Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
Old man down (note 1)Notes
Way down, down by the docks of the city (note 2)
Blind and dirty
Asked me for a dime, a dime for a cup of coffee
I got no dime, but I got some time to hear his story
My name is August West
And I love my Pearly Baker best, more than my wine
More than my wine (note 3)
More than my maker, though he's no friend of mine
Everyone said
I'd come to no good
I knew I would
Pearly, believed them
Half of my life
Spent doing time for some other fucker's crime (note 4)
The other half found me
Stumbling around, drunk on burgundy wine
But I'll get back on my feet someday
The good lord willing, if he says I may
I know that the life I'm living's no good
I'll get a new start, live the life I should
I'll get up and fly away
I'll get up and fly away
Pearly's been true
True to me, true to my dying day, he said
I said to him
I said to him, I'm sure she's been
I said to him, I'm sure she's been true to you
I got up and wandered
Wandered downtown, nowhere to go but just to hang around
I've got a girl
Named Bonny Lee, I know that girl's been true to me (note 5)
I know she's been, I'm sure she's been true to me
Wharf rat down inThat's all that's on the page in Hunter's archive. It's not clear to me whether the rest was written on the back or added later.
The docks by the city
Got no home
He's blind and dirty
Asks me a dime
For a cup of coffee
I got no dime
Buthe tellsI hear his story
But I listen to his story
'Cause I got nowhere to go [myself]
He says "my name is August West
And I loved my Pearly Baker best
Better than I loved my wine
Better than my maker, though he's none of mine
Everyone said I'd come to no good
Pearly believed 'em'cause she knewthough [?] I would
But half my life spent doin' time
The other half drunk on burgundy wine
But I'll get back on my feet someday
The good lord willing, if he says I may
'Cause I know the life I lead's no good
I'll get a new start and live the life I should
I'll just up and fly away, my friend
I'll just up and fly away
(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.) | |||||
Covers | |||||
Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
1991 | Deadicated | Midnight Oil | |||
1996 | Fire On the Mountain | Reggae Celebrates the Grateful Dead (Michael Rose) | |||
1999 | Swingin' To The Grateful Dead | Steve Marsh et al | |||
2001 | Built To Grass | Grass Is Dead | |||
11 Jul 2002 | Live: Salt Lake City, UT | Bruce Hornsby | |||
2005 | Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares | Swampadelica | |||
2006 | The Best of the Jammys, Vol 1 | Ryan Adas and the Cardinals | |||
17 Mar 2007 | Oriental Theatre, Denver, CO | KVMH | |||
2010 | Live At The Blue Light | Charlie Shafter & The Gnomes | |||
2010 | Spun | Lauren Pennington | |||
2010 | At Page Auditorium, Duke University | The American Beauty Project | |||
2013 | Keys | Keller Willams | |||
2013 | Surrender | Jon Wayne And The Pain | |||
2015 | It's A Hand-Me-Down | David Gans | |||
2015 | Songs Of Their Own | Pete Pidgeon | |||
17 Apr 2015 | Live: Morrison, CO | Disco Biscuits | |||
2016 | Better Left Unsung | Holly Bowling | |||
2016 | Day Of The Dead | Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends | |||
22 Mar 2016 | Live: Mill Valley, CA | Jackie Greene | |||
2018 | Cut The Dead Some Slack | Stephen Inglis | |||
2019 | Dead Air | Travis Elliott | |||
2019 | Phantom Ships With Phantom Sails | Live Dead '69 | |||
2019 | Chip's Picks Vol 2 | High Time |