You Don't Have To Ask

Lyrics: Grateful Dead
Music: Grateful Dead

Played by the Dead in 1966, but then dropped. It appears that the original title was Otis On A Shakedown Cruise.

If you wanna know what time it is, you don't have to ask
If you wanna know what hers and his, you don't have to ask
If you wanna know what's real or not, you don't have to ask
If you wanna know where to find your spot, you don't have to ask
You don't have to ask
You don't have to ask
You already know
You already know

If you wanna leave your troubles behind, you don't have to ask
If you wanna go away and lose your mind, you don't have to ask
If it's peace that you're looking for
You got the key to every door
You already know

If there's a way out you'll find out and see all and be all
You'll never wonder what spell you been under
To make you forget all this time

If you're looking for the way, you don't have to ask
You can see it plain as day, you don't have to ask
If you're trying to find what's true, just take a look at all of you
You don't have to ask
You don't have to ask
You don't have to ask
You already know
You already know
You already know
You already know
[etc]
Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     studio Jun 1966 Birth Of The Dead (note 1)
     26 Mar 1966 30 Days Of The Dead (2015)
      3 Jul 1966 30 Trips Around The Sun
     16 Jul 1966 So Many Roads (1965-1995)
     29 Jul 1966 The Grateful Dead: 50th Anniversary Edition

Notes
(1) originally released as part of the box set The Golden Road (1965-1973)
(2) thanks to Chris Wallis for help with deciphering the lyrics


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 information on references in the lyrics see David Dodd's Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics

 


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