | Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79 |
| 6 May 1980 | | Road Trips Volume 3, Number 4 |
| 16 May 1980 | | Go To Nassau |
| 29 Oct 1980 | | Grateful Dead Scrapbook (DVD) (note 6) |
| 26 Nov 1980 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2024) |
| 9 Mar 1981 | | In And Out Of The Garden |
| 9 Dec 1981 | | Dave's Picks Volume 20 |
| 7 Aug 1982 | | Dick's Picks Vol 32 |
| 21 Sep 1982 | | In And Out Of The Garden |
| 11 Oct 1983 | | In And Out Of The Garden |
| 19 Apr 1984 | | Dave's Picks Volume 35 |
| 28 Apr 1985 | | Dave's Picks Vol 49 |
| 26 Mar 1987 | | Dave's Picks Volume 36 |
| 15 Sep 1987 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2022) |
| 2 Oct 1987 | | All The Year's Combine (DVD bonus disc) |
| 1 Apr 1988 | | Road Trips Volume 4, Number 2 |
| 9 Jul 1989 | | Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Boxed Set |
| 17 Jul 1989 | | Downhill From Here (video/DVD only) |
| 11 Oct 1989 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2020) |
| 15 Mar 1990 | | Terrapin Station (Special Edition) |
| 26 Mar 1990 | | Spring 1990 |
| 1 Apr 1990 | | Without A Net (note 8) |
| 16 Jun 1990 | | View From The Vault III (video/DVD & CD soundtrack) |
| 6 Jul 1990 | | (official YouTube video only) |
| 18 Jul 1990 | | Dave's Picks Volume 40 |
| 20 Sep 1990 | | Road Trips Number 2, Volume 1 |
| 27 Oct 1990 | | 30 Trips Around The Sun |
| 24 Mar 1991 | | 30 Days Of The Dead (2017) (note 11) |
| 16 Jun 1991 | | Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Boxed Set |
| 2 Sep 1995 | | Furthur More (Bruce Hornsby) (note 7) |
| 12 Jul 1998 | | The Strange Remain (The Other Ones) |
| 5 Jul 2015 | | Fare Thee Well (CD and DVD) (note 9) |
Notes
(1) originally issued as part of the Rhino box set The Golden Road (1965-1973)
(2) previously released on the semi-official LP Vintage Dead
(3) released on the bonus disc issued with advance orders
(4) acoustic version, not coupled with China Cat
(5) also on the box set Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
(6) DVD included with deluxe edition of the Scrapbook
(7) instrumental version from the concert to dedicate the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
(8) also in Spring 1990 (The Other One)
(9) also on the compilation Best Of Fare Thee Well.
(10) also included on 30 Days Of The Dead (2011)
(11) also included on 30 Days Of The Dead (2011)
(12) also included on 30 Days Of The Dead (2019)/
Related Recordings
| Date | | Album | | Recorded By |
| 1992 | | Nightfall Of Diamonds | | Tom Constanten |
| 1999 | | Tie-Die Yippie Ki Yay | | McEuen and Salazar |
| 2000 | | Pickin' On The Grateful Dead Vol 2 | | David West et al |
| 2001 | | Gifts From The Dead | | Gifts From The Dead |
| 2001 | | Live At Twenty North | | Jake's Leg |
| 2003 | | Grateful Guitar | | David Cullen |
| 16 Jun 2004 | | Mick's Picks, Volume 3 | | Jefferson Starship (with Tom Constanten) |
| 2005 | | The 1000th Show | | Dark Star Orchestra |
| 2005 | | Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares | | Soulfarm |
| 2006 | | One More Ride | | Great Caesar's Ghost |
| 2008 | | 30 Years | | Jake's Leg |
| 28 Mar 2009 | | Live, Beacon Theater | | Allman Brothers Band (with Bob Weir and Phil Lesh) |
| 2010 | | All Access: Volume 2 | | Greensky Bluegrass |
| 2012 | | D'Eadphibians | | D'Amphibiand |
| 1 Dec 2012 | | A Buckdancer's Choice | | Mickey Hart Band (with Bob Weir) |
| 2013 | | Yoga Tribute To Grateful Dead Vol 2 | | Yoga Pop Ups |
| 2014 | | Grateful Dead Bluegrass Tribute | | David Holodiloff |
| 2016 | | Days Of The Dead | | Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks |
| 2015 | | The Promised Land | | Sagol 59 & Ami Yares |
| 14 May 2015 | | Dear Jerry: Celebrating The Music Of Jerry Garcia | | The Disco Biscuits plus Billy & The Kids |
| 2016 | | Day Of The Dead | | The National with Bob Weir |
| 2017 | | Dead Songs Vol 1 | | Barton Hills Choir |
| 2018 | | Garcia Songbook | | Joe Craven & The Sometimers |
| 2019 | | Sabertooth Plays Dead | | Sabertooth |
| 2019 | | Dead Air | | Gallatin Canyon |
| 2019 | | Phantom Ships With Phantom Sails | | Live Dead '69 |
| 2019 | | Chip's Picks Vol 1 | | High Time |
| 2020 | | Seeking All That's Still Unsung | | Holly Bowling |
| 2024 | | Grateful: The Music Plays The Band | | La Horsa Bianca |
Roots
Some of the lines is this song, such as
"Sun gonna shine in my back door someday"
date back a long way. But it seems that the song as we know it has its origins in
a version included in Alan Lomax's book "American Ballads and Folk Songs" in 1934.
