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.
The Thrill Is Gone
Jerry Garcia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The thrill is gone away
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away
You know you done me wrong
And you'll be sorry someday
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone
TheIt's gone away from me
Though I'll still live on
But so lonely I'll be
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away for good
The thrill is gone
The thrill is gone away for good
Someday I'll be over it all
Like I know a good man should
I'm free baby
Free from your spell
I'm free, free baby
Free from your spell
Now that it's all over
All I can do is wish you well
Now it's all over
All I can do is wish you well
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman's song The Thrill Is Gone is a melancholic blues track that deals with the end of a relationship. The singer is coming to terms with the fact that the excitement and passion that they once shared with their significant other is now gone. The repeated refrain, "The thrill is gone," is an expression of the numbness and detachment that the singer is feeling. Despite the pain that the relationship caused the singer, they continue to hold onto hope that their partner will someday come to regret how they mistreated them.
In the second verse, the singer laments that the thrill is indeed gone from their life, leaving them with feelings of loneliness and isolation. The third and final verse signals a turning point, as the singer acknowledges that they are free from their partner's spell and can now move on with their life. They wish their former lover well, but they also acknowledge that they will never be able to recapture the joy and excitement that they once shared.
Overall, the song is a powerful and emotive take on the end of a relationship and the complex emotions that come with it. It portrays the pain, hope, and eventual acceptance that many people experience when a big love comes to an end, making it both relatable and memorable.
Line by Line Meaning
The thrill is gone
The excitement and passion that we used to have in our relationship has disappeared
The thrill is gone away
The excitement and passion have completely vanished
The thrill is gone
The spark that once existed between us is no longer there
The thrill is gone away
The spark that once existed between us has completely disappeared
You know you done me wrong
You are aware that you have hurt me deeply
And you'll be sorry someday
You will regret your actions and feel sorrowful for causing me pain
The thrill is gone
The excitement and passion that we used to have in our relationship has disappeared from my life
The thrill is gone away from me
The excitement and passion have completely vanished from my life
Though I'll still live on
Even though I will continue living my life
But so lonely I'll be
I will feel very lonely without the love and connection we had
The thrill is gone
The excitement and passion that we used to have in our relationship has disappeared for good
The thrill is gone away for good
The spark that once existed between us has permanently vanished
Someday I'll be over it all
One day, I will have moved on from the pain and heartbreak you caused me
Like I know a good man should
As a good man, I will eventually let go and not hold onto negative feelings towards you
I'm free baby
I have finally broken free from the hold you had on me
Free from your spell
I am no longer under your influence or control
I'm free, free baby
I am completely free and unburdened by our past relationship
Now that it's all over
Now that our relationship has ended
All I can do is wish you well
I have no ill will towards you and only hope for your happiness and well-being
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LEW BROWN, RAY HENDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind