Ivory Wheels/Rosewood Track

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia

This is the fifth song in Robert Hunter's Terrapin Station Suite. Ivory Wheels was never played by the Grateful Dead. Hunter himself recorded it on his LP "Jack O' Roses" (never issued as a CD).

This is the version in Box Of Rain. See below for the version as Hunter recorded it on the LP Jack O'Roses

Ivory wheels on a rosewood track
Take us back again and again to Terrapin

Smokestack thunder - pay the ticket price
Clock in the sky says quarter to twice - we roll again

Hello, good soldier, where you been?
Did you take the wrong way round to get to Terrapin?

Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin

The demon's daughter used to lay for gin
In a shack way back on the skirts of the fens of Terrapin

The demon himself got drunk all night
Collapsed at the sunrise service - he was very tight

Captain Billy Lyon from Louisiana low
Used to chase a bayou girl through here named Peggy-o

Some say he died of love for Peggy-o
Others say it was the devil himself laid Billy low

Some for reasons known but to them
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin

One-eyed sailor with a Cheshire grin
That must be the Jack O'Roses bound for Terrapin

Chasing that lady-o through the bayou
Swore to God in lightning storm he'd catch her, too

Fortune dealt him such a straight high hand
He saw no reason not to trust it more, and retrieved her fan

The lions looked up in surprise
But they backed right off when they saw the madness in his eyes

Venus rises from the sea
On the back of a mighty Terrapin with a coral fan

Throws that fan to the diamond beach
Always a little out of reach - but try again

Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin

This is the version Hunter recorded on Jack O'Roses, with variations from the version in Box of Rain noted in italics:

Ivory wheels on a rosewood track
Quick Jack take us back to Terrapin (note 1)

Long John Silver at the wheel, you bet (note 2)
That deuce of a Stagger Lee in the firebox pouring sweat

Smokestack thunder - pay the ticket price
Clock in the sky says quarter to twice, we roll again

Hello good soldier, where you been?
You musta took the long way round to get to Terrapin

Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin

The demon's daughter used to lay for gin (note 3)
In a shack way back on the skirts of the fens of Terrapin

The demon himself got drunk all night (note 4)
Collapsed at the sunrise service, he was very tight

Cap'n Billy Lyon from Louisiana low
Used to chase a bayou girl through here named Peggy-o

Musta made pretty good time between
Fennario and Delyon's club down in New Orleans

Some say he died of love for Peggy-o
But I believe it was Stagger Lee laid Billy low

Some for reasons known but to them
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin (note 5)

One-eyed sailor with a Cheshire grin
That must be the Jack O'Roses bound for Terrapin

Chasing that lady-o through the bayou (note 6)
Swore to God in a lightning storm he'd catch her too

Fortune dealt him such a straight high hand
He saw no reason not to trust it more, and retrieved her fan

The lions looked up in surprise
But they backed right off when they saw the madness in his eyes

Venus rises from the sea
On the back of a mighty Terrapin with a coral fan

Throws that fan to the diamond beach (note 7)
Always a little out of reach, but try again

Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin

Notes
There's a typescript of an earlier version which has further minor variations noted below. The typescript has annotations by Garcia seemingly showing which verses he had picked.

(1) With a click clack that takes us back to Terrapin
(2) Long John Silver at the throttle, you bet
(3) The deacon's daughter used to lay for gin
(4) The deacon< himself dealt stud all night
(5) Rise, climb,crawl to get to Terrapin
(6) Chasing that Peggy Sue through the bayou
(7) Tosses that fan to the diamond beach

The verses Garcia picked were:

Ivory wheels on a rosewood track
With a click clack that takes us back to Terrapin
Hello soldier, where you been?
Musta took the long way round to get to Terrapin

Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin

Cap'n Billy Lyon from Louisiana low
Used to chase a bayou girl through here named Peggy-o
Musta made pretty good time between
Fennario and Delyon's club down in New Orleans

One-eyed sailor with a Cheshire grin (note a)
That must be the Jack O'Roses bound for Terrapin
Chasing that Peggy Sue through the bayou
Swore to God in a lightning storm he'd catch her too

Some for reasons known but to them
Rise, climb, crawl, to get to Terrapin

Venus rises from the sea
On the back of a mighty Terrapin with a coral fan
Tosses that fan to the diamond beach
Always a little bit out of reach, but try again

Notes
(a) Garcia indicated he wasn't sure whether to include this verse. It's provisionally labelled verse 3, but the next verse is marked as verse 4, or verse 3 if the previous one was omitted

Recordings
	Date	Album	Recorded By
	1980	Jack O'Roses	Robert Hunter

Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography