Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
This is the Hunter/Garcia original, not to be confused with the traditional song Casey Jones, which the Dead also played, as did Jerry with some of his other bands.
The latter is normally called "The Ballad Of Casey Jones" in setlists.
ChorusNotes
Driving that train, high on cocaine
Casey Jones you'd better watch your speed
Trouble ahead, trouble behind
And you know that notion just crossed my mind (note 1)
This old engine makes it on time
Leaves Central Station 'bout a quarter to nine
Hits River Junction at seventeen to
At a quarter to ten you know it's travelling again
[chorus]
Trouble ahead, the lady in red
Take my advice you'd be better off dead
Switchman's sleeping, train Hundred and Two
Is on the wrong track and headed for you
[chorus]
Trouble with you is the trouble with me
Got two good eyes but we still don't see
Come round the bend, you know it's the end
The fireman screams and the engine just gleams
[chorus - repeated]
Grateful Dead Recordings | |||||
Date | Album | ||||
3 Jul 1969 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2020) | ||||
26 Oct 1969 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2023) | ||||
2 Nov 1969 | Dave's Picks Volume 43 | ||||
8 Nov 1969 | Dick's Pick's Vol 16 | ||||
12 Dec 1969 | Dave's Picks Volume 10 | ||||
26 Dec 1969 | Dave's Picks Volume 43 | ||||
Studio 1970 | Workingman's Dead (note 2) | ||||
2 Jan 1970 | Dave's Picks Volume 30 | ||||
3 Jan 1970 | Dave's Picks 2019 Bonus Disc | ||||
23 Jan 1970 | Dave's Picks Volume 19 | ||||
2 Feb 1970 | Dave's Picks Volume 6 | ||||
14 Feb 1970 | Dick's Pick's Vol 4 | ||||
28 Feb 1970 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2024) | ||||
2 May 1970 | Dick's Picks Vol 8 | ||||
15 May 1970 | Road Trips Vol 3 No 3 (early show) | ||||
24 May 1970 | Long Strange Trip (DVD only, on bonus disc) | ||||
24 Oct 1970 | Dave's Picks Volume 51 | ||||
18 Feb 1971 | American Beauty (50th Anniversary Edition) | ||||
19 Feb 1971 | Three From The Vault | ||||
21 Feb 1971 | Workingman's Dead (50th Anniversary Edition) | ||||
18 Mar 1971 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
20 Mar 1971 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2023) | ||||
12 Apr 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 51 | ||||
13 Apr 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 51 | ||||
27 Apr 1971 | Ladies And Gentlemen ... The Grateful Dead | ||||
30 May 1971 | Winterland 1971 | ||||
2 Jul 1971 | Fillmore: The Last Days | ||||
7 Aug 1971 | Dick's Picks Vol 35 | ||||
22 Oct 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 3 | ||||
15 Nov 1971 | Road Trips Number 3, Volume 2 | ||||
17 Nov 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 26 | ||||
20 Nov 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 48 | ||||
6 Dec 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 22 (bonus disc) | ||||
7 Dec 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 22 | ||||
9 Dec 1971 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
10 Dec 1971 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
14 Dec 1971 | Dave's Picks Volume 26 (bonus disc) | ||||
28 Mar 1972 | Dick's Picks Vol 30 | ||||
8 Apr 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
11 Apr 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
14 Apr 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
17 Apr 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
24 Apr 1972 | Rockin' The Rhein (note 3) | ||||
26 Apr 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
29 Apr 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
3 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
4 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
7 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
10 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
11 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
13 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
