The Grateful Dead was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area amid the rise of the counterculture of the 1960s. The founding members were Jerry Garcia (lead guitar, vocals), Bob Weir (rhythm guitar, vocals), Ron "Pigpen" McKernan (keyboards, harmonica, vocals), Phil Lesh (bass, vocals), and Bill Kreutzmann (drums). Members of the Grateful Dead had played together in various San Francisco bands, including Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions and the Warlocks. Lesh was the last member to join the Warlocks before they became the Grateful Dead; he replaced Dana Morgan Jr., who had played bass for a few gigs. Drummer Mickey Hart and non-performing lyricist Robert Hunter joined in 1967. With the exception of McKernan, who died in 1973, and Hart, who took time off from 1971 to 1974, the core of the band stayed together for its entire 30-year history. The other official members of the band are Tom Constanten (keyboards; 1968–1970), John Perry Barlow (nonperforming lyricist; 1971–1995), Keith Godchaux (keyboards; 1971–1979), Donna Godchaux (vocals; 1972–1979), Brent Mydland (keyboards, vocals; 1979–1990), and Vince Welnick (keyboards, vocals; 1990–1995). Bruce Hornsby (accordion, piano, vocals) was a touring member from 1990 to 1992, as well as a guest with the band on occasion before and after the tours.
The name "Grateful Dead" was chosen from a dictionary. According to Phil Lesh, "[Jerry Garcia] picked up an old Britannica World Language Dictionary ... [and] ... In that silvery elf-voice he said to me, 'Hey, man, how about the Grateful Dead?'" The definition there was "the soul of a dead person, or his angel, showing gratitude to someone who, as an act of charity, arranged their burial". According to Alan Trist, director of the Grateful Dead's music publisher company Ice Nine, Garcia found the name in the Funk & Wagnalls Folklore Dictionary, when his finger landed on that phrase while playing a game of Fictionary. In the Garcia biography, Captain Trips, author Sandy Troy states that the band was smoking the psychedelic DMT at the time. The term "grateful dead" appears in folktales of a variety of cultures.
Live performances
The Grateful Dead toured constantly throughout their career, playing more than 2,300 concerts. They promoted a sense of community among their fans, who became known as "Deadheads", many of whom followed their tours for months or years on end. Around concert venues, an impromptu communal marketplace known as 'Shakedown Street' was created by Deadheads to serve as centers of activity where fans could buy and sell anything from grilled cheese sandwiches to home-made t-shirts and recordings of Grateful Dead concerts.
In their early career, the band also dedicated their time and talents to their community, the Haight-Ashbury area of San Francisco, making available free food, lodging, music, and health care to all. It has been said that the band performed "more free concerts than any band in the history of music".
With the exception of 1975, when the band was on hiatus and played only four concerts together, the Grateful Dead performed many concerts every year, from their formation in April 1965, until July 9, 1995. Initially all their shows were in California, principally in the San Francisco Bay Area and in or near Los Angeles. They also performed, in 1965 and 1966, with Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, as the house band for the Acid Tests. They toured nationally starting in June 1967 (their first foray to New York), with a few detours to Canada, Europe and three nights at the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt in 1978. They appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, the Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the Festival Express train tour across Canada in 1970. They were scheduled to appear as the final act at the infamous Altamont Free Concert on December 6, 1969 after the Rolling Stones but withdrew after security concerns. "That's the way things went at Altamont—so badly that the Grateful Dead, prime organizers and movers of the festival, didn't even get to play", staff at Rolling Stone magazine wrote in a detailed narrative on the event.
Their first UK performance was at the Hollywood Music Festival in 1970. Their largest concert audience came in 1973 when they played, along with the Allman Brothers Band and the Band, before an estimated 600,000 people at the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. They played to an estimated total of 25 million people, more than any other band, with audiences of up to 80,000 attending a single show. Many of these concerts were preserved in the band's tape vault, and several dozen have since been released on CD and as downloads. The Dead were known for the tremendous variation in their setlists from night to night—the list of songs documented to have been played by the band exceeds 500. The band has released four concert videos under the name View from the Vault.
In the 1990s, the Grateful Dead earned a total of $285 million in revenue from their concert tours, the second-highest during the 1990s, with the Rolling Stones earning the most. This figure is representative of tour revenue through 1995, as touring stopped after the death of Jerry Garcia. In a 1991 PBS documentary, segment host Buck Henry attended an August 1991 concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre and gleaned some information from some band members about the Grateful Dead phenomenon and its success. At the time, Jerry Garcia stated, "We didn't really invent the Grateful Dead, the crowd invented the Grateful Dead, you know what I mean? We were sort of standing in line, and uh, it's gone way past our expectations, way past, so it's, we've been going along with it to see what it's gonna do next." Furthermore, Mickey Hart stated, "This is one of the last places in America that you can really have this kind of fun, you know, considering the political climate and so forth." Hart also stated that "the transformative power of the Grateful Dead is really the essence of it; it's what it can do to your consciousness. We're more into transportation than we are into music, per se, I mean, the business of the Grateful Dead is transportation." One of the band's largest concerts took place just months before Garcia's death — at their outdoor show with Bob Dylan in Highgate, Vermont on June 15, 1995. The crowd was estimated to be over 90,000; overnight camping was allowed and about a third of the audience got in without having purchased a ticket.