The notes to the song say "An eighteen-year old black girl, in prison for murder,
sang the song and the first stanza of these blues." Alan Lomax retained that stanza and added a number of
floating verses from other sources, naming it 'Woman Blue.' (see below)
Thanks to Eric Levy for discovering that Lomax's original recording is available on the
Lomax Digital Archive.
This is under the title "Prison Rider Blues" and, as Lomax says, includes at the end the first verse of "I Know You Rider":
... Rider where have you been so long?
Oh Rider Rider Rider Rider where have you been so long?
I ain't had no lovin', baby, Rider since you been gone
I'm-a wake up in the mornin' baby 'n I ain't gonna say a word
I'm-a wake up in the mornin' baby 'n I ain't gonna say a word
I'm-a eat my breakfast baby over in sweet [of] Hattiesburg
Babe that little bell keeps a-ringin' and that little bell she sadly tones
[Yeah] that big bell keep a-ringin' and little bell she silently tones
Yeah I'm-a lonely lonely lonely now I'm a long way from home
I know you Rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you Rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
You gonna miss your little mama, baby, from rollin' in your arms
Caleb Kennedy's Grateful Dead Guide has a comprehensive history of "I Know You Rider".
Thanks to him for discovering that this wasn't an unrecorded traditional folk blues but that she was in fact singing the verses of a recent local hit
record - "No Special Rider Blues," by Little Brother Montgomery. That had a few more verses:
Now, rider, rider, rider, mama, where you been so long
Now, rider, rider, [brown], Lord, where you been so long
I ain't had no lovin', mama, since you been gone
And I hate, hate to hear, hear the little Katy, when she blows
Lord, I hate to hear the little Katy when she blows
Puts me on a [wander], mama, makes me want to go
I can't see, see no train, can't hear no whistle blow
Lord, I can't see no train, neither hear no whistle blow
Now it keeps me wandering, from the wander to the door
Now, mama, I ain't got no plumb good rider now
Lord, I ain't got no plumb good rider now
Now, it seem like my rider, tryin' to quit me anyhow
Now, the big bell, the bell is ringin', and the little bell sadly tone
Lord, the big bell's ringin', the little bell, she sadly tones
Mama, and I'm lonely, lonely, lone, a long, long way from home
Goin' to get up, get up in the mornin', mama, and I ain't gon' say a word
Gonna get up in the mornin', Lord, I ain't gon' say a word
Gonna eat my breakfast and sling to Hattiesburg
Lord, I know you, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Lord, I know you, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your baby, from rollin' in your arms
Credit for the resurrecting the song from the Alan Lomax book is claimed by Bob Coltman. He says:
"I resurrected and debuted the song. I followed the tune given in Lomax,
roughly but not exactly, changed the song from a woman's to a man's viewpoint,
dropped two verses, and was its first arranger, voice and guitar in a heavy drag
downbeat, sort of an early folk-rock sound.
"I sang it a lot in folk circles around Philadelphia, in concerts, around Boston,
mostly at the legendary Old Joe Clarke's, and in Dartmouth Outing Club
hiker/climber/skier circles, which took me around New York State and New England
circa 1957-60. I also sang it in the west, in Wyoming/Tetons "Teton Tea Parties"
and on the West Coast, especially in San Francisco and Los Angeles,
late summer-early fall '59. Then I went in the Army (sorta like prison) and
everything went on hold."