18 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
23 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
24 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
25 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
26 May 1972 | Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
21 Jul 1972 | Download Series Vol 10 | ||||
27 Aug 1972 | Sunshine Daydream (CD only) | ||||
9 Sep 1972 | Dave's Picks Volume 46 | ||||
17 Sep 1972 | Dick's Picks Vol 23 | ||||
27 Sep 1972 | Dick's Picks Vol 11 | ||||
17 Oct 1972 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
18 Oct 1972 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
19 Oct 1972 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
17 Nov 1972 | Dave's Picks Volume 11 | ||||
2 Apr 1973 | Dave's Picks Volume 21 | ||||
13 May 1973 | Here Comes Sunshine | ||||
20 May 1973 | Here Comes Sunshine | ||||
26 May 1973 | Here Comes Sunshine | ||||
22 Jun 1973 | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 | ||||
26 Jun 1973 | Pacific Northwest '73-'74 | ||||
29 Oct 1973 | Listen To The River: St Louis '71 '72 73 | ||||
10 Nov 1973 | Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings | ||||
17 Nov 1973 | Dave's Picks Volume 5 | ||||
4 Dec 1973 | Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings (bonus disc) | ||||
10 Dec 1973 | Download Series Vol 8 | ||||
23 Feb 1974 | Dave's Picks Volume 42 | ||||
23 Jun 1974 | Dave's Picks Volume 34 | ||||
4 Aug 1974 | Dick's Picks Vol 31 | ||||
17 Oct 1974 | Steal Your Face (note 4) | ||||
2 Oct 1977 | Dave's Picks Volume 45 | ||||
11 Nov 1978 | Saturday Night Live Vol 1 | ||||
31 Dec 1978 | The Closing Of Winterland (DVD & CD) | ||||
5 Nov 1979 | Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79 | ||||
28 Dec 1979 | Road Trips Vol 3, No 1 | ||||
26 Aug 1980 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2019) | ||||
16 Dec 1992 | Dick's Picks Vol 27 | ||||
27 Mar 1993 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
1 Apr 1995 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2018) | ||||
(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 | Recorded By | Album | |||
1973 | King's Road | Watkin's Glen | |||
1991 | Warren Zevon | Deadicated | |||
1996 | Billy & Terry Smith | Long Live The Dead | |||
1996 | Wailing Souls | Fire On The Mountain: Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead | |||
1997 | David West et al | Pickin' On The Dead ... A Tribute | |||
1999 | Steve Marsh et al | Swingin' To The Grateful Dead | |||
2000 | McEuen & Salazar | Tie-Die Yippie Ki Yay | |||
2000 | Vassar Clements | Dead Grass | |||
2001 | Various (Michael Hill) | Blues Tribute To The Grateful Dead | |||
2003 | Grateful Guitar | David Cullen | |||
2004 | Live t The Rendevous, Seattle 2004 | Sweeter Than The Day | |||
2005 | Deadgrass | Deadgrass | |||
2005 | On The Road October 23 2005 | String Cheese Incident (note 6) | |||
8 Feb 2006 | Live At The Fillmore | Grateful Grass | |||
2007 | At Fine Arts Center, UMass | The American Beauty Project | |||
2009 | December 31 2009, Portland, OR | Railroad Earth | |||
2009 | Yoga Tribute To Grateful Dead | Yoga Pop Ups (note 5) | |||
2010 | One Step Back In Time | D.T. Worthy | |||
2010 | At Page Auditorium, Duke University | The American Beauty Project | |||
2010 | One Hesher, Two Punks And A Hippy | Punk Is Dead | |||
2011 | The Wheel: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Garcia | Jesse McReynolds, David Nelson et al | |||
2011 | Sessions, Vol. 1 | Jah Grateful Dead | |||
?2012 | Karaoke Legends, Vol. 45 | Unknown | |||
2012 | Psychocountry | Maciej Malenczuk | |||
2013 | Feb 9 2013, Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL | moe. (note 6) | |||
2014 | Grateful Dead Bluegrass Tribute | David Holodiloff | |||
2015 | Apr 17 2015, Morrison, CO | Disco Biscuits | |||
2015 | Feb 21 2015, Omaha, NE | Twiddle (note 6) | |||
2018 | Grateful Dub | Roots of Creation | |||
2019 | Dead Air | Free Union |