Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
There are some variations on the spelling of the title.
The Hunter book of lyrics has it as "Reuben and Cérise" (with an acute accent on the 'e' of Cérise).
But the version on the Garcia album "Cats Under The Stars" is titled "Rubin And Cherise" (thanks to Todd for pointing this out).
I've also seen some references to "Ruben," though I think that's just an error.
This is a song mainly associated with the Jerry Garcia Band and with Hunter's solo performances. But the Grateful Dead played it four times in 1991 (thanks to Brad Dilli for help with the Dead's version).
Cérise was brushing her long hair gently downNotes
It was the afternoon of Carnival
As she brushes it gently down
Reuben was strumming his painted mandolin (note 1)
It was enlaid with a pretty face in jade
Played the Carnival Parade (note 2)
Cérise was dressing as Pirouette in white
When a fatal vision gripped her tight (note 12)
Cérise, beware tonight
Reuben, Reuben, tell me truly true
I feel afraid and I don't know why I do
Is there another girl for you
If you could see in my heart
You would know it's true
There is none, Cérise, except for you
Except for you
I swear to it on my very soul (note 3)
If I lie may I fall down cold
When Reuben played on his painted mandolin (note 4)
The breeze would stop and listen in (note 5)
Before going its way again
Masquerade began when nightfall finally woke
Like waves against the bandstand dancers broke
To the painted mandolin
Looking out on the crowd, who is standing there? (note 6)
Sweet Ruby Claire at Reuben stared
At Reuben stared
She was dressed as Pirouette in red
And her hair hung gently down
The crowd pressed round, Ruby stood as though alone
Reuben's song took on a different tone
And he played it just for her
The song that he played was the Carnival Parade
Each note cut a thread of Cérise's fate
It cut through like a blade
Reuben was playing his painted mandolin (note 7)
When Ruby froze and turned to stone
For the strings played all alone
If you could see in my heart (note 8)
You would know it's true
There is none, Cérise, except for you
Except for you
The voice of Cérise from the face of the mandolin
Singing Reuben, Reuben, tell me true
For I have no one but you
If you could see my heart
You would know it's true
There is none, Cérise, except for you
Except for you
I swear to it on my very soul (note 3)
If I lie, may I fall down cold
The truth of love an unsung song must tell (note 9)
The course of love must follow blind
Without a look behind (note 10)
Reuben walked the streets of New Orleans till dawn
Cérise so lightly in his arms (note 11)
And her hair hung gently down
Well Reuben swear to it on your very soul(4) Hunter sings "played the painted mandolin"
If you lie may you fall down cold
Ahoy, old ferryman, riverboat of Charon ride(10) Hunter sings "But Reuben looked behind"
Though alive, take Reuben to the other side
For his sweet Cérise has died
It's a long lonely walk from Hell to the burying ground
Cérise may return but don't you look around
For your glance would cut her down
Grateful Dead and Related Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
studio 1978 | Cats Under The Stars | Jerry Garcia (note a) | |||
studio 1980 | Jack O'Roses | Robert Hunter | |||
1990 | Box Of Rain | Robert Hunter | |||
17 Mar 1991 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2018) | ||||
7 Apr 1991 | View From The Vault II | Grateful Dead DVD (note b) | |||
9 Jun 1991 | (official YouTube video only) | Grateful Dead (note d) | |||
23 Nov 1991 | Garcia Live Volume 8 | Jerry Garcia Band | |||
(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 | |||
15 Sep 2002 | Live At The Powerhouse | David Gans (DVD only) | |||
2003 | Grateful Guitar | David Cullen | |||
2004 | 20 Degrees Of Solitude | The Grass Is Dead | |||
2006 | Keepers Of The Flame | Melvin Seals and JGB | |||
31 Dec 2009 | Jerry Jams for Rex | Yonder Mountain String Band (note c) | |||
2015 | Twangin' The Dead | Matt Rae | |||
2016 | Day Of The Dead | Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Friends |
"It's the Orpheus story, and the Black Orpheus adaptation of the Orpheus story. Plus we transmogrified it and put it into New Orleans and Mardi Gras. And we changed the outcome somewhat. It was one of those songs that was very slow growing. It started off with a melody that I was fooling around with, while we were working on Blues for Allah, and I gave a copy of the melody to Hunter, and he took it home and fooled with it, fooled with it, fooled with it. He came up with a lot of different ideas. And then, independently of the original melody, he set a group of ... those lyrics. And I liked the lyrics better than I liked the original melody. So, I dumped the original melody, held onto the lyrics, and, after fooling with the lyrics, and look at em for a long, long time, and really liking them, and really wanting them to work, I came up with the new melody."