Tears. This is so beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Hunter. Your words and stories made me who I am, were and always will be the soundtrack of my life since 1970. Love you more than words can tell.
Ballad of a Deadhead Come set sail on a magic ship With a merry crew and a Captain Trips Electric blue and rosy red This is my tale of the Grateful Dead It's a hand me down, this water of life There is a fountain streaming bright Mysteries of a dark star crash A dream we dreamed, built to last. Once there was an ice cream kid, just seventeen Involved in a typical daydream When a box of rain drifted through the air Like all that fancy paints, as fair Looking through a windowpane Under a cherry tree, in the rain... The cherries dripped with water, it's true But soon the cherries were drippin' too Now this was really quite fantastic Realit-y-e-lastic A cosmic bone had to be fetched To see how far it could be stretched. Back on the East Coast in seventy-five The Garcia band looked alive! Nikky Hopkins tickled the keys It made me weak in the knees Jerry looked like a teddy bear And he let songs fill the air I took a piece of paper in Whiskers sprouted from my chin I hitch-hiked to the Great Northwest In Bigfoot County I came to rest Tee-Pees in community Kind folks sharin' and livin' free Then it was onto Portland town, The heart of gold band was coming around It was seventy-seven in the City of Roses I don't know, it must have been the doses... I knew I was on the bus, them voices with which, I did discuss... The Universe according to Peter Pan And a place called never never land I just gave it all my best Could I pass the acid test? A bolt of lazy lightning struck We had another run of better bad luck The stars shone bright The medicine crept Morning came We barely slept. Above the Mile High City lie giant bones The ancient ones, the Red Rock stones Marked the path to heaven's gate Before the Egypt trip of seventy-eight The lightning crashed and called the thunder In a twilight zone of elemental wonder The band played "Looks Like Rain" And all the Deadheads felt the same The cloud burst open at the end of the song Estimated>Eyes, we sang along Cool rain fell, our eyes were seein' We were one, with all bein' Oakland Aud, seventy-nine Warm feelings at Christmas time For the roses we had run All aboard the ship of the sun Fish rose like birds into the lights Not fading away on through the night I believe it was a sacred day We still think of it that way June twelfth, eighty, St. Helen's blew Fire on the mountain and the ashes flew "Quakes are gonna break the West Coast loose, escape to Alaska on the band's caboose!" The Northern Lights were blowin' away We needed a miracle every day Seattle was one more Saturday night Between the dark and the light Oregon field trip, eighty-two The sky was yellow and the sun was blue Althea, Day Job, West L.A. Peter Rowan in the way The dust rose and the rainbow people spun Fancy free to anthems of the sun Kesey played referee Fielding dreams of Casssidy Passengers, me and you Through splintered light Into morning dew Through time and space We followed the Band On a long, strange, trip to the promised land. There were valleys and there were peaks A favorite venue was "The Greeks!!!" At the first note of "Shakedown" Phil's bass thunder shook the town A killer version of "Jack Straw" Left the daytrippers in awe The city cops were mean and tough Bustin' heads, the game got rough A foul wind of cruel power In the shadow of Franklin's tower When the band took a break, Jerry played at home With Kahn and Seals at the Berkeley stone A blind man stood at the gate The line was a party, we enjoyed the wait! Jerrry'd walk right through the crowd Guitar held high and head held proud All his friends they came around And he never let that deal go down. Downtown Eugene's incredible Hult Was home to a dozen lightning bolts Hippies dressed in formal attire Connected to a live/dead wire Ragtime, gospel, cajun, country, Jazz, blues, improv funky Mellow acoustic, electric shockin' Drums/space music never stopped Rockin, Smokin' Rollin' like a wheel down a dusty road With Tennessee Jed and Ramblin' Melissa Rose Davis Park City, Utah's a a beautiful place You'll lose your breath; it'll steal your face Altitude, high time Bear's choice? Alligator wine! Seemed like ev'ry song was fittin' Bobby roared like a lion Jerry purred like a kitten The storyteller's unfolding chapters Orchestrated with X factors Bob Dylan, Santana, Etta James, The Nevilles Saints of circumstance, friends of the devil Between the lines rang a silent bell A sound no human tongue could tell Autzen Stadium we did squeeze In with the beloved "Keze" Onto Furthur! a magic bus Carrying all of us Spinnin' that phantom driving wheel He was the fastestmanalive, Cowboy Neal But the days between like honey flowed Across the lazy river road Portland Meadows, ninety five Was the last time we saw Jerry live Playin' "this could be the last time" We knew it could be more than rhyme The storyteller was all paid With the gold of sunshine days Through the ages, down the years A mission in the rain of a million tears God save the child who rings that bell No time to tell how, we might as well Keep the mother rollin' On through the station Like a northbound train To Terrapin... jef kooper
What a beautifully crafted and fitting induction/intro speech. Hunter, I started to say was brilliant, but where his words will live forever you have to say IS brilliant. Since 1973 his words have been bouncing around in my head everyday. Thank God Robert met Jerry ...
