Wave To The Wind

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Phil Lesh

This song went through a rewrite between its first introduction in 1992 and its reappearance in 1993. The version immediately below is the later version as Phil sings it, with notes marking variations from the Hunter lyric book "Box Of Rain" or from the sheet music in the songbook "Anthology II". Following that is one of the earlier 1992 versions.

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way to
Places I never have been

Gonna wave to the curious people (note 1)
Looking on from the side of
The road as I'm rolling on by
Wave goodbye to the trouble
That's always on my mind
Gonna jumpstart my life
Or go down trying

Gonna wave to the memories
I carry in my heart and the
New ones I'll find along my way
To the new millennium
Reeling round the bend like
A dove or some dark-winged bird of prey

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way to the
Edge of the world and jump in

Gonna snap like a rippling banner (note 2)
Sailing sheets to the breeze over
Cloudy oceans to the moon (note 3)
I could hold out forever
Keeping it together
Or wish upon a star and call the tune

Lift my voice like the young man (note 4)
Broken in the war who
Cries out to know the reason why (note 5)
Gonna stand and deliver (note 6)
A passionate song to the
High wide and handsome morning sky

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave while the wind
Plays the stars, the sky, the
Moon and the night like a hymn

Gonna ride with the rolling thunder (note 7)
Let the sky crack assunder
As lightning cries out of the rain
Gonna wade across rivers
Gathered in the stream from the
Mountains that rise above the plain

Wave away my confusion
That drives this delusion (note 8)
So long I forgot that I could fly
Soar aloft like a songbird
Dancing in the wind
Singing long, singing loud, singing high

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna speak to the breeze
Add my voice to the wind
Singing: say, can you see
By the dawn's early light streaming in?

Notes
(1) this is as Phil sings it and as in the songbook, but Box Of Rain has "gonna wave to the people" (ie no "curious")
(2) Box Of Rain has no "rippling"
(3) Box Of Rain has "Oceans of sky to the moon"
(4) Phil sometimes (at least to my ears) sings "raise my voice ..."
(5) the songbook has "Was born on the fourth of July"
(6) this is what Phil sings. But Box Of Rain and the songbook have "Gonna rise up and reel out the love song in my soul"
(7) Box Of Rain has no "rolling"
(8) this is what is in Box Of Rain and the songbook. But it sounds as if Phil sings "that drowning in delusion."

The earlier version below is from 24 February 1992. Differences and additional lyrics are shown in italics (but note also that the order of verses is somewhat different):

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way to
Places I never have been

Gonna wave to the people
I've seen by the side of
The road as I'm rolling on by
Wave goodbye to the trouble
That's always on my mind
Gonna jumpstart my life
Or go down trying

Gonna wave to the memories
I carry in my heart or the
New ones I'll find along the way
Gonna wave to the century that's
Creeping round the bend like
A dove or some great dark bird of prey

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way to the
Edge of the world and jump in

Gonna wave to the thunder
To the wind and the sea
Where the lightning cries out of the rain
Gonna wave to the river that
Gathers in the stream from the
Mountains that rise above the plain

Farewell to the falsehoods
That stick me to the ground
For so long I forgot that I could fly
Gonna wave to the sidewalk
I've chalked up with my name
In the noon of a high sun blue sky

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way to the
False dawn of noon staring in

Gonna wave to the fiddle
To the dish and the spoon
To the cow jumping over the moon
Raise my glass to the children
That are laughing at a riddle
Plays upon the stars and call the tune

Raise my voice for the young man
Broken in the war
Who was born on the fourth of July
Stand and deliver on
Every love song written
On quiet handsome morning sky

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave while the wind
Plays the stars and the sky, the
Moon and the night like a hymn

Gonna wave to the summer
When the rain will discover
Worthy to see through to the end
Gonna wave to the light of
The glow of the night come
Out of the dark night my friend

Then give hope to the hopeless
The helpless and the homeless
The salt of the earth to the call
Gonna wave till my arm
Tackles weary in the socket
Gonna wave till I can't wave no more

Gonna wave, gonna wave
Gonna wave to the wind
Gonna wave my way
My way on through the wind
Gonna speak to the breeze
Add my voice to the wind
Singing: say, can you see
By the dawn's early light streaming in?

Further Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For sheet music, see:
Grateful Dead Anthology Volume 2 (piano arrangement)