Harry Tuft has has added to this:
I learned it from Bob Coltman from a tape made at a party at my home outside Phla. in the summer of 1958. Bob and I were classmates
at Dartmouth and met through the folksong club there. I sang it around Phila., taught it to Tossi Aaron, and when journeying" to New
York I met Karen Dalton at Dick's apartment, I taught it to her. Then I taught it to John Phillips at the time when the Journeymen
were forming, rehearsing at Dick's. I believe that they learned it and sang it, although it never made it to a recording. Then it
traveled one of two ways: Through the Seldom Scene who would have heard the Journeymen at the Cellar Door or the Shadows in D.C.
It might also have been heard by Jerry Garcia when the Journeymen were in the Bay area. In Colorado I taught it to Judy Roderick,
who adapted it and combined it with another blues song with similar lyrics. The rest is history.
This is the song as it appears in Alan Lomax's book:
WOMAN BLUE
"Great Gawd, I'm feelin' bad!
Ain' got de man I thought I had."
--From The American Songbag.
An eighteen-year-old black girl, in prison for murder, sang the tune and first stanza of these blues.
[verse 1]
I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you, rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss yo' li'l mama, baby, f'um rollin' in yo' arms
[verse 2]
I's going' down de road where I get better care
I's going' down de road where I get better care
I b'lieve I'll go, baby, I don' feel welcome here
[verse 3]
An' I laid right down and tried to take my res'
An' I laid right down and tried to take my res'
But my min' kep' ramblin' like the wil' geese in de Wes'
[verse 4]
Did you ever wake up and fin' yo' rier gone?
Did you ever wake up and fin' yo' rier gone?
Put you on a wonder, wish you never had been bo'n
[verse 5]
I knows my baby, he's boun' to love me some
I knows my baby, he's boun' to love me some
He throws his arms aroun' me like a circle 'roun' de sun
[verse 6]
Jes' as sure as de birds fly in de sky above
Jes' as sure as de birds fly in de sky above
Life ain' worth livin', honey, ain' wid de man you love
[verse 7]
I'm goin' to de river, set down on a log
I'm goin' to de river, set down on a log
Ef I can' be yo' woman, sho gonna be yo' dog
[verse 8]
Take me back, take me back, baby
Take me back, take me back, baby
I won' do nothin' you don' lak, baby
[verse 9]
I'll cut yo' wood, I'll make yo' fire
I'll cut yo' wood, I'll make yo' fire
I'll tote yo' water f'um de Fresno bar
[verse 10]
De sun gwine shine in my back do' some day
De sun gwine shine in my back do' some day
De win' gwine rise, baby, an' blow my blues away
The Grateful Dead verses relate as follows:
| I know you rider ... | | Lomax verse 1 |
| Lay down last night ... | | Lomax verse 3 |
| The sun will shine ... | | Lomax verse 10 |
| Wish I was a headlight ... | | Non-Lomax verse (but see below for reference in "Easy Rider") |
| I'd rather drink muddy water ... | | Lomax verse 7 |
Bob Coltman's version has much more of the Lomax version, but re-arranges the
order of the verses, and changes the lyrics slightly:
[Lomax verse 1]
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your man, baby, from rollin' in your arms
[Lomax verse 3]
I laid down last night, babe, tried to take my rest
I laid down last night, babe, tried to take my rest
But my mind kept ramblin' like wild geese in the west
[Lomax verse 5]
I know my woman bound to love me some
I know my woman bound to love me some
'Cause she throws her arms round me like a circle round the sun
[Lomax verse 7]
I'm goin' down to the river, set down on a log
I'm goin' down to the river, set down on a log
If I can't be your man, honey, sure won't be your dog
[Lomax verse 9]
I cut your wood, baby, and I made your fire
I cut your wood, baby, and I made your fire
I tote your liquor babe, from the Fresno Bar
[Lomax verse 6]
Just as sure as the birds fly high in the sky above
Just as sure as the birds fly high in the sky above
Life ain't worth livin' if you ain't with the one you love
[Lomax verse 2]
I'm goin' down the road, get some better care
I'm goin' down the road, get some better care
