Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Phil Lesh
This is listed in Robert Hunter's book "Box Of Rain" as one of his new songs for the Grateful Dead, with music by Phil Lesh.
But it was never played live by the Dead, nor - so far as I know - recorded by them.
Blair Jackson asked Phil Lesh about it in an interview published in the Spring 1994 edition of "Dupree's Diamond News". Phil said "That one's not going to come out at all. I wasn't satisfied with how that was going musically."
Walk right through the door
Don't bother to knock or ring
The ghost of a chill breeze stirring
It was a day in May
close to the first of June
Red was strolling along Broadway
humming Blue Moon out of tune
He was late for a date
Didn't faze him too much
Liked to serve up his nerve on a plate
Prove he hadn't lost his touch
It was a stark affair
Twist of fate by proxy
Backstage on the stairs
between sets at the Roxy
Red was feeling no pain
Right on top of the world
Around his neck hung a solid gold chain
on his arm clung a peach of a girl
A lower East Side pearl
name of Anna May Lark
tall and thin with a cleft in her chin
known to be an easy mark
for a drink and a gin
There was a flurry of words
Words that should never be said
A scuffle of knives ocurred
An offending man fell dead
When the cops finally came
they laid the matter to rest
The stiff was dressed in a skin-tight suit
red and yellow checkered vest
Blue patent leather shoes
What's there to say?
No man of taste at best
One more pimp at the worst
A bubble waiting to be burst
When the sun rose next morning
Red was lying in bed
Tossing and turning in terrible dreams
visions of the man lying dead
over what should not be said
Red was awakened by a telephone call
ringin' like a drill in his head
He yanked the cord right out of the wall
I won't repeat the words he said
Turned on the faucet and the shower ran blood
Gonna be another one of those days
Tipped the percolator, poured a full cup of mud
toast popped up ablaze - nothing behaves
Attempt to kill the day ...
Red split his tenament room
Stopped to buy a bouquet -
baby's breath, one rose in bloom
Head over to Annie May's
Lower East Side twenty-nine
Coulda took the El but what the hell
the weather was cool and fine -
A way to kill the time
One foot in front of the other
Shiny blue patent leather
Checkered vest if you please
Skin-tight suit, no bag to the knees
Show tonight at the Roxy
You bet she'd love to attend
Hang on his arm looking cool and foxy
Make good a little dare on a boast -
Disappear like a ghost
Walk right through her door
Don't bother to knock or ring
a chill breze on her cheek - but not a thing was seen