Dead songs (and covers) whose lyrics start with the title

[John A]

For no good reason other than weird thoughts about the Grateful Dead follow me around, I randomly mused this afternoon about Dead songs, categorized separately by originals and covers, where the opening words are the song's title.

 

Nothing came to mind instantly, although after thinking for a couple minutes I had a small list.  I thought a bit more, and the list kept growing, but I quickly got stuck.  Note there's a handful of examples that almost qualify but not quite, like Attics ("In the attics of my life" opens the song), One The Road Again ("She's on the road again"), and Smokestack ("Whoa-oh smokestack Lightning"). 

 

So tonight I was motivated to look trough a list of song the Dead played and see what said perusal might uncover.  My cursory research totals 16 originals Grateful Dead songs and 8 non obscure covers that fit the bill.  In fairness, I got less than half of these on my own.

 

Anyone want to take a stab at some of these? I'll be interested in one's I missed...

[Greg from Chestertown]

Truckin’, Let the good times roll, are two that come to mind right away. Shakedown? Sugar Mags, yes. Nice game, it definitely makes you think more about what you’re listening to. 

[Zuck]

St. Stephen 

I know you Rider

Standing on the Moon

 

[2muchfun]

MAMU

Comes a Time

Lazy Lightning

The Wheel

Dark Star

Wake Up Little Susie

 

Self inflicted 5 minute limit 

[Billy DeLyon]

Loose Lucy

Operator

Dear Mr. Fantasy

 

[2muchfun]

If I Had The World to Give

To Lay Me Down

My Brother Esau

GDTRFB

[Blindman]

Don’t Ease Me In

[John A]

Don't Ease Me In doesn't count because "don't ease, don't ease" opens the song.

 

Dear Mr. Fantasy didn't make my list; well done Billy Delyon. So we're now up to at lease 16 original and 9 covers.

 

Thus far by my count 13 of the originals and 5 of the covers have been named.  Good work, folks! And kudos to 2muchfun, who has dominated the proceedings.

 

At least 3 originals and 4 covers still to go....maybe more?

 

 

[BillK522]

Schoolgirl

Big Boss Man

Here Comes Sunshine

Cosmic Charlie

Dancin' in the Streets

 

Great think piece JohnA.

 

Praise DSO.

 

[John A]

I didn't count Here Come Sunshine because only in the reimagined version that showed up in the 90s did it start that way. And Dancing' doesn't count because it opens with "dancin', dancin', dancin' in the streets"

 

But with Schoolgirl and Boss Man we're down to 2 covers from my list.

 

And with Cosmic we're also down to 2 originals from my list.

[BillK522]

33 minutes ago, John A said:

I didn't count Here Come Sunshine because only in the reimagined version that showed up in the 90s did it start that way. 

 

Good call. I only heard the 90s version

in my head.

 

Praise DSO.

[Ammagamalin Crew]

If Hunter's included he usually started out with Promontory Rider and his version of wharf rat 

Mountains of the Moon

[Greg from Chestertown]

Days between doesn’t count because it starts just like the other songs talked about above. 

[John A]

And with Mountains of the Moon we are now waiting on 1 original and 2 covers (or anything else I may have missed).

 

edit:  I just came up with another cover. Hint - it's quite obscure, done by Bobby in 1985. Woe is the OCD Deadhead. 😂

[Ammagamalin Crew]

Ain't Superstitious,  It's So Easy To Slip,  Alligator 

JGB cover : Senor

Original: Valerie

Playing In The Band

[2muchfun]

Till the Morning Comes

 

Trying to remember did the song start…..

Spoonful,Spoonful,Spoooooonfull or

It could have been a spoonful of diamonds

[Tea]

Sugar Mags

Next Time you see Me

GDTRFB 

 

lll keep thinkin

[Tea]

Loose Lucy

The Race is On

 

ow - my brain hurts 

The Wheel

Nobody's Fault But Mine

That Would be Something

 

[Greg from Chestertown]

Ain’t no bread in the bread box.

How sweet it is to be loved by you. Garcia thread drift.

[John A]

Dead didn't play Easy To Slip, plus it starts with "it's so", nor did the Dead play Breadbox which is technically called "Move Along" I think anyway, and Ain't Superstitious starts with "well"... Tea, sing Race Is On to yourself again and get back to us. 😜

 

But, we have Tea with Next Time You See Me, and 2muchfun back again strong with Till The Morning Comes.

 

That leaves just 2 covers on my (new) list, having come up with the obscure 1985 Bobby cover.  The other cover hint: while the song starts with the title, it isn't sung straight up but rather in a drawn out fashion.  This might get knocked off in 24 hours.  Good work by the Starheads. 👍

[Greg from Chestertown]

Satisfaction

[2muchfun]

Hey Jude

[John A]

Aww, man, neither Satisfaction nor Hey Jude made it to my list.  Good ones!

 

So the covers has swelled to 14, because I got 2 more myself.  I'll reveal one of them as Stir It Up, which could be controversial because they never really did the whole song.  Only a train wreck of a stab it it in Hampton '88.  Bobby aborted after about a verse, and Jerry for whatever reason wasn't interested in helping him! But I think it still makes the list.

[John A]

Originals list is now down to 15.  I, and A. Crew as well, have erred.  "Mountains of the moon" opens the second line of the first verse. Damn it!

 

edit: and the cover list has now come side by side with 15 as well.  Just got a new one. Shit.

[Greg from Chestertown]

Why don’t we do it in the road.