Me And My Uncle

Lyrics: John Phillips
Music: John Phillips

This is the song the Grateful Dead played more than any other, cover or original, all the way from 1966 to 1995.

Me and my uncle went riding down
South Colorado, West Texas bound
We stopped over in Santa Fe
That being the point just about half way
And you know it was the hottest part of the day

I took the horses up to the stall
Went to the bar-room, ordered drinks for all
Three days in the saddle, you know my body hurt
It being summer, I took off my shirt
And I tried to wash off some of that dusty dirt (note 1)

West Texas cowboys, they's all around
With liquor and money, they're loaded down
So soon after pay day, you know it seemed a shame
You know my uncle, he starts a friendly game
High-Low Jacks and the winner take the hand (note 2)

My uncle starts winning, cowboys got sore
One of them called him, and then two more
Accused him of cheating, well no it couldn't be
I know my uncle, he's as honest as me
And I'm as honest as a Denver man can be

One of them cowboys, he starts to draw
Well I shot him down, Lord, he never saw (note 3)
Shot me another, hot damn he won't grow old (note 4)
In the confusion my uncle grabbed the gold
And we high-tailed it down to Mexico

Now I love those cowboys, I love their gold
I love my uncle, God rest his soul
Taught me good, Lord, taught me all I know
Taught me so well, I grabbed that gold
And I left his dead ass there by the side of the road (note 5)
Notes
(1) it could be "... dust and dirt"
(2) that's how I hear it, but Kevin Sullivan believes it's "... winner stakes the hand" (ie the next hand). There has equally been some discussion about "Hi-Lo Jacks." I had thought this was Hi-Lo poker with a pair of jacks as the minimum opener, but Seth Lipner points out that it may well be another game called Pitch or All Fours, which has points for High, Low, Jack and Game (which goes to the winner of the most 'pips' in tricks taken). Don Otis has pointed me to the Official Rules of Card Games edited by Albert Morehead which has an entry for "All Fours or High-Low Jacks". All this is also discussed on the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
(3) in some early versions Bob Weir sang "Grabbed me a bottle, cracked him in the jaw" which is similar to what Judy Collins sang in the original version of the song (see below)
(4) variations included "... that man he won't grow old" and maybe "God damn he won't grow old." Kevin Sullivan argues it should be "I'll dare he won't grow old."
(5) in very early versions, Weir sang "And I left him laying there by the side of the road", also similar to the Judy Collins' version

Grateful Dead Recordings

Other Dead-related Recordings

Background

The song was written by John Phillips of The Mamas And The Papas. According to the liner notes for his (solo) recording on "Phillips 66":
"John often used to tell the story behind "Me And My Uncle." Years ago he began receiving publishing royalties from a song on a Judy Collins record with which he was unfamiliar. It was titled "Me And My Uncle." He called Judy to let her know of the mistake because he hadn't written any such song. She laughed and told him that about a year before, in Arizona after one of her concerts, they had a 'Tequila' night back at the hotel with Stephen Stills, Neil Young and a few others. They were running a blank cassette and John proceeded to write "Me And My Uncle" on the spot. The next day, John woke up to the tequila sunrise with no recollection of the songwriting incident. Judy kept the cassette from that evening and then, without informing John, recorded the song for her own record. Over the years the song was recorded by several people, and eventually became a standard of the Grateful Dead. John used to joke that, little by little, with each royalty check, the memory of writing the song would come back to him."
Jesse Jarnow interviewed Judy Collins for the Good Ol' Grateful Deadcast. She confirmed the story about a phone call from John Phillips:
"In '64 I sang it at Town Hall, and it was on a record - we recorded that show so everybody could hear it. And John called me up and he said 'it says on this album that I wrote this song'. And I said 'John, you did, you wrote the song.' ... They don't put a record out until they check the publishing so somebody must have reached out to him, but he said 'I've got to tell you something: I don't remember it I don't remember the song, I don't remember singing it, what are you talking about?'"
But the story about how and where it was written doesn't seem to stack up. In an email to Jesse Jarnow, Dick Weissman, who played with John Phillips in The Journeyman at that time, said:
"This is, in my opinion, nonsense. First of all we never did a concert in Phoenix. We did play at a coffee house there. I'm certain there was no party in Scottsdale. I do remember John singing me Me And My Uncle. He knew I would enjoy it, because I was already talking about moving to Colorado and going to music school."
Jesse Jarnow asked Judy Collins how she came to learn the song:
"I'd gotten to know John Phillips really well over the year that he and I worked together. ... One night, he and Michele were living in the Village. ... My boyfriend at the time said you want to go down and drop some acid with Michelle and John. So I said 'sure'. We went down and had something to drink, and then we went on this acid trip. During that night, in that funky little appartment down there, we started singing each other songs. And John said 'I think I have a new song here'. And he started sing Me And My Uncle. You know I have a very good memory in spite of the fact that I was stoned. I remembered every single word, and I kept saying repeat that, repeat that, repeat that; let me hear that again; let me hear that again. And he said 'OK, sure" and [he'd sing the first verse] and then he'd sing it again; and then he'd sing the next verse; and he'd sing the next verse. Meantime we were getting lost in the wilderness. I don't know what it was we took - it took me about two weeks to come down after that. ... I really learned that song that night.

