Sweet Cocaine

Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional

Performed at Garcia & Wales concerts on 26 and 28 January 1972 and at a Garcia & Saunders concert on 20 December 1972, sung by Roger Troy (Torres). The lyrics for the Garcia/Wales versions contain a lot of improvisation. This is the version from 28 January:

Now when you're downtown
And you left town alone
I need some rest woman
Lord, when I come home
I can't get nobody
Lord, to soothe my soul

When I feel
I feel like a dog that's lost his bone
Sweet cocaine
Lord you just robbed me, through my brain
Sweet cocaine
Lord, [?] feeling in your brain
Lord, oh, it's so good to me
Sweet, sweet cocaine

Oh, I can't believe
lord, what they've done to you
Oh, what can your worry be?
Lord, when you're down and blue
Should I, should I ever wonder
Lord, Lord, Lord, what would it be
To have one ton of cocaine
Lord, all for me
Send me there
Send me running, send me right
Let me hear you say yeah
Let me hear you say yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, Lord
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah
Feel all right
This is the version from 26 January:
Sweet, sweet cocaine
How you run around
In my brain
Sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet cocaine
Everybody knows your name
And Lord, don't you know, don't you know
That you're a cold, cold woman
To do this to a poor man like me
I think I'll never find
But then again I think I know
Where you been running baby
Lordy, every place you go
Oh woman, don't you deceive me
And when you're in trouble, don't you call my name
Hey, don't you call my name
'Cause your friend by the name of cocaine
I know he still burns in your brain
That is followed by these lyrics, which may or may not be part of the same song (they are listed on some setlists as "Shine On Love"):
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine
From early in the morning
Let your love grow baby
Let me, let me be your [soul]
It's such a sad thing
That you have to go home
Ah baby, baby, baby, such a sad thing
I gave unto you woman
Everything you could want
I don't see what you're crying about
Lord, Lord, what's going on
Help me be, help me be, help me be
[?] in a man
Oh I know, you won't leave me be
And you know it's a crying shame
Every day, every day
Every single day oh Lord
I can't get nowhere with you woman
Lord, this way
There is a Fred Neil song called "Sweet Cocaine", but I'm not sure there's any relation to the improvised lyrics above (and the Hooteroll?+2 CD lists the song as "collective jam, trad."):
I say cocaine
Cocaine
Runnin' round your heart
Runnin' round your brain
Yeah bittersweet

I say come on mama
Come on quick
Cocaine make him poor boy
So sick

Oh sweet mama
When I thought you understood
You got no connections
It's just no good for me
Hey sweet cocaine

I say cocaine
Cocaine
Runnin' round your heart
Runnin' round your brain
Yeah bittersweet
Jerry Garcia Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     28 Jan 1972 Hooteroll? Howard Wales/Jerry Garcia

Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography

 


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