The duo of Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia took my mind as well as my soul to places that nobody else could ever had. Beyond music, closer than intimate, life altering experiences that showed me a different side of my own being. Thank you both.
I just read the poem by Jef Kooper posted below and was reminded that I had seen the Dead right after my move to Eugene in '95 when Jerry was still alive. The Portland Track was full of thousands upon thousands of different people: Deadheads, people picnicking, young kids, multi-generations hanging out together, a more diverse crowd I have never seen. Hunter and Garcia and the Dead have created a community that seems destined to persist far into the future and like Stephen Foster more than 100 years ago, they too will persist. They too will survive. God bless you Robert Hunter.
Wow. That was pretty wild to learn that Ripple, Brokendown Palace and To Lay Me Down were all written in a day! Wild. Robert - can you tell us more of the stories behind the songs?
+Jeremy Anderson / hahaa cool! I'd love it if he toured around some more, he is a true wordsmith. maybe the best (at very least my favorite) of our time! I have some videos I recorded of him at the Wilbur Theater on my youtube channel if you care to check them out. a great rendition of Reuben and Cherise and some others
Thank you Mr. Hunter, Your words impacted me in my life beyond measure. You're a poet lyricist legend..the words in your songs will live forever..R.I.P. brother..
the same wind that blew softly and deftly those lyrics of old, also comes to me often since my early adolescence through dead lot over the years, upstate new york festivals through the sad times, and victories....and it chose to drop the sweet words onto Mr. hunter 's pen!
So glad I got to see him live many times with Jerry Garcia. I was at an utterly amazing show at the Capitol Theater in NJ on 1 March 1980. My best friend and I, who had first seen the Dead at the Capitol during the spring '77 tour (I was 15 and he was 14), sang Promontory Rider at the top of our lungs during the long, late night drive from Passaic to suburban NY. His songs literally affected my life trajectory since I first heard them. I was turned on to Workingman's Dead at age 12 in 1973 and their music has been a life force ever since, a combination of Hunter's lyrics and Jerry's guitar and singing.
I am sorry, I wasn't. But from my couch and my tablet in front of me, I did give Robert the standing ovation he deserves when he appeared on stage. During the last round of applause, I was busy wiping my tears. True story.
His words were so wonderful, so beautiful. Jerry sang them better. He breathed life into those words, but Robert Hunter breathed words into Jerry's life.
Tears. This is so beautiful. Thank you, Mr. Hunter. Your words and stories made me who I am, were and always will be the soundtrack of my life since 1970. Love you more than words can tell.
Discovered them in 1974 at age 13 .WKe of the Flood first D ALBUM.BEEN on the bus since then .Will listen till my eyes no longer see!
I right there with you Beth
Rest easy sir, thank you for your gorgeous songs. I will be listening to them for the rest of my life.
The greatest wordsmith that ever lived.