Their numerous studio albums were generally collections of new songs that they had first played in concert. The band was also famous for its extended musical improvisations, having been described as having never played the same song the same way twice. Their concert sets often blended songs, one into the next, often for more than three songs at a time.
Tapes
Like several other bands during this time, the Grateful Dead allowed their fans to record their shows. For many years the tapers set up their microphones wherever they could, and the eventual forest of microphones became a problem for the sound crew. Eventually, this was solved by having a dedicated taping section located behind the soundboard, which required a special "tapers" ticket. The band allowed sharing of their shows, as long as no profits were made on the sale of the tapes.
Of the approximately 2,350 shows the Grateful Dead played, almost 2,200 were taped, and most of these are available online. The band began collecting and cataloging tapes early on and Dick Latvala was their keeper. "Dick's Picks" is named after Latvala. After his death in 1999, David Lemieux gradually took the post. Concert set lists from a subset of 1,590 Grateful Dead shows were used to perform a comparative analysis between how songs were played in concert and how they are listened online by Last.fm members. In their book Marketing Lessons from the Grateful Dead: What Every Business Can Learn From the Most Iconic Band in History, David Meerman Scott and Brian Halligan identify the taper section as a crucial contributor to increasing the Grateful Dead's fan base.
After the death of Garcia in 1995, former members of the band, along with other musicians, toured as the Other Ones in 1998, 2000, and 2002, and the Dead in 2003, 2004, and 2009. In 2015, the four surviving core members marked the band's 50th anniversary in a series of concerts that were billed as their last performances together. There have also been several spin-offs featuring one or more core members, such as Dead & Company, Furthur, the Rhythm Devils, Phil Lesh and Friends, RatDog, and Billy & the Kids.
The Eleven
Grateful Dead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In loops around the twisted shafts of lavender,
They're crawling to the sun.
Underfoot the ground is patched
With arms of ivy wrapped around the manzanita,
Stark and shiny in the breeze.
Wonder who will water all the children of the garden
When they sigh about the barren lack of rain and
William Tell has stretched his bow till it won't stretch
No furthermore and/or it may require a change that hasn't come before.
No more time to tell how, this is the season of what,
Now is the time of returning with our thought
Jewels polished and gleaming.
Now is the time past believing the child has relinquished the rein,
Now is the test of the boomerang tossed in the night of redeeming.
Seven faced marble eyed transitory dream doll,
Six proud walkers on the jingle bell rainbow,
Five men writing with fingers of gold,
Four men tracking down the great white sperm whale,
Three girls waiting in a foreign dominion
Riding in the whale belly, fade away in moonlight,
Sink beneath the waters to the coral sands below.
The Grateful Dead's song The Eleven is a psychedelic rock masterpiece that takes you on a journey through lush gardens, William Tell's stretched bow, and strange dreamlike creatures. The lyrics evoke a sense of wonder and mystery as they paint vivid images of nature and myth. The opening lines describe the windy vines and loops of lavender that are crawling towards the sun, while the ground is patched with ivy wrapped around the manzanita. The singer wonders who will water all the children of the garden when they are hungry for rain. The imagery of nature is contrasted with the mythological character of William Tell. His stretched bow represents tension and anticipation for something that is about to happen or change. The singer reflects on how this is the season of what, a time of returning with thought, polished jewels, and gleaming dreams.
The middle section of the song introduces various characters who are all on a journey of sorts. The seven-faced marble-eyed transitory dream doll, the six proud walkers on the jingle bell rainbow, five men writing with fingers of gold, four men tracking down the great white sperm whale, and three girls waiting in a foreign dominion, all create a surreal and haunting atmosphere. The image of the whale belly and sinking beneath the waters to coral sands below further emphasizes the theme of journey and transformation. The song ends with the boomerang tossed in the night of redeeming, which symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and the possibility of redemption.
Overall, The Eleven is a highly symbolic and enigmatic song that invites the listener to search for meaning within the intricate web of images and myths.
Line by Line Meaning
High green chilly winds and windy vines
The winds are cold and strong, causing the vines to twist and turn around the lavender.
In loops around the twisted shafts of lavender,
The vines are curling and wrapping themselves around the lavender stalks in intricate patterns.
They're crawling to the sun.
The vines are reaching upward toward the sunlight in order to grow and thrive.
Underfoot the ground is patched
On the ground, patches of earth are visible, interspersed with other plant growth.
With arms of ivy wrapped around the manzanita,
Ivy is coiling tightly around the manzanita branches, clinging to it for support and nourishment.
Stark and shiny in the breeze.
The manzanita is bare and shiny, and sways gracefully in the wind.
