Lyrics: John Barlow
Music: Bob Weir
In an interview with Alan Paul in 2001,
Bob Weir explained the origins of this song:
"I wrote the music in Puerto Escondido, Mexico and took it with me to Barlow's Wyoming ranch. 'Lost Sailor' came readily, but the second part stumped us bad. I was at complete loggerheads with the muse so I headed out for a meditative trot, and kept running faster and harder and more uphill, thinking maybe pain would do it.These are the lyrics from the "Go To Heaven" album:
"I finally stopped upon reaching the highest point around, 9,000 feet up, the majestic Wind River Mountains stretched out in front of me. When I turned around, I saw the biggest, ugliest rogue elephant thunderstorm following me up the mountain, coming straight at me walking on legs of lightning. I realized that I was going to be the most prominent feature for miles on the tree-less landscape, meaning my ass was grass and I had to grin and bear it. I tossed my watch and just started laughing. Then the line came to me: 'I sure don't know what I'm going for, but I'm going to go for it, for sure.'
"I ran back laughing and singing, with lightning striking within 10 feet of me, the smell of ozone heavy in the air, fences lighting up. Somehow, I was spared, and the song is evidence of that gift."
This must be heavenLive performances differed from this. This is an early version from 1 September 1979 (thanks to Dan Franzen for alerting me to this):
Tonight I crossed the line
You must be the angel
I thought I might never find
Was it you I heard singing
Oh while I was chasing dreams
Driven by the wind
Like the dust that blows around
And the rain fallin' down
But I never know (sure don't know)
I never know, never know (sure don't know)
This must be heaven
'Cause here's where the rainbow ends
And at last it's the real thing
Or close enough to pretend
When that wind blows (wind blows)
And the night starts to fall
I can hear the sirens call
It's a certain sort of sound
And the rain fallin' down
Rain fallin' down
Holes in what's left of my reason
Holes in the knees of my blues
Odds against me been increasing
But I'll pull through
Never could read no road-map
Now I don't know what the weather might do
Hear that witch wind whining
See that dog star shining
I got a feelin' there's no time to lose
No time to lose
I never know (sure don't know)
I will never know, no, no (sure don't know)
Well it's been heaven
Even rainbow's will end
Now my sails are filling
The wind so willing
And I'm good as gone again
I'm still walkin'
So I'm sure that I can dance
Just a saint of circumstance
Just a tiger in a trance
And the rain fallin' down
Rain falling down
Rain falling down
Well I never know
Just don't know
Just don't know
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
Sure don't know
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Yeah for sure, yeah for sure
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
Just don't never know, never never know
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
No no no, that's for sure, yeah for sure
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
Just don't never never know, no no
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
That's for sure
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
Yeah maybe going on a dream, going on a dream now
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Maybe going on a feeling, maybe going on a feeling
Maybe going on a feeling
This is heavenThis is a later version from 1 November 1985 on Dick's Picks 21:
Where the rainbow ends
Will I stay then
I guess it all depends
When that wind blows
Well it turns my head around
Rain fallin' down
Rain fallin' down
Sweet Katrina
Hotter than hell in the summertime
And the queen now, always ready to play
And Ophelia, dream of madness in the night
And she still haunts me at night
Rain fallin' down
Rain fallin' down
Holes in what's left of my reason
Holes in the knees of my blues
I may be hunting out of season
But my aim is true
Never could read no road-map
Don't know what the weather might do
But there's a witch wind whining
And the dog star shining
I got a feelin' there's no time to lose
So this is heaven
Where the rainbow ends
On my way then
I don't see none of my friends
I'm still walkin'
So I'm sure that I can dance
Like a tiger in a trance
I'm a saint of circumstance
Rain fallin' down
Well I sure don't know what I'm going for
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Well I sure don't know what I'm going for
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Well I sure don't know what I'm going for
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Well I sure don't know what I'm going for
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
[etc]
This must be heavenSome other variations/additions to the lyrics include:
Last station on the line
You must be the angel
I thought I might never find
Was it you I heard singing
Oh when I was chasing dreams
Driven on the wind
Like the dust that blows around
And the rain fallin' down
I never know now
Just don't ever know, no, no
Got to be heaven
'Cause here's where the rainbow ends
And if this ain't the real thing
Well it's close enough to pretend
When that wind blows
And the night's about to fall
