Lyrics: Traditional/(Robert Hunter?)
Music: Traditional/(Robert Hunter?)
Played by Jerry Garcia and David Nelson at the College of San Mateo in San Mateo on 10 November 1962. Garcia introduced it as a Clarence Ashley song. Thanks to Matt Schofield for the lyrics.
Bob Weir also sang the first verse at a Ratdog concert on 2 September 2001 (thanks to Jonathan Rabhan for confirming this).
Oh the cuckoo she'a pretty birdRobert Hunter sang a version both solo and with the Dinosaurs, which normally appears in setlists as "Jack of Diamonds". I'm not sure where the additional lyrics come from.
She wobbles as she flies
She don't never holler cuckoo
'Til the fourth day of July
Gonna build me log cabin
On the mountain so high
So that I can see Willie
As he goes on by
Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds
I know you of old
You done robbed my poor pockets
Of my silver and gold
I've played cards in England
I've played cards in Spain
I bet you ten dollars
I'll beat you again
Oh the cuckoo she'a pretty bird
She wobbles as she flies
She don't never holler cuckoo
'Til the fourth day of July
Oh the cuckoo, pretty birdA more traditional version of the song is:
She wobbles as she flies
She don't never holler cuckoo
'Til the fourth day of July
Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds
I know you, know you of old
You have robbed, you have cheated
You have taken the gold
Seven sisters, nine bright shiners
All the stars hang down and cry
On my way to greener pastures
If you go, why not I
Now the leaves are falling
Bend down, I can't see the sun
Come and sit beside me
And look at what you've done
Hold the line back, hold the leader
Don't ever let your whip hang down
Where's a pine box when you need it
Jack of Diamonds, take your place in town
That's all, now my leaves are falling
Got to bend down, I can't see the sun
Come over here and sit beside me
We're gonna talk about what we've done
Gonna build me a log cabin
In the mountains so high
So that I can see the Jack of Diamonds
As she goes riding by
Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Diamonds
I know you, I know you of old
You have robbed, you have cheated
You've divided, conquered the floor
Hold the line back, hold the leader
Don't ever let your whip hang down
Where's a pine box when you need it
Jack of Diamonds, gonna take your place in town
The cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She sings as she flies
She brings us glad tidings
And tells us no lies
She sucks all sweet flowers
To make her voice clear
She never sings cuckoo
Till summer is near
She flies the hills over
She flies the world about
She flies back to the mountain
She mourns for her love
The cuckoo she's a pretty bird
She sings as she flies
She brings us glad tidings
And tells us no lies