I'm goin' back to my used-to-be rider, for I don't feel welcome here
[Lomax verse 10]
Sun gonna shine in my back door some day
Sun gonna shine in my back door some day
Wind gonna rise up, blow my blues away
[note: misses Lomax verses 4 and 8]
Harry Taft's memory of Bob Coltman's version is slightly different:
Lomax verse 1]
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your man, baby, from rollin' in your arms
[Lomax verse 3]
I laid down last night, babe, tried to take my rest
I laid down last night, babe, tried to take my rest
But my mind kept ramblin' like wild geese in the west
[modified Lomax verse 7]
Loving you baby is just as easy as rolling off a log
Loving you baby is just as easy as rolling off a log
If I can't be your man, I'm sure gonna be your dog
[Lomax verse 9]
I'll cut your wood, baby, I'll tend your fire
I'll cut your wood, baby, I'll tend your fire
I tote your water, babe, from the Fresno Bar
[mostly non-Lomax verse]
I'm going down to the river, set in my rocking chair
I'm going down to the river, set in my rocking chair
If the blues don't get me, gonna rock all away from here
[Lomax verse 10]
The sun's gonna shine in my back door some day
The sun's gonna shine in my back door some day
The wind's gonna rise up, blow all my blues away
The song spread widely round folk circles and then into the wider rock scene: a list of early recordings is as follows (thanks to Matt Schofield, Caleb Kennedy and Eric Levy for help with this):
Date | | Recorded by | | Title | | Album |
1960 | | Joan Baez | | I Know You Rider | | Joan Baez (note a) |
1961 | | Tossi Aaron | | I Know You Rider | | Tossi Sings Folk Songs and Ballads |
1961 | | David Gude | | I Love My Baby | | New Folks (note b) |
1962 | | Esther Halpern | | I Know You Rider | | Esther Halpern Sings From The Gilded Cage |
1962 | | Martha Gerenbeck | | I Know You Rider | | Green Trees and Blue Water (note b) |
1963 | | Judy Henske | | I Know You Rider | | Judy Henske |
1963 | | The Kingston Trio | | Rider | | Sunny Side! |
1963 | | The Big 3 | | Rider | | The Big 3 |
1963 | | The Outsiders | | Gonna Miss Your Lovin' Papa | | Cheer Me Up Lads |
1964 | | The Serendipity Singers | | Rider | | Take Your Shoes Off |
1964 | | Carol Hedin | | I Know You Rider | | Devil Take Me With You |
1964 | | Alice Stewart | | Woman Blue | | All The Good Times (note c) |
1964 | | Vince Martin and Fred Neil | | I Know You Rider | | Tear Down The Walls |
1964 | | Gale Garnett | | I Know You Rider | | My Kind Of Folk Songs |
1965 | | Judy Roderick | | Woman Blue | | Woman Blue |
1965 | | Jim & Jean | | Rider | | Jim & Jean |
1965 | | The Grateful Dead | | I Know You Rider | | Birth of the Dead (demo) |
1966 | | The Byrds | | I Know My Rider | | Fifth Dimension (note d) |
1966 | | Big Brother and the Holding Company | | I Know You Rider | | Big Brother and the Holding Company Live (note e) |
1966 | | The Everpresent Fullness | | Rider | | The Everpresent Fullness |
1966 | | John Renbourn | | I Know You Rider | | Another Monday |
1967 | | The Astronauts | | I Know You Rider | | Travelin' Men |
1967 | | The Indefinite Four | | I Know You Rider | | Do As They Say |
1968 | | The Rose Garden | | Rider | | The Rose Garden |
1968 | | James Taylor | | Circle Round The Sun | | James Taylor |
1970 | | Hot Tuna | | Know You Rider | | Hot Tuna |
1971 | | Mountain Bus | | I Know You Rider | | Sundance |
1973 | | Seldom Scene | | Rider | | Act 3 |
Notes
(a) released as a bonus track on 2001 re-issue
(b) thanks to Eric Levy for tracking these two recordings down
(c) released as a bonus track on 2002 re-issue
(d) released as a bonus track on 1996 re-issue
(e) 1966 live recording released in 1984
(f) David Crosby is said to have recorded a version in 1963 for a solo album produced by Jim Dickson,
but that doesn't seem to have been released
Harry Tuft explained the way the tune of the song developed:
"My version from Bob [Coltman] was very simple - three chords. That was the version I sang when sitting around in Dick Weissman's
appartment in maybe the summer of 1960 when Dick was working with John Phillips and Scott McKenzie to start the Journeymen.