I can hear the siren's call
It's a certain sort of sound
And the rain fallin' down
Rain fallin' down
Rain falling down now
Rain falling down now
Rain falling down
Holes in what's left of my reason
Holes in the knees of my blues
Odds against me been increasing
But I'll pull through
Never could read no road-map
No I don't know what the weather might do
But hear that witch wind whining
See that dog star shining
I got a feelin' there's no time to lose
No time to lose
I never know, no, no
Just don't ever know
Never know, no
Well it's been heaven
But even rainbows will end
Now my sails are filling
The wind is willing
And I'm good as gone again
I'm still walkin'
So I'm sure that I can dance
Just a saint of circumstance
Just a tiger in a trance
And the rain fallin' down
Rain falling down
Rain falling down
Rain falling down
Rain falling down
Well I never know now
Just don't ever know, no, no
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Listen
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Hey
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
Maybe just going on a dream now
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Hey, ya
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
Well I just don't know, [and I'm the same]
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
I just go for it for sure now
Listen
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
Make [?], that's what I say now
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
Gotta go, go, go for sure
Sure don't know what I'm goin' for
[falsetto] Maybe going on a dream now
But I'm gonna go for it for sure
[falsetto] Maybe going on a dream, dream
27 October 1979Betty Cantor played a rough mix of the song on the KPFA Grateful Dead marathon on 2/22/2003
You must be an angel
What else could be so fine
Sure feels like the real thing
If it ain't we just pretend
30 December 1986
Top of the mountain you can see far and wide
Still can't see the mountain's other side
This must be heavenAccording to a forum posting that I've not seen referred to or corroborated elsehere, on a very early outtake or demo Weir calls it "The Climb" then sings a warm-up line, "This must be heaven, end of the long hard climb." The posting also lists an early alternate working version, which is essentially the same as the 1 September 1979 version quoted above:
Last station on the line
You must be an angel
Girl, what else could be so fine
Was it you I heard singing
All the time I was chasing dreams
Driven by the wind
Like the dust that blows around
And the rain fallin' down
Yes this is heaven
Honey, here's where the rainbows ends
Sure feels like the real thing
And if it ain't, well let's just pretend
When that wind blows
And the darkness starts to fall
I can hear the sirens call
It's a certain sort of sound
And the rain fallin' down
[etc]
| Grateful Dead Recordings | |||||
| Date | Album | ||||
| 27 Oct 1979 | 30 Trips Around The Sun (note 3) | ||||
| 31 Oct 1979 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2015) | ||||
| 5 Nov 1979 | Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79 | ||||
| 8 Nov 1979 | Road Trips Volume 1, Number 1 | ||||
| 3 Dec 1979 | Dave's Picks Vol 31 | ||||
| 9 Dec 1979 | Dave's Picks Vol 47 | ||||
| 11 Dec 1979 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2023) | ||||
| studio 1980 | Go To Heaven (note 1) | ||||
| 5 Apr 1980 | Saturday Night Live: The Complete Fifth Season (DVD) | ||||
| 6 May 1980 | Road Trips Volume 3, Number 4 | ||||
| 7 May 1980 | Road Trips Volume 3, Number 4 | ||||
| 16 May 1980 | Go To Nassau | ||||
| 26 Aug 1980 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2019) | ||||
| 3 Sep 1980 | Download Series Vol 7 | ||||
| 2 Oct 1980 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2016) | ||||
| 25 Oct 1980 | Go To Heaven (note 2) | ||||
| 31 Oct 1980 | Dead Ahead (video/DVD) | ||||
| 30 Nov 1980 | Dave's Picks Volume 8 | ||||
| 13 Dec 1980 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2023) | ||||
| 10 Mar 1981 | In And Out Of The Garden | ||||
| 6 May 1981 | Dick's Picks Vol 13 | ||||
| 16 May 1981 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
| 11 Jul 1981 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2012) | ||||
| 6 Apr 1982 | Road Trips Volume 4, Number 4 | ||||
| 23 Sep 1982 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2014) | ||||
| 12 Oct 1984 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
| 4 Apr 1985 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2021) | ||||
| 1 Nov 1985 | Dick's Picks Vol 21 | ||||
| 27 Oct 1990 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
| 17 Jun 1991 | Giants Stadium 1987, 1989, 1991 Boxed Set (CD and DVD) | ||||
| 18 Sep 1994 | 30 Days Of The Dead (2017) | ||||
| 1 Oct 1994 | 30 Trips Around The Sun | ||||
| 4 Jul 2015 | Fare Thee Well (CD and DVD) | ||||
| Bob Weir Recordings | |||||
| Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
| Jun 2021 | Live In Colorado | Bob Weir & Wolf Bros | |||
| Other Recordings | |||||
| Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
| 2004 | Werewolves Of Atlanta: Halloween 2004 | Dark Star Orchestra | |||
| 2006 | Barlow Shanghai - Live in Chicago | Mr Blotto | |||
| 2019 | Live At The Old Church | Holly Bowling | |||