Grateful Dead

Released: January 17, 2003

Songwriter: Lennon-McCartney John Lennon Paul McCartney

Producer: The Grateful Dead

[Verse 1]
Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream
It is not dying, it is not dying
Lay down all thoughts, surrender to the void
It is shining, it is shining
That you may see the meaning of within
It is being, it is being

[Instrumental break]

[Verse 2]
That love is all and love is everyone
It is knowing, it is knowing
When ignorance and hate may mourn the dead
It is believing, it is believing
But listen to the color of your dreams
It is not living, it is not living

[Outro]
Or play the game "Existence" to the end
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of thе beginning
Of the beginning, of thе beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Same as it ever was
Same as it ever was
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning
Of the beginning, of the beginning

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.

From the album

Dick’s Picks Vol. 27 (2003)

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