... John had that gift of arrangement and so from that very simple straightforward one he just added a few chords. That really made all
the difference. And it's the fact that he added those chords to what is now the way the song is sung today that really is the proof that
this was the lineage of I Know You Rider."
Tossi Aaron's and Judy Roderick's versions use the original Bob Coltman version of the tune, no doubt reflecting the fact that Harry
Tuft says they learnt the song from him. Joan Baez also uses that version, though it's not clear where she learnt it from. All the
other recordings (including the Grateful Dead's) use the John Phillips version. It seems likely that must have spread through
performances by The Journeymen, though rather frustratingly there's no evidence I can find of them playing it.
The various recordings have multiple variations on the lyrics. Caleb Kennedy's piece I Know You Rider Lyric Variations has a comprehensive list. He also in his piece The Origins of I Know You Rider 1930-1965 has some interesting research on the way the lyrics draw on verses and phrases from other songs of the period or even earlier.
Before he'd written that I'd set out some of the different lyrics below.
Joan Baez's version in 1960 seems to have been the first recording:
[Lomax verse 1]
I know you rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you rider you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your pretty mama from rollin' in your arms
[Lomax verse 5]
I love you rider and I know you must love me some
I love you rider and I know you must love me some
You put your arms around me like a circle 'round the sun
[Lomax verse 3]
I lay down last night and I tried to take my rest
I lay down last night and I tried to take my rest
My heart was a-ramblin' like wild geese in the West
[Lomax verse 7]
Goin' to the river I'm gonna sit down on the log
I'm goin' to the river I'm gonna sit down on the log
If I can't be your honey, well I'll sure gonna be your dog
[Lomax verse 10]
Sun's gonna shine in my back yard someday
Sun's gonna shine in my back yard someday
The West wind's gonna rise up and blow my blues away
Tossi Aaron also recorded a version in 1960:
[Lomax verse 1]
Well, I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Oh yes, I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your ever-loving mama, from rolling in your arms
[Lomax verse 2]
Well, I'm going down the road where I can get more decent care
Oh yes, I'm going down the road where I can get more decent care
Going back to my used-to-be rider, 'cause I don't feel welcome here
[Lomax verse 6]
Just as sure as the birds fly, fly in in the sky above
Just as sure as the birds fly, fly in in the sky above
Life ain't worth living when you ain't with the one you love
[Lomax verse 10]
But the sun's gonna shine in my backyard someday
Oh yes the sun's gonna shine in my backyard someday
And the wind's gonna rise up, and blow my blues away
[Lomax verse 1]
Well, I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Yes, I know you rider, you're gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your ever-loving mama, from rolling in your arms
Esther Halpern recorded it soon afterwards on her album "Esther Halpern Sings From The Gilded Cage".
It is very likely that she learnt it from Tossi Aaron, since they were both founder members of the
Philadelphia Folksong Society.
