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 and as Hunter recorded it on the LP Jack O'Roses.
See below for a slightly different 1978 version.
Ivory wheels on a rosewood trackNotes
Take us back again and again to Terrapin (note 1)
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
Ivory wheels on a rosewood trackThe verses Garcia picked were:
With a click clack that takes us back to Terrapin
Long John Silver at the wheel, you bet
That deuce of a Staggerlee in the firebox pouring sweat
Smokestack thunder - pay the ticket price
Clock in the sky says quarter to twice, we roll again
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
The deacon's daughter used to lay for gin
In a shack way back on the skirts of the fens of Terrapin
The deacon himself dealt all the night
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 layed Billy low
One-eyed sailor with a Cheshire grin
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
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
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
Some for reasons great or small
Rise, climb, fall, to get to Terrapin
Ivory wheels on a rosewood trackNotes
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
Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
1980 | Jack O'Roses | Robert Hunter |