^ Remember that they were technically trained and originally a folk band based on Americana.
Listen to "Old And In The Way"....
https://jerrygarcia.com/band/old-and-in-the-way/
If you like bluegrass, this is a "Can't Miss" recording. David Grisman, Vassar Clements.... seriously....
Anecdote... back in 93 I was at work, talking about records with a coworker that had thousands.... so I noted that I had the CD of
Old And In The Way but I never got my hands on the LP. As it turns out, he said, he had "extra" copies and he gave me one... nice guy. So now I got the LP, CD and streams. Easily one of my top ten LPs in the 4000+ collection.
Old and in the way, that's what I heard them say
They used to heed the words he said, but that was yesterday
Gold will turn to gray and youth will fade away
They'll never care about you, call you old and in the way
Which is kinda funny.... when I go to family things, I'm now the 2nd oldest.... behind my aunt ( she's only 15 years older than me ). The young ones are now in the late 20s and getting married... so I'm sort of
Grey and
Old And In The Way... until it comes time to open up wallet... then I'm Santa Claus.
Then you got this....
What do you want me to do
To do for you, to see you through?
A box of rain will ease the pain
And love will see you through
Which when you think about it is simply beautiful....
As a rule of thumb, Dead Songs are stories... based on a country/folk tradition story telling... with exceptional music playing... and their vocal harmonies... wow....
Try doing a 1200 mile non stop road trip... play Dead music.... your mind, your car, the music, the Bott's Dots on the road, will all fall into a natural rhythm.... I usually will segue into Zappa half an hour before Numero Uno and Gasoline stops... then go back into Road Trip Drive mode for the next 450 miles...
Naturally, the one Road Trip where we came back from Reno over Donner Pass... as we were tooling back West...
I lit out from Reno, I was trailed by twenty hounds
Didn't get to sleep that night till the morning came around
OTOH, pulling into North Sacramento ( Williams I think ) for gas at 3:30AM
Well, right about that time, people
A fur-trapper who was strictly from commercial (strictly commercial)
Had the unmitigated audacity to jump up from behind my igloo (peek-a-boo)
And he started into whipping on my favorite baby seal
With a lead-filled snowshoe
Humor is important in life... just make sure to have a real poncho...
Is that a real poncho? I mean is that a Mexican poncho or is that a Sears poncho?
On that drive, up the Northbound 5, around 2:30AM somewhere between Stockton and Sacramento, my wife woke up and said, after 20+ years of marriage, "
Oh, is that where you got that saying?"...... Well, at least she finally figured it out...