David Gude's version is based on Joan Baez's; they were friends and collaborators, so it's likely he learnt it from her. But he misses out the first verse ("I know you rider ...") and has some minor variations in the other verses:
I love my baby, and she's bound to love me some
I love my baby, and she's bound to love me some
She throws her arms around me like a circle round the sun
I lay down last night, trying to take my rest
I lay down last night, trying to take my rest
But my heart was meandering like wild geese in the west
I know that sun's gonna rise in my back yard someday
And the wind's gonna rise up and blow my blues away
The liner notes to Martha Gerenbeck's recording say she learnt the major portion from "Davy" Gude's recording on the New Folks album, though unlike David Gude she includes the "I know you rider ..." verse as well the "Goin' to the river I'm gonna sit down on the log" verse from Joan Baez's version. (thanks to Eric Levy for his research on David Gude and Martha Gerenbeck)
Another early version was Judy Henske in 1963, seemingly the first to use the John Phillips version of the tune, though it isn't clear
where she would have got it from:
[Lomax verse 1]
I know you rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your sweet-lovin' woman rollin' in your arms
[Lomax verse 10]
Well the sun gonna shine 'round my back door some day
I said the sun's gonna shine 'round my back door some day
And the wind from the river's gonna blow my blues away
[Non-Lomax verse]
It takes a red-headed man to make a long-time woman feel bad
It takes a red-headed man to make a long-time woman feel bad
Oh it makes me remember 'bout that long slow rollin' I had
[Lomax verse 1]
I know you rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
Gonna miss your sweet-lovin' woman rollin' in your arms
The Kingston Trio recorded a version in 1963:
Chorus
Well, I know you, Rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Well, I know you, Rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss your daddy rollin' in your arms
[Lomax verse 10]
Well, the sun's gonna shine on my back porch some day
I said, the sun's gonna shine on my back porch some day
Then the wind from the river's gonna blow all my troubles away
[chorus]
[Non-Lomax verse]
Well, I ain't got a nickel, no, I ain't got a lousy dime
Well, I ain't got a nickel, no, I ain't got a lousy dime
But I got a long way to go 'fore the end of my time
[chorus]
[Non-Lomax verse]
It takes a hard hearted woman to make a long time men feel bad
It takes a hard hearted woman to make a long time men feel bad
'Cause it makes him remember the long hard road that he's had
[chorus]
Mama Cass with "The Big Three" (her, Tim Rose
and James Hendricks) recorded a version in 1963 under
the title "Rider":
[Lomax verse 1]
I know my rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know my rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know she's gonna miss me from rolling in her arms
[Lomax verse 4]
Well did you ever wake up and found your rider gone?
Well did you ever wake up and found your rider gone?
Well put you on a wonder and wish you'd never been born
[Lomax verse 10]
Sun's gonna shine in my back door some day
Sun's gonna shine in my back door some day
Winds gonna rise and blow my blues away
[Lomax verse 9]
I'll build your fire, you know I'll cut your logs
I'll build your fire, you know I'll cut your logs
I'll be a loving baby but I ain't gonna be your dog
[Non-Lomax verse]
Well dawn's coming early, night's gonna fade away
I said dawn's coming early, night's gonna fade away
Ever see your rider coming, baby, 'bout the break of day
[Lomax verse 1]
I know my rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know my rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know she's gonna miss me from rolling in her arms
I know my rider gonna miss me when I'm gone
When I'm gone, when I'm gone
When I'm gone
The version recorded in 1964 by Carol Hedin is the same as Tossi Arnold's except it omits the "the sun's gonna shine in my backyard someday" verse and includes a verse not found in other versions:
Well it's been good times baby but there's better down the road
Been good times baby but there's better down the road
You taught my heart more blues Lord than it ever known
The version recorded in 1964 by Vince Martin and Fred Neil is:
[Lomax verse 1]
I say I know you rider miss me when I'm gone
I say I know you rider miss me when I'm gone
Won't have nobody now, mama, roll 'round in your sweet lovin' arms
[Lomax verse 7]
Lovin' you baby, easy as fallin' off a log
Lovin' you baby, easy as fallin' off a log
I can't make love to you, mama, ain't gonna hang around and be your dirty dog
[Non-Lomax verse]
Early one mornin', rider, and it won't be long
Early one mornin', rider, and it won't be long
You gonna call my name now, baby, sweet lovin' daddy gonna be long gone
[Lomax verse 1]
I say I know you rider miss me when I'm gone
I say I know you rider miss me when I'm gone
Won't have nobody now, mama, roll 'round in your sweet lovin' arms
Brent Wood in his book "The Tragic Odes of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead" says:
"Neil's album with Vince Martin included 'Morning Dew' and a bluesy version of "Know You Rider" which caught the attention of Laird Grant, who passed it on to his friend Garcia. The folk-banjoist-turned-eledtric guitarist responded by revisiting the chord progression he had been using for 'Know You Rider' and developing a new arrangement for 'Morning Dew', both based on Neil's recording."
The influence of Fred Neil's recording of 'Morning Dew' is pretty clear. I can sort-of hear the influence of Neil's recording of 'Know You Rider' on Jerry Garcia's chord progression though the song sounds very different.
