Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
I told Althea I was feeling lostNotes
Lacking in some direction
Althea told me upon scrutiny
That my back might need protection
I told Althea that treachery
Was tearing me limb from limb
Althea told me, now cool down boy
Settle back easy, Jim (note 1)
You may be Saturday's child all grown
Moving with a pinch of grace
You may be a clown in the burying ground (note 2)
Or just another pretty face
You may be the fate of Ophelia
Sleeping and perchance to dream
Honest to the point of recklessness (note 3)
Self-centred to the extreme
Ain't nobody messin' with you but you
Your friends are getting most concerned
Loose with the truth, maybe its your fire
Baby, I hope you don't get burned
When the smoke has cleared, she said
That's what she said to me
You're gonna want a bed to lay your head
And a little sympathy
There are things you can replace
And others you cannot
The time has come to weigh those things
This space is gettin' hot
You know this space is gettin' hot
I told Althea, I'm a roving sign
That I was born to be a bachelor
Althea told me, OK that's fine
So now I'm trying to catch her
Can't talk to you without talking to me (note 4)
We're guilty of the same old thing
Thinking a lot about less and less
And forgetting the love we bring
I told Althea I was feeling lost ...(4) Hunter's lyrics in "Box Of Rain" are "Can't talk to me without talking to you" but Garcia sang it the other way round
You may be the fate of Ophelia ...
I told Althea that treachery ...
When the smoke has cleared, she said ...
You may be Saturday's child all grown ...
Ain't nobody messin' with you but you ...
Grateful Dead Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | ||||
31 Oct 1979 | Road Trips Volume 1, Number 1 | ||||
5 Nov 1979 | Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79 | ||||
1 Dec 1979 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2022) (note h) | ||||
3 Dec 1979 | Dave's Picks Vol 31 | ||||
studio 1980 | Go To Heaven | ||||
6 May 1980 | Road Trips Volume 3, Number 4 | ||||
16 May 1980 | Go To Nassau (note e) | ||||
3 Sep 1980 | Download Series Vol 7 | ||||
23 Oct 1980 | Go To Heaven (note a) | ||||
9 Mar 1981 | In And Out Of The Garden | ||||
14 Mar 1981 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2010) | ||||
16 May 1981 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
5 Apr 1982 | Road Trips Volume 4, Number 4 | ||||
7 Aug 1982 | Dick's Picks Vol 32 | ||||
9 Sep 1982 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2015) | ||||
4 Sep 1983 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2022) | ||||
11 Sep 1983 | Dave's Picks Vol 52 | ||||
14 Oct 1983 | Dick's Picks Vol 6 | ||||
14 Apr 1984 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2010) (note c) | ||||
28 Oct 1984 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2024) | ||||
15 Mar 1990 | Without A Net (note b) | ||||
1 Apr 1990 | Spring 1990 (The Other One) | ||||
19 Jul 1990 | Dave's Picks Volume 40 | ||||
20 Mar 1992 | 30 Trips Around The Sun (note c) | ||||
1 Oct 1994 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
5 Jul 2015 | Fare Thee Well (CD and DVD) (note d) | ||||
(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 | |||
1997 | Fire On The Mountain Vol 2 | Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead (Culture) | |||
1997 | Pickin' On The Grateful Dead | David West et al | |||
2000 | Crazy Fingers | The Grass Is Dead | |||
2010 | Seattle Peace Concert | Ultraviolet Uforia | |||
2010 | Dec 31 2010, St Louis, MO | Yonder Mountain String Band (note f) | |||
23 Jul 2011 | Jerry Jams for Rex II | Yonder Mountain String Band | |||
2012 | May 3 2012 New Orleans LA | Chris Robinson Brotherhood (note f) | |||
2013 | Keys | Keller Willams | |||
7 Dec 2013 | Dos | Grateful Grass | |||
2015 | Twangin' The Dead | Matt Rae | |||
2015 | Songs Of Their Own | Strngefolk | |||
2016 | Day Of The Dead | Winton Marsalis, Kodiak Blue and Shura |