RIP Robert! I hope you and Jerry are catching up on the last 24 years! 😢😢
I can’t say it any better. I thank Robert Hunter every day for his beautiful songs. ❤
Words. There are not adequate words to convey the true importance and impact of the words of Ripple and what they mean to the soul of humans.
These lyrics altered my DNA, Thank You Robert Hunter!!
Thank you Mr. Hunter. You made the World a brighter place!
The Greatest American lyricist-Period!
I always sang Ripple to my babies to lull them to sleep. What a beautiful man and song.
Robert, you wrote the anthems of my life!
It’s so cool that Robert and Jerry found each other. Robert had the perfect vehicle for his genius! Another genius!
Ballad of a Deadhead
Come set sail on a magic ship
With a merry crew and a Captain Trips
Electric blue and rosy red
This is my tale of the Grateful Dead
It's a hand me down, this water of life
There is a fountain streaming bright
Mysteries of a dark star crash
A dream we dreamed, built to last.
Once there was an ice cream kid, just seventeen
Involved in a typical daydream
When a box of rain drifted through the air
Like all that fancy paints, as fair
Looking through a windowpane
Under a cherry tree, in the rain...
The cherries dripped with water, it's true
But soon the cherries were drippin' too
Now this was really quite fantastic
Realit-y-e-lastic
A cosmic bone had to be fetched
To see how far it could be stretched.
Back on the East Coast in seventy-five
The Garcia band looked alive!
Nikky Hopkins tickled the keys
It made me weak in the knees
Jerry looked like a teddy bear
And he let songs fill the air
I took a piece of paper in
Whiskers sprouted from my chin
I hitch-hiked to the Great Northwest
In Bigfoot County I came to rest
Tee-Pees in community
Kind folks sharin' and livin' free
Then it was onto Portland town,
The heart of gold band was coming around
It was seventy-seven in the City of Roses
I don't know, it must have been the doses...
I knew I was on the bus, them voices with which, I did discuss...
The Universe according to Peter Pan
And a place called never never land
I just gave it all my best
Could I pass the acid test?
A bolt of lazy lightning struck
We had another run of better bad luck
The stars shone bright
The medicine crept
Morning came
We barely slept.
Above the Mile High City lie giant bones
The ancient ones, the Red Rock stones
Marked the path to heaven's gate
Before the Egypt trip of seventy-eight
The lightning crashed and called the thunder
In a twilight zone of elemental wonder
The band played "Looks Like Rain"
And all the Deadheads felt the same
The cloud burst open at the end of the song
Estimated>Eyes, we sang along
Cool rain fell, our eyes were seein'
We were one, with all bein'
Oakland Aud, seventy-nine
Warm feelings at Christmas time
For the roses we had run
All aboard the ship of the sun
Fish rose like birds into the lights
Not fading away on through the night
I believe it was a sacred day
We still think of it that way
June twelfth, eighty, St. Helen's blew
Fire on the mountain and the ashes flew
"Quakes are gonna break the West Coast loose,
escape to Alaska on the band's caboose!"
The Northern Lights were blowin' away
We needed a miracle every day
Seattle was one more Saturday night
Between the dark and the light
Oregon field trip, eighty-two
The sky was yellow and the sun was blue
Althea, Day Job, West L.A.
Peter Rowan in the way
The dust rose and the rainbow people spun
Fancy free to anthems of the sun
Kesey played referee
Fielding dreams of Casssidy
Passengers, me and you
Through splintered light
Into morning dew
Through time and space
We followed the Band
On a long, strange, trip to the promised land.
There were valleys and there were peaks
A favorite venue was "The Greeks!!!"
At the first note of "Shakedown"
Phil's bass thunder shook the town
A killer version of "Jack Straw"
Left the daytrippers in awe
The city cops were mean and tough
Bustin' heads, the game got rough
A foul wind of cruel power
In the shadow of Franklin's tower
When the band took a break, Jerry played at home
With Kahn and Seals at the Berkeley stone
A blind man stood at the gate
The line was a party, we enjoyed the wait!
