Grateful Dead

Released: October 3, 1987

Songwriter: Bob Dylan

Producer: Grateful Dead

[Verse 1]
Well, I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Wake up in the morning, fold my hands, pray for rain
Got a head full of ideas, that are drivin' me insane
It's a shame the way they makes me scrub the floor
Ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more

[Instrumental break]

[Verse 2]
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Hands you a nickel, hands you a dime
Asks you with a grin if you're having a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more

[Instrumental break]

[Verse 3]
Ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more
Well, she talks to the servants about man and God and law
Everybody knows she's the brains behind pa
She's sixty-eight, says she's twenty-four
Ain't gonna work for Maggie's ma no more

[Instrumental break]

[Verse 4]
Ain't gonna work for Maggie's pa no more
Ain't gonna work for Maggie's father no more
He puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks
Bedroom window is made out of bricks
The national guard hangs 'round his door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's father no more

[Instrumental break]

[Verse 5]
Ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Try my very best to be just like I am
Everybody wants me to be just like them
They sing while you slave and I just get bored
Ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more

Amidst the growing counter-culture scene in the San Francisco Bay Area, The Grateful Dead were founded by lead guitarist/vocalist Jerry Garcia, bass player Phil Lesh, rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, keyboardist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, and drummer Bill Kreutzmann in Palo Alto in 1965, originally as The Warlocks. Percussionist Mickey Hart later joined the group in 1967 and other members cycled through the group in following years as the core remained intact. Their eclectic music formed the archetype for the “Jam Band” genre, combining elements from rock, blues, folk, country, bluegrass, and psychedelic music into improvisational performances.

Over the years the Dead released 22 recorded albums, although they were most famous for their improvisational jams at concerts, earning them a cult-like following of self-proclaimed “Dead Heads” who would follow the band from concert-to-concert throughout the band’s career.

The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 and they’ve sold more than 40 million albums in total; all that with only one top 40 hit (“Truckin”), and one Top 10 hit (“Touch of Grey”) that came near the end of the band’s run, shortly before Jerry Garcia’s death in 1995. Grateful Dead was also ranked 57th in Rolling Stone’s “The Greatest Artists of All Time” issue in 2004 and 2005. Since then, various incarnations of the Dead have continued to tour, although a 2015 farewell tour was said to be the band’s last.

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