Judy Roderick recorded a version in 1965 under the title "Woman Blue":
[Lomax verse 1]
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Miss your loving woman from rolling in your arms
[Lomax verse 7]
Loving you baby is as easy as falling off a log
Loving you baby is as easy as falling off a log
[If] I can't be your woman, baby I'll be your dog
[Lomax verse 9]
I'd cut your wood and, baby, I'd tend your fire
I'd cut your wood and, baby, I'd tend your fire
I'd even haul your whiskey up from Fresno bar
[Lomax verse 3]
I lay down and I tried to take my rest
I lay down and I tried to take my rest
My mind it keeps rambling like wild geese in the west
[Lomax verse 10]
Sun's gonna shine on my back door someday
The sun's gonna shine on my back door someday
Wind is gonna rise, it's gonna blow my blues away
[Lomax verse 1]
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
I know you rider, gonna miss me when I'm gone
Miss your loving woman from rolling in your arms
James Taylor recorded a version on his first album in 1968 under the title "Circle Round The Sun":
[Lomax verse 5]
Now, I love my baby, and she's bound to love me some
Yes, I love my baby, and she's bound to love me some
Now, she throws her arms around me just like a circle around the sun
[Lomax verse 3]
I lay down last night just to try to take my rest
I said I lay down last night, Lord, I was trying to take my rest
But my thoughts they just kept wandering just like them wild geese in the west
[Lomax verse 10]
Now I know that sunrise, sunrise, it's gonna shine in my back yard someday
I said I know that sunrise, sunrise, sunrise, it's gonna shine in my back yard someday
And that wind's just bound to rise up, gonna blow, blow all my blues away
[Lomax verse 5]
I love my baby and she's bound to love me some
Hear me say that I love my baby, and she's bound to love me some
Now, she throws her arms around me just like a circle around the sun
Lomax: Easy Rider
None of these versions have the "I wish I was a headlight"
verse that the Grateful Dead sing.
The Digital Tradition database included a version of Easy Rider from Alan Lomax's book with the verse:
If I was a headlight on some western train, Lawd, Lawd
I'd shine my light on cool Colorado Springs
I'd shine my light on cool Colorado Springs
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Very early recordings of Easy Rider (e.g. by Ma Rainey) don't include that verse. The earliest
I have found that includes it is by Odetta on her 1957 album "Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues".
Other songs with the "headlight" verse
Another early recording to include a similar verse is the Kingston Trio's version of
"Chilly Winds" from a live recording released in 1962 (thanks to Craig Morrison for pointing this out). It is credited to
John Stewart and John Phillips, though their introduction describes (perhaps in jest) how they learnt it from a group in a
San Francisco coffee house.
Wish I was a headlight on a west-bound train
I'd shine my light o'er cool Colorado rain
Out where them chilly winds don't blow
Other early recording are by Karen Dalton, also in 1962, under the title "Blues Jumped The
Rabbit" and one by Judy Henske in 1964 titled "Blues Chase Up A Rabbit". Both
those songs seem to derive from Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Rabbit Foot Blues"
recorded in 1926, but that doesn't include the "wish I was a headlight" verse.
It isn't clear to me where Karen Dalton (or Judy
Henske) got it from, or indeed how it found its way into the Dead's version of I Know You Rider.
Karen Dalton's version:
Wish I was a headlight
On some western train
I'd shine my light
On cool Colorado rain
Judy Henske's version:
Oh I wish that I was a headlight
Shining on the eastbound train
I'd shine my little light
On cool Colorado rain
Other versions of "Blues Chase Up A Rabbit" have it slightly differently (and
less like the Dead's version):
I wish I was a headlight
On some lonesome southbound train
I'd follow you baby
Wouldn't be back again
Note that between these versions and the Dead's, all the points of the compass
are covered (north, south, east and west)!
The Seldom Scene version of I Know You Rider has identical lyrics to the Grateful Dead's version, including the verse "I wish I was a
headlight on a north-bound train". But they were not formed until 1971, and didn't record it until 1973. And there's
no evidence that their forerunners, such as The Country Gentlemen, played this song.
Craig Morrison tells me that the headlight verse has also been sung under the title "Cool Colorado" by various folk singers,
including the folklorist Roger Abrahams on his 1962 LP "Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor And Other Folk Songs"
Note
Caleb Kennedy has found a 1926 recording of "Wartime Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson with the verse:
If I could shine my light like a headlight on some train
I would shine my light in Colorado Springs
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 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:
Without A Net Songbook (piano arrangement)
Home
|
Find words/phrases|
Find Song lyrics|
Dead originals|
Dead covers|
|