"John knew it well enough to sing it when he was out of his mind so I'm sure he had spent quite a lot of time writing it. it's a carefully constructed song, I think. My own view of it is that it's a very good song. It stays with you. You know it's one of the things that's so characteristic about songs that actually have a life beyond their premiere.

"A year later, Mark Abramson (from Elektra) and I were talking about songs, and I sang him Me And My Uncle. He said 'wow, where did you get that' I said John Phillips wrote it and he said 'Oh good, let's do it', so we did it."
It isn't completely clear how Bob Weir learnt the song. Blair Jackson in "Going Down The Road" says:
"According to Bob Weir, he learnt this John Phillips-penned tune from 'a hippy named Curly Jim' who I can only assume is Curly Jim Cook, one-time member of the Bay Area band A.B.Skhy. ... Judy Collins recorded a slower version of the song on a mid-sixties live album, and that may well be where Weir got it from."
Corry Arnold has investigated the identity of "Curly Jim" extensively in his blog posting on Hooterollin' Around He concludes that it wasn't Curly Cooke who taught Bob Weir the song, but instead was James Staralow, who is also the "C.J.Stetson" who co-wrote two songs on Mickey Hart's "Rolling Thunder" album.

Phil Lesh gave a different account in an introduction to the Phil & Friends show at Terrapin Crossroads on 3 January 2015 when they played Grateful Dead songs from 1966:
[Jay Blakesberg] You started playing a song called "Me And My Uncle", which was the most played Grateful Dead song ever. Written by John Phillips from the Mamas and Papas but made a first hit by Judy Collins.

[Phil Lesh] We saw Dino Valente do it. That's where we picked it up.
Jesse Jarnow has investigated this further for the Grateful Deadcast. He pointed to one anonymous comment on Corry Arnold's blog:
"I met Jim Stalarow (aka Curley Jim) in the mid 70's. We played music in Houston and wrote a few songs together. He had just gotten out of prison in Mexico from a drug bust. He told me he was at the party where Me and My Uncle was written and had provided some of the lyrics himself. He said Philips never credited him for his part but he didn't really mind."
Jesse Jarnow pointed out that the story of Me And My Uncle being written at a hotel room party is contradicted by Judy Collins and Dick Weissman. But he went on to say
"That doesn't mean there's wasn't actually a hotel room party where John Phillips played Me And My Uncle in a tequils blackout somewhere in the South West, like say Dallas in 1963 [when the Journeymen were playing for an episode of 'Hootenanny']. In November 1963, Curly Jim Stolarow was a freshman at the University of Texas in Austin. If like Curly Jim, you were an aspiring folk singer in Austin and Hootenanny was taping in Dallas, a road trip seems perfectly within reason. He could have heard and learned the song at a song-swapping party, made his own changes to it, and taught it to both Bob Weir and Dino Valente when he made it to the Bay Area in 1966."
Judy Collins' version has some differences from Bob Weir's lyrics (differences in italics):
Me and my uncle went riding down
From Colorado, West Texas bound
And we stopped off in Santa Fe
It being the part about half way (note 6)
And besides it was the hottest part of the day

We led our ponies into a stall
Went to a bar, boys, bought drinks for all
Three days in the saddle, my body hurt
It being summer, took off my shirt
And tried to wash off some of that dusty dirt

West Texas cowboys, all over town
With gold and silver, they're loaded down
Just in from round-up, it seemed a shame
So my uncle starts a friendly game
Hi-lo jacks and the winner take the games

From the beginning, uncle starts to win
Them Texas cowboys, they was mad as sin
Some say he's cheatin', but that can't be
'Cause my uncle, he's honest as me
And I'm as honest as a Denver man can be

One of them cowboys, he starts to draw
I grabbed a bottle, slapped him on the jaw
I shot another, he won't grow old
In the confusion uncle grabbed the gold
And we high-tailed it down to Mexico

Now God bless cowboys, and God bless gold
God bless my uncle, and rest his soul
He taught me well, boys, taught me all I know
Taught me so well, that I grabbed the gold
And I left him laying there by the side of the road
Notes
(6) the Twiliters recording from a couple of years later has "That being the town just about half way," and Joni Mitchell sang "That being the place just about half way." So you can take your pick of "part," "place," "town" or "point" as the 'true' lyrics

Dino Valente's version has some lines which have much more in common with Bob Weir's than Judy Collins', reinforcing Jesse Jarnow's point that both may have learnt the song from Curly Jim.
Me and my uncle went riding on down
West Colorado to Texas town
We stopped over in Santa Fe
That being the point 'bout half way
Besides it was the hottest part of the day

I took the horses down to a stall
I went to a bar, ordered drinks for all
Three days in the saddle, my body hurt
It being summer, I took off my shirt
I was trying to wash off some of that dusty dirt

West Texas cowboys all over town
With the liquor and money, my friend, they's loaded down
So soon after pay day, it seemed a shame
So me and my uncle starts up a friendly game
We call it High Low Jack and the winner takes the hand