Jerrry'd walk right through the crowd
Guitar held high and head held proud
All his friends they came around
And he never let that deal go down.
Downtown Eugene's incredible Hult
Was home to a dozen lightning bolts
Hippies dressed in formal attire
Connected to a live/dead wire
Ragtime, gospel, cajun, country,
Jazz, blues, improv funky
Mellow acoustic, electric shockin'
Drums/space music never stopped
Rockin,
Smokin'
Rollin' like a wheel down a dusty road
With Tennessee Jed and Ramblin' Melissa Rose Davis
Park City, Utah's a a beautiful place
You'll lose your breath; it'll steal your face
Altitude, high time
Bear's choice?
Alligator wine!
Seemed like ev'ry song was fittin'
Bobby roared like a lion
Jerry purred like a kitten
The storyteller's unfolding chapters
Orchestrated with X factors
Bob Dylan, Santana, Etta James, The Nevilles
Saints of circumstance, friends of the devil
Between the lines rang a silent bell
A sound no human tongue could tell
Autzen Stadium we did squeeze
In with the beloved "Keze"
Onto Furthur! a magic bus
Carrying all of us
Spinnin' that phantom driving wheel
He was the fastestmanalive, Cowboy Neal
But the days between like honey flowed
Across the lazy river road
Portland Meadows, ninety five
Was the last time we saw Jerry live
Playin' "this could be the last time"
We knew it could be more than rhyme
The storyteller was all paid
With the gold of sunshine days
Through the ages, down the years
A mission in the rain
of a million tears
God save the child who rings that bell
No time to tell how, we might as well
Keep the mother rollin'
On through the station
Like a northbound train
To Terrapin...
jef kooper
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing. ❤❤
@@Cosmicb699 Thank you!!!
Rt On Brother! 💀🌹✌️💯
@@susiefairfield7218 Thank you!!!
Wow! Nice
I have lived my life according to the gospel of Robert Hunter.
What a beautifully crafted and fitting induction/intro speech. Hunter, I started to say was brilliant, but where his words will live forever you have to say IS brilliant. Since 1973 his words have been bouncing around in my head everyday. Thank God Robert met Jerry ...
Come back, Bob! I miss ya! I feel like Jim was weeping when he gave the intro. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I listened to his lyrics all of my adult life...since 1967.
The duo of Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia took my mind as well as my soul to places that nobody else could ever had. Beyond music, closer than intimate, life altering experiences that showed me a different side of my own being. Thank you both.
Mr. Hunter quotes another of my favorites, Ray Bradbury! Terrific speech and song.
Jerry and Hunter are back together again, and that makes me feel good. RIP brother.
Let my inspiration flow
I just read the poem by Jef Kooper posted below and was reminded that I had seen the Dead right after my move to Eugene in '95 when Jerry was still alive. The Portland Track was full of thousands upon thousands of different people: Deadheads, people picnicking, young kids, multi-generations hanging out together, a more diverse crowd I have never seen. Hunter and Garcia and the Dead have created a community that seems destined to persist far into the future and like Stephen Foster more than 100 years ago, they too will persist. They too will survive. God bless you Robert Hunter.
Robert Hunter, poet laureate of American music.
Wow. That was pretty wild to learn that Ripple, Brokendown Palace and To Lay Me Down were all written in a day! Wild. Robert - can you tell us more of the stories behind the songs?
I've seen Hunter every time he's come within 100 or more miles of me for the past 20 yrs, and always will !!
+Jeremy Anderson / no, not RCB
+Jeremy Anderson / around new england, then I was there
+Jeremy Anderson / hahaa cool! I'd love it if he toured around some more, he is a true wordsmith. maybe the best (at very least my favorite) of our time! I have some videos I recorded of him at the Wilbur Theater on my youtube channel if you care to check them out. a great rendition of Reuben and Cherise and some others
Thank you Mr. Hunter,
Your words impacted me in my life beyond measure. You're a poet lyricist legend..the words in your songs will live forever..R.I.P. brother..
