One of its founders, Garcia performed with the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career (1965–1995). Garcia also founded and participated in a variety of side projects, including the Saunders–Garcia Band (with longtime friend Merl Saunders), the Jerry Garcia Band, Old and in the Way, the Garcia/Grisman acoustic duo, Legion of Mary, and the New Riders of the Purple Sage (which Garcia co-founded with John Dawson and David Nelson). He also released several solo albums, and contributed to a number of albums by other artists over the years as a session musician. He was well known for his distinctive guitar playing and was ranked 46th in Rolling Stone's "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" cover story.
Later in life, Garcia was sometimes ill because of his diabetes, and in 1986 went into a diabetic coma that nearly cost him his life. Although his overall health improved somewhat after that, he also struggled with heroin and cocaine addictions, and was staying in a California drug rehabilitation facility when he died of a heart attack in August 1995.
Russian Lullaby
Jerry Garcia Lyrics
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There's a lonely Russian Rose
Gazing tenderly
Down upon her knee
Where a baby's brown eyes glisten
Listen
Every night you'll hear her croon
Just a little plaintive tune
When baby starts to cry
Rock-a-bye my baby
Somewhere there may be
A land that's free for you and me
And a Russian lullaby
The lyrics of the song "Russian Lullaby" by Jerry Garcia & David Grisman are evocative of melancholic emotions and longings for peace and freedom. The song's opening lines set the stage for a scene where a Russian Rose, a woman who is symbolically associated with the Volga River, is holding a baby on her knee. The woman is described as being lonely and gazing tenderly at the baby's brown eyes. The emphasis on her loneliness and tenderness may suggest that she is a displaced person, away from her own family, perhaps due to political turmoil or war.
The woman begins to gently hum a "little plaintive tune" to the baby and listeners are invited to "listen" to the sound of her voice. The song's chorus then emphasizes the theme of freedom and peace, suggesting that there may be a "land that's free for you and me." The Russian lullaby becomes a way for the woman to soothe the baby and to express her own longing for a better future - one where she and the child can live in peace and harmony.
Overall, "Russian Lullaby" is a poignant song that captures the sadness and hope that are often a part of the human experience. It is a song that invites listeners to reflect on themes of displacement, family, and the universal yearning for a better world.
Line by Line Meaning
Where the dreamy Volga flows
A serene place along the Volga river
There's a lonely Russian Rose
A woman who is isolated and feels abandoned
Gazing tenderly
Looking with deep affection
Down upon her knee
Holding a child close to her
Where a baby's brown eyes glisten
A little child with bright brown eyes
Listen
Pay attention to the sound
Every night you'll hear her croon
Each evening she sings softly
A Russian lullaby
A soothing song to help the baby sleep
Just a little plaintive tune
A melancholy lullaby
When baby starts to cry
When the child begins to weep
Rock-a-bye my baby
A classic lullaby line
Somewhere there may be
There could someday be
A land that's free for you and me
A new home that offers freedom and equality
And a Russian lullaby
The lullaby will always be comforting and familiar
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Irving Berlin
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