Wonder who will water all the children of the garden
The singer is questioning who will care for and nurture the plants in the garden, especially when there is no rain.
When they sigh about the barren lack of rain and
The plants are suffering due to the lack of rain, and expressing their disappointment through their sighs.
Droop so hungry neath the sky.
The plants have become weak and feeble due to the lack of nutrients and water they need to survive.
William Tell has stretched his bow till it won't stretch
William Tell has strained himself as far as he can go, and cannot continue to push himself any further.
No furthermore and/or it may require a change that hasn't come before.
There is no opportunity to keep stretching and moving forward, as a change is needed that has never been seen or experienced before.
No more time to tell how, this is the season of what,
There is no more time to explain how things came to be, but rather this is a season where new things are happening and unknown things are occurring.
Now is the time of returning with our thought
It is time to reflect and return to our personal beliefs and reflections.
Jewels polished and gleaming.
Precious jewels are polished and glittering, shining brightly.
Now is the time past believing the child has relinquished the rein,
The time of innocence is over, and the child has given up control.
Now is the test of the boomerang tossed in the night of redeeming.
This is a time of reckoning and reflection, both of what has been done and what will come back around.
Seven faced marble eyed transitory dream doll,
The artist is describing a doll with multiple expressions, made of marble, intended to elicit feelings of change and transience.
Six proud walkers on the jingle bell rainbow,
There are six proud and joyful individuals walking on an imaginary rainbow that would normally have jingling bells as they bounce along.
Five men writing with fingers of gold,
Five skilled individuals are writing incredible things that hold great value and shine like gold.
Four men tracking down the great white sperm whale,
A group of four individuals are on the hunt for a magnificent white sperm whale.
Three girls waiting in a foreign dominion
Three young girls are waiting in a foreign land, outside their comfort zone without any sense of belonging.
Riding in the whale belly, fade away in moonlight,
These girls are somehow inside the belly of the whale, and are fading away in the light of the moon as they are swallowed up by the waves.
Sink beneath the waters to the coral sands below.
The girls disappear beneath the water, and down to the coral sand bed below.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PHILIP LESH, ROBERT C. HUNTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Badger Mustelid
LYRICS
High green chilly winds and windy vines
In loops around the twisted shafts of lavender
They're crawling to the sun
Underfoot the ground is patched
With arms of ivy wrapped around the manzanita
Stark and shiny in the breeze
Wonder who will water all the children of the garden
When they sigh about the barren lack of rain and
Droop so hungry neath the sky
William tell has stretched his bow till it won't stretch
No furthermore and/or it may require a change that hasn't come before
No more time to tell how, this is the season of what
Now is the time of returning with our thought
Jewels polished and gleaming
Now is the time past believing the child has relinquished the rein
Now is the test of the boomerang tossed in the night of redeeming
Seven faced marble eyed transitory dream doll
Six proud walkers on the jingle bell rainbow
Five men writing with fingers of gold
Four men tracking down the great white sperm whale
Three girls waiting in a foreign dominion
Riding in the whalebelly, fade away in moonlight
Sink beneath the waters to the coral sands below
Avi Lotan
No more time to tell how
This is the season of what
Now is the time of returning
With thought jewels polished and gleaming
Now is the time past believing
The child has relinquished the reign
Now is the test of the boomerang
Tossed in the night of redeeming
Eight sided whispering hallelujah hatrack
Seven faced marble eye transitory dream doll
six proud walkers on jinglebell rainbow
Five men writing in fingers of gold
Four men tracking down the great white sperm whale
Three girls wait in a foreign dominion
Ride in the whale belly
Fade away in moonlight
Sink beneath the waters
to the coral sand below
Now is the time of returning
David Jordan
47 years of listening to this and it has lost absolutely nothing. Brilliant, fresh and original.
John Saroka
I hear you. I played the LP down to the nub. What comes close?
David Curtis
I just saw Bill Walton on some sports Show . The host asked "Did you learn more from John Wooden or Jerry Garcia" Bill "I chose not to live in a world of binary responses , listen to The Eleven " more or less
Thomas Derpinghaus
100%
mannysCW1
When my father died 3 years ago and my younger brother died 1 & 1/2 years ago I listened to this album on my way up to Ct. where both lived. This transition into the Eleven is the Grateful Dead at their best. I saw about 100 shows with my brother who was 6 years younger than me. My first show was 77, his was 81. This is the antidote to everything!
Michael James
My deepest condolences on your losses. My first show was Nov. 10th Winterland. That decade was the decade for the dead. We were lucky to have seen them live in that period.
aoxomedia
This is music of the highest order. Will never tire of this.
Big Sky
@Paul Hammond my feelings are hurt now. I'm going to burn another tire.. please wait?
michael j. mccarthy
@Big Sky yeah nice thing to burn!
Kingsworth Lionsblood
💯✅🎯 Indeed!!! If there's ever a more uplifting melody than when that version kicks into high gear, show me!