This beautiful intro and performance is very soothing today. "Many more to come, many more to come."
the same wind that blew softly and deftly those lyrics of old, also comes to me often since my early adolescence through dead lot over the years, upstate new york festivals through the sad times, and victories....and it chose to drop the sweet words onto Mr. hunter 's pen!
Just wanted to say thank you for your work Mr. Hunter
So glad I got to see him live many times with Jerry Garcia. I was at an utterly amazing show at the Capitol Theater in NJ on 1 March 1980. My best friend and I, who had first seen the Dead at the Capitol during the spring '77 tour (I was 15 and he was 14), sang Promontory Rider at the top of our lungs during the long, late night drive from Passaic to suburban NY. His songs literally affected my life trajectory since I first heard them. I was turned on to Workingman's Dead at age 12 in 1973 and their music has been a life force ever since, a combination of Hunter's lyrics and Jerry's guitar and singing.
Def tears. Soundtrack of my life! RIP brother.
Thank you, Robert Hunter. ❤
Well Deserved...
Wonderful Lyricist and Songwriter....
Your tunes were played on our hearts!
...... strings not needed.
Yes Robert! Thank you for the tunes.
RIP Robert Hunter. Let there be songs to fill the air!!
He was a mastermind and such a beautiful soul.
RIP Robert... he's with Cowboy Neal at the wheel, the bus to Never Everland.
Wow....really, really beautiful. An artist for the ether.
A well deserved recognition of your talent and contribution to artistic culture.
Thank You for everything!
THANK You
Hunter's serene prose echoes on, even in his physical absence. The enduring optimism of “Ripple” is a welcome reminder of better days ahead. RIP RH.
Love you, Hunter. Thank you for the stories...all of them.
Simply superb - both the speech and playing.
This is beautiful!!!!!
You deserve it, and thank you Robert Hunter. Well done...
Unbelievably moving ... !
Very moving, thank you.
Master of Words...the Golden one!
What a nice tribute, thank you.
thank you, Robert.
Whoever wasn't standing up during that last round of applause, I don't know.
I am sorry, I wasn't. But from my couch and my tablet in front of me, I did give Robert the standing ovation he deserves when he appeared on stage. During the last round of applause, I was busy wiping my tears. True story.
Star ⭐️ in the sky tonite ⭐️🙏💕
Fare thee well robert you will be missed
Thank you for sharing - that intro speech really hit the right chord.
Thank you Robert. Your lyrics set to music changed my life.
Many great songs written by robert. hunter beautifully done by the dead.
Thank you Robert Hunter !!!
Your Spirit melts my heart and fills my heart at the same time. Thank You Thank You! See you on the other side my friend
He should be inducted into the rock ‘n’ roll Hall of Fame as a lyricist
Absolutely hands down a no- brainer Long overdue😎
He’s the only non performing member of any band inducted into the rock n roll hall of
Fame. He’s in there.
What he needs is the Nobel peace prize!
Hunter!
Til we meet again, rip Robert.
God Bless you Robert, Jerry, Pig, Keith, Brent & Vince.
Garcia and Dylan doesn't let just anyone collaborate with them on song.
Them you Robert. I'll always know where the dark star is.
Magic in his tales...
They waited a long time, glad they honored him before it was too late!
Phänomenal!!!!
Ain't no time to hate!
Happy Birthday Robert.
Dang, Burns....... ya' went and done it. A Good Life+
Legend...
happy birthday !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
❤️❤️❤️
RIP Robert Hunter.....
"If my words did glow"
His words were so wonderful, so beautiful. Jerry sang them better. He breathed life into those words, but Robert Hunter breathed words into Jerry's life.
Fare Thee Well , sleep in the Stars .
R.I.P
🌹❤️🌙🐢🐢🕯
You don't listen to Robert Hunter lyrics. Robert Hunter lyrics happen to you.
But this time.... I asked!
Shameful the audience left Robert naked to perform accapella.
wow
Presenter meant to say “ not an overstatement. “