My uncle starts to winning, cowboys are gettting sore
One cowboy calls him down, and then two more
They says he was cheating off, but that can't be
I know my uncle, man, he is as honest as me
I'm as honest as a Denver man can be

One of those cowboys starts to draw
I shot him down, my friend, before he saw me
I shot another God damn he won't grow old
In the confusion my uncle grabbed the gold
And we high-tailed it down to Mexico

I love them cowboys, I love their gold
I love my uncle, God rest his soul
Taught me good, man, taught me all I know
He taught me so good, I grabbed the gold
And I left him lying there by the side of the road
Note in particular:
Weir/Valente Judy Collins
With liquor and money, they're loaded down With gold and silver, they're loaded down
So soon after pay day, you know it seemed a shame Just in from round-up, it seemed a shame
My uncle starts winning, cowboys got sore From the beginning, uncle starts to win
One of them called him, and then two more Them Texas cowboys, they was mad as sin
I shot him down, Lord, he never saw I grabbed a bottle, slapped him on the jaw
I love those cowboys, I love their gold God bless cowboys, and God bless gold
John Phillips' own version, recorded years later, is similar to the Judy Collins version, consistent with him having taught it to her - though there are some differences:
Me and my uncle went riding down
From Colorado, West Texas bound
And we stopped off in Santa Fe
That being the point that's about half way
Besides it was the hottest part of the day

We led our ponies into a stall
Went to the bar boys, bought drinks for all
Two days in the saddle, my body hurt
It being summer, I took off my shirt
Tried to wash off some of that dust and dirt

West Texas cowboys, all over town
With gold and silver, they're loaded down
Just back from round-up, did seem a shame
So my uncle starts a friendly game
Called hi-lo Jack and winner take the gain

From the beginning, my uncle starts to win
Them cowboys, they're mad as sin
Some say he's cheatin', but that can't be
'Cause my uncle, he's honest as me
And I'm as honest as a Denver man can be

One of them cowboys, he starts to draw
I took a bottle, cracked him on the jaw
I winged another, doubt he'll see old
In the confusion, my uncle grabbed the gold
And we high-tailed down that road to Mexico

So here's to cowboys, and here's to gold
Here's to uncle, God rest his soul
He taught me well, boys, taught me all I know
Taught me so well, that I took his gold
And I left him laying by the side of the road
And I left him laying by the side of the road
And I high-tailed down that road to Mexico
Of the other recordings, Danny Cox's 1970 version was recorded around the time he opened for the Dead in November 1969. But his is clearly based on the Judy Collins version, with a few variations: "six days in the saddle" rather than "three"; "as honest as a Kansas City man can be", rather than "a Denver man" (Danny Cox was living in Kansas City at the time); and "I left him crying by the side of the road" rather than "dying".

Selected Non-Grateful Dead recordings
ArtistAlbum
Judy Collins"The Judy Collins Concert" (1964) [Elektra EKS 7280 - LP only]
Judy Collins"Judy Collins, Vol 3-4" [Wildflower 1301]
Joni Mitchell"Joni Mitchell Archives - Vol. 1: The Early Years (1963-1967)" [Rhino - released 2020] (note aa)
The Twiliters"The Twiliters In Concert" (1966) [RCA CAM-117 - LP only]
Dino Valente"Dino Valente" (1968) [Epic BN-26335 (LP); Koch 7930 (CD)]
Danny CoxLive At The Family Dog (1970) [SUN 5002 (LP)]
Mike Wilhelm"Wilhelm" (1976) [Zig Zag 1 - LP only]
Mike Wilhelm"Characters" (1997) [Cold Call 302212])
Mike Wilhelm"Live In Tokyo" (1997) [PSFD-85]
Mike Wilhelm"New Rose Story" (2000) [Last Call 306231]
Mike Wilhelm"Junko Partner" (2002) [Last Call 422394]
Rory McNamara"Still Got That Look In His Eyes" (1984) [Kicking Mule KM 323 - LP only]
Texas Lone Star"Desperados Waiting For The Train (1995?) [BCD 15-692]
John Denver"The Wildlife Concert" (1995) [Legacy 480694-2]
John Denver"Live At The Sydney Opera House" (1999) [RCA 67731]
John Denver"The Harbour Lights Concert" (2002) [RCA 65113]
Michael Longcor"Dangerous Heroes" (1996) [Firebird 100312]
Craig Chambers"The Cowboy's Conscience" (1998) [W.R.Records]
Bob Cook"Love Is A Verb" (2000) [Orchard 2521]
Katy Moffatt"Cowboy Girl" (2001) [Shanachie Records]
John Phillips"Phillips 66" (2001) [Eagle Records]
Notes
(aa) A performance on the CBC television show "Let's Sing Out" on 4 October 1965. It's pretty similar to the Judy Collins' version and it seems likely that Joni Mitchell learnt it from Judy Collins either directly or from the LP.


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 David Dodd's discussion of this song on dead.net see Greatest Stories Ever Told
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For sheet music, see:
          Grateful Dead Authentic Guitar Classics Volume 2 (guitar TAB)
          Hundred Year Hall songbook (guitar TAB)

 

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