Built To Last

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia

There are times when you can beckon,
There are times when you must call.
You can take a lot of reckoning,
But you can't take it all.

There are times when I can help you out,
And times when you must fall.
There are times when you must live in doubt
And I can't help at all.

Chorus 1
Three blue stars rise on the hill
Sing no more now just be still
All these trials soon be past
Look for something built to last

A wind held by the collar,
Yes, a cloud held by the breeze
You can walk on coals of fire
But sometimes you must freeze

There are times when you offend me
And I do the same to you
If we can't or won't forget it
I guess we could be through

Chorus 2
One blue star sets on the hill
Call it back you never will
One more star sinks in the past
Show me something built to last

Built to last till time itself falls tumbling from the wall
Built to last till sunshine fails and darkness moves on all
Built to last while years roll past like cloudscapes in the sky
Show me something built to last or something built to try

There are times when you get hit upon
Try hard but you can't give
Other times you'd gladly part
With what you need to live

Don't waste your breath to save your face
When you have done your best
And even more is asked of you
Fate will decide the rest

Chorus 3
All the stars are gone but one
Morning breaks here comes the sun
Cross the sky now sinking fast
Show me something built to last

[etc through choruses again]
Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     studio 1989 Built To Last (note 1)
      3 Apr 1989 Download Series Vol 9
      9 Jul 1989 Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Boxed Set
     17 Jul 1989 Downhill From Here (video/DVD only)
      9 Oct 1989 Warlocks Box
     16 Oct 1989 Nightfall Of Diamonds
     26 Mar 1990 Spring 1990
      5 Jul 2015 Fare Thee Well (CD and DVD)

(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
     2001 Built To Grass Grass Is Dead
     2005 The 1000th Show Dark Star Orchestra
     2009 Acoustic Sessions Vol 1 Real Eyes
     2021 Jerry's Smilin': Guitar Tribute To The Grateful Dead Damià Timoner
Notes
(1) also on the compilation The Arista Years


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
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For sheet music, see:
          Built To Last Songbook (piano arrangment)
          Garcia/Hunter Songbook (vocal line and chords/TAB)

 


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