Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
On the day that I was born Daddy sat down and cried (note 1)Notes
I had the mark just as plain as day, I could not be denied
They say that Cain caught Abel rolling loaded dice (note 2)
Ace of spades behind his ear and him not thinking twice (note 3)
Chorus
Half step, Mississippi uptown toodleloo (note 4)
Hello baby I'm gone goodbye
Half a cup of rock and rye
Farewell to you old southern skies
I'm on my way, on my way
If all you got to live for is what you left behind
Get yourself a powder charge and seal that silver mine
Lost my boots in transit babe, pile of smoking leather
Nailed a retread to my feet and prayed for better weather
[chorus]
They say that when your ship comes in, first man takes the sails
Second takes the after deck, third the planks and rails
What's the point of calling shots, this cue ain't straight in line
Cue ball's made of styrofoam and no-one's got the time
[chorus]
Across the Rio Grand-eo
Across the lazy river
[etc]
Grateful Dead Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | ||||
10 Sep 1972 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2022) | ||||
17 Sep 1972 | Dick's Picks Vol 23 | ||||
19 Sep 1972 | Dave's Picks Bonus Disc 2023 | ||||
21 Sep 1972 | Dick's Picks Vol 36 | ||||
17 Oct 1972 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
18 Nov 1972 | Houston, Texas 11-18-1972 | ||||
studio 1973 | Wake Of The Flood | ||||
26 Feb 1973 | Dick's Picks Vol 28 | ||||
26 Mar 1973 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2011) (note e) | ||||
28 Mar 1973 | Dave's Picks Volume 16 (note c) | ||||
2 Apr 1973 | Dave's Picks Volume 21 | ||||
13 May 1973 | Here Comes Sunshine | ||||
26 May 1973 | Here Comes Sunshine | ||||
9 Jun 1973 | Here Comes Sunshine | ||||
24 Jun 1973 | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 | ||||
19 Oct 1973 | Dick's Picks Vol 19 | ||||
30 Oct 1973 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
1 Nov 1973 | Wake Of The Flood (50th Anniversary Edition bonus disc) | ||||
9 Nov 1973 | Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
11 Nov 1973 | Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
21 Nov 1973 | Road Trips Volume 4, Number 3 | ||||
2 Dec 1973 | Dick's Picks Vol 14 | ||||
19 Dec 1973 | Dick's Picks Vol 1 | ||||
12 May 1974 | From The Mars Hotel (50th anniversary bonus disc) | ||||
19 May 1974 | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 | ||||
23 Jun 1974 | Dave's Picks Volume 34 | ||||
31 Jul 1974 | Dave's Picks Volume 2 | ||||
5 Aug 1974 | Dick's Picks Vol 31 | ||||
10 Sep 1974 | Dick's Picks Vol 7 | ||||
19 Oct 1974 | Steal Your Face | ||||
20 Oct 1974 | Grateful Dead Movie (CD only) | ||||
17 Jul 1976 | Dave's Picks Volume 18 | ||||
25 Sep 1976 | Dick's Picks Vol 20 | ||||
9 Oct 1976 | Dick's Picks Vol 33 | ||||
22 Apr 1977 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2024) | ||||
30 Apr 1977 | Download Series Vol 1 | ||||
4 May 1977 | Dave's Picks Volume 50 | ||||
7 May 1977 | May 1977: Get Shown The Light Box | ||||
12 May 1977 | Winterland June 1977 - The Complete Recordings (bonus disc) (note a) | ||||
17 May 1977 | May 1977 Box Set | ||||
25 May 1977 | Dave's Picks Volume 1 | ||||
9 Jun 1977 | Winterland June 1977 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
3 Sep 1977 | Dick's Picks Vol 15 | ||||
14 Oct 1977 | Road Trips Volume 1, Number 2 | ||||
5 Nov 1977 | Dick's Picks Vol 34 | ||||
6 Nov 1977 | Dave's Picks Volume 25 | ||||
8 Apr 1978 | Friend Of The Devils: April 1978 | ||||
15 Apr 1978 | Dave's Picks Volume 37 | ||||
14 May 1978 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
1 Sep 1979 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2016) | ||||
3 Sep 1980 | Download Series Vol 7 | ||||
10 Mar 1981 | In And Out Of The Garden | ||||
7 Dec 1981 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2017) | ||||
28 Apr 1985 | Dave's Picks Vol 49 | ||||
24 Jul 1987 | View From The Vault IV (DVD & CD soundtrack) | ||||
1 Apr 1988 | Road Trips Volume 4, Number 2 | ||||
12 Jul 1989 | RFK Stadium 1989 Box (note d) | ||||
16 Oct 1989 | Nightfall Of Diamonds | ||||
21 Mar 1990 | Without A Net (note b) | ||||
2 Apr 1990 | Spring 1990 | ||||
16 Jul 1990 | (official YouTube video only) | ||||
18 Sep 1990 | Road Trips Number 2, Volume 1 (bonus disc) | ||||
5 Jun 1999 | Love Will See You Through (Phil Lesh & Friends) | ||||
(Plus live recordings by The Dead, Furthur, Dead & Company, Ratdog, Phil Lesh & Friends etc not listed here. See Grateful Dead Family Discography for a full list.) | |||||
Other Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
1996 | DeadBeats Acoustic | DeadBeats | |||
1999 | Laughing Water | Jazz Is Dead | |||
2005 | Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares | Toni Brown Band | |||
2005 | Deadgrass | Deadgrass | |||
8 Feb 2006 | Live At The Fillmore | Grateful Grass | |||
29 Jul 2006 | Jerry Jams for Rex | Railroad Earth (note e) | |||
2007 | Blue Light Cheap Hotel | Wake The Dead | |||
2010 | Acoustic | Andrew Luttrell & Shane Grimm | |||
19 Feb 2010 | Live: St Louis, MO | Yonder Mountain String Band (note e) | |||
2012 | Double Down Dead EP | Band Of Heathens | |||
2015 | The Dead Session | Town Mountain | |||
2016 | Elem Mississippi | Sagol 59 & The Promised Land | |||
2016 | Zen-rhymed songs of Grateful Dead vol. 1 | Warlocks of Tokyo | |||
2024 | Grateful: The Music Plays The Band | Unlimited Devotion |