Lyrics: Gus Cannon/Will Shade arr. Grateful Dead
Music: Gus Cannon/Will Shade arr. Grateful Dead
This is an old jug-band song, recorded by the Memphis Jug Band among others.
Authorship is sometimes ascribed to Gus Cannon, sometimes to Will Shade.
It was played by the Dead their early days in 1966 but then dropped out of favour.
When it was released as the Grateful Dead's first single, it was credited to "Garcia". When this was pointed out to Jerry Garcia
he said "That's awful. That's totally wrong".
Put your arms around me like a circle round the sunNotes
I wanna love you moma like my easy rider done (note 1)
Chorus
You don't believe I love you, look what a fool I've been (note 2)
You don't believe I'm sinking, look what a hole I'm in
Stealin', stealin', pretty moma don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be
The woman I love she's just my height and size
A married girl, come to see me some time
[chorus]
Well I'm going up North, gonna see my girl (note 3)
Sweetest thing in the whole wide world
[chorus]
Stealin', stealin', pretty moma don't you tell on me
I'm stealin' back to my same old used to be
Loves my whiskey, loves my wine
Well my whiskey, ease my mind
Grateful Dead Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | ||||
2 Mar 1966 | Rare Cuts And Oddities | ||||
studio 1966 | Birth Of The Dead (note a) (note b) | ||||
studio 1966 | Birth Of The Dead (instrumental) (note a) | ||||
live 1966 | Historic Dead | ||||
29 Jul 1966 | The Grateful Dead: 50th Anniversary Edition | ||||
Jerry Garcia Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
4 Jun 1992 | Shady Grove | Garcia/Grisman |