Dark Star
Grateful Dead (the) Lyrics
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Reason tatters, the forces tear loose from the axis
Searchlight casting for faults in the clouds of delusion
Shall we go, you and I while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?
Mirror shatters in formless reflections of matter
Glass hand dissolving in ice, petal flowers revolving
Shall we go, you and I while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?
The Grateful Dead's "Dark Star" is an epic and surrealistic song that paints a picture of a world that has lost its sense of reason and direction. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery and metaphors that explore the state of the human condition. The "Dark Star" is a symbol of a lifeless and destructive force that is pouring its light into ashes, suggesting that our world is being consumed by darkness.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more abstract and fragmented. The forces of reason and logic begin to tear loose from the axis, and the searchlight casts its beam on the faults in the clouds of delusion. The mirror shatters, and formless reflections of matter are revealed. The glass hand dissolves in ice, and petal flowers start to revolve.
A lady in velvet recedes into the nights of good-bye, symbolizing the loss of love and affection. The final lines of the song suggest that we should go while we can, through the transitive nightfall of diamonds, implying that we should enjoy life while we still have the chance. The lyrics are a striking reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of living in the moment.
Line by Line Meaning
Dark star crashes, pouring its light into ashes
The collapse of a celestial object called the ‘dark star’ turns it into ashes and spreads its light around.
Reason tatters, the forces tear loose from the axis
As the dark star crashes, it causes chaos and destruction, leading to a breakdown of reason, and the forces around it lose balance and become unstable.
Searchlight casting for faults in the clouds of delusion
Amidst the chaos and confusion, a search for truth and clarity commences, as if shining a searchlight into the clouds of delusion to expose the underlying issues.
Shall we go, you and I while we can
Let us make the most of the moment and seize the opportunity to explore the unknown.
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?
Travel through the mystical and mysterious journey, full of transformations and transitions into the world of diamonds and experience its dazzling colors.
Mirror shatters in formless reflections of matter
The mirror, an object to reflect oneself, breaks down into pieces, as the concept of matter, which is supposed to have solid and recognizable forms, becomes formless and esoteric.
Glass hand dissolving in ice, petal flowers revolving
A glass hand melts in ice, signifying the fragility of what we consider to be strong and permanent, while petal flowers keep on revolving, symbolizing the ever-changing nature of existence.
Lady in velvet recedes in the nights of good-bye
A graceful lady, dressed in velvet, fades away in the goodbyes of the night, representing the transience of beauty and the inevitability of change.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEROME J. GARCIA, MICHAEL S. HART, ROBERT C. HUNTER, WILLIAM KREUTZMANN, PHILIP LESH, RONALD CHARLES MCKERNAN, ROBERT HALL WEIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@janeseamore1370
Check back in when you turn 35.
Some fire gone smh.
He was just stepping out to consider if he wanted the responsibility of moulding it to continue. It’s / big deal.
If someone informed you that you were playing with something that is All and in continuing to do so you’d have to take some
Leadership and shape it.. wouldn’t you think about it? That was incredibly wise to step back and really find out what’s the right thing to do.
Some
Fire gone out. Give me a break man. There was so much to come. Wise people, especially those with tremendous responsibility really take power very seriously and are careful with it.
This isn’t a human topic. This is God topic
@janeseamore1370
It’s not fire gone out. It’s recognizing what fire is. And think about it— he maybe realized he’d give his life in this incredible venture. Maybe he stepped back to figure out if that was the thing to do or not. It’s not like he ever did anything half assed. And to that point, nobody you’ll ever know I even hear of will pack as much life in such a short space of time as he did. He had a million things going on at all times and honestly lived a life that 100 people
Combined couldn’t equal in terms of output. So think about it differently maybe. It was always supposed to be fun. Maybe it came back with a little more
Serious edge is all.
And we should be grateful he came
Back to
Okay.
But if he had not and had gone to
Do art or teach scuba diving or produce movies or whatever else he did—- the Grateful Dead would have been more than enough to
Enlighten humanity if it ended at Winterland.
Peace and love to you. I’m not coming down on you. Just think about it more
@gratefuldead
"Although played more than 50 times in 1972-1973 combined, Dark Star became a rarity in 1974, played only six times before being shelved until 12/31/78. At the Farewell Shows in October 1974, the Dead played this magnificent, introspective, powerful rendition of their ultimate improvisational vehicle. We were thrilled to locate the 16mm film negative when we were producing the Grateful Dead Movie DVD." - David Lemieux
@DennisCampbell777
Score!
@fernandobolanos1649
Hello admin Grateful Dead! Why not upload the full Winterland concerts ?? !! It would be incredible, do not save them !!
@ncrmh
new deadhead here: once i got to 77, i hardly even remembered darkstar was a thing. it was my favorite song up until terrapin station damn, but damn, now thst you mention it, darkstar definately did drop off. im basically at Buffulo 77 in my chronological listen and it's been a treat so far in 77
@davlukabb
My absolute favorite version is, oddly enough, from this same series of shows, but the super long version from the night before, 10/17/74, on The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack. The one that's preceded by a long jam, and very slowly morphs into Dark Star, and the audience goes wild when they recognize it, and then starts clapping in rhythm very audibly. I'm trying to dig up the CDs, but is that version available anywhere digitally right now?
@scottyd8743
Thank you David for all that you do. The Dead live on.
@johnnypeacock69
As a newbie I used to think a 16 minute song was ridiculous. I cannot express how much this music just hits a missing spot for me. Thank God for it! Be Kind people! Peace.
@dan666x
Amazing how it can go from being too long 2 being far too short haha
@curtfeyler2229
Each performance they do of their songs is a work of art. When you see a really nice, well done painting, you don't think about how long it took the artist to paint it. Its the final product that matters.
@scotttully8572
This music takes you into timelessness. Ahhh. Halfway through and you can't remember what year it is 😍