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 Wheel
Jerry Garcia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't let go and you can't hold on
You can't go back and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will
Won't you try just a little bit harder
Couldn't you try just a little bit more
Won't you try just a little bit harder
Round, round, Robin run around
Gotta get back where you belong
Little bit harder, just a little bit more
Little bit further than you gone before
The wheel is turning and you can't slow down
You can't let go and you can't hold on
You can't go back and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will
Small wheel turning by the fire and rod
Big wheel turning by the grace of God
Every time that wheel turn round
Bound to cover just a little more ground
The wheel is turning and you can't slow down
You can't let go and you can't hold on
You can't go back and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will
Won't you try just a little bit harder
Couldn't you try just a little bit more
Won't you try just a little bit harder
Couldn't you try just a little bit more
The opening lines of Jerry Garcia's "The Wheel" find him giving voice to an experience of life that is generally true for us all. Time keeps moving forward, and we can't do anything to stop it, nor can we go back and relive what happened before. The chorus, with its lines "Won't you try just a little bit harder / Couldn't you try just a little bit more," seems to imply that people must live more fully in the present moment than they often do. The song "The Wheel" appears to be about the necessity for perseverance and an almost cyclical way of thinking when tackling life's problems. The verses describe the ongoing struggles of living a mortal life, with its joys and pains, and the chorus is an admonishment to be resolute in the face of adversity.
For the singer, the wheel is both a literal and figurative force in life. The first verse establishes this by describing the extraordinary power of nature, with thunder and lightning being just two of it's potentially lethal weapons. In the second verse, Garcia talks about a small wheel and a big wheel. Although their sizes differ, both must keep turning to maintain momentum. The bridge gives listeners explicit instructions on how to keep moving forward, as the singer lays out a set of goals. If we just try harder, travel further, and stretch ourselves more, wherever we end up going will be worth the effort.
Line by Line Meaning
The wheel is turning and you can't slow down
Time is constantly moving forward and there is nothing that can be done to slow it down.
You can't let go and you can't hold on
Life is constantly changing and one must adapt to its flow.
You can't go back and you can't stand still
The past is unchangeable and the present is in constant motion.
If the thunder don't get you then the lightning will
There is always an element of danger in life, and it comes in unexpected ways.
Won't you try just a little bit harder
Encouraging oneself to push a little bit more in life.
Couldn't you try just a little bit more
Asking oneself if it's possible to push a little bit harder.
Round, round, Robin run around
A reference to the mother goose rhyme about a bird named Robin's adventures.
Gotta get back where you belong
One must find their place in life and go back to it.
Little bit harder, just a little bit more
Encouraging oneself to push more in order to achieve a goal.
Little bit further than you gone before
Encouraging oneself to go beyond their limits and try new things.
Small wheel turning by the fire and rod
A smaller wheel turns by the fire and is powered by a rod of wood.
Big wheel turning by the grace of God
A bigger wheel turns with the assistance of divine intervention.
Every time that wheel turn round
With every rotation of the wheel, there's something new to be discovered.
Bound to cover just a little more ground
With each step forward, one is bound to learn something new and move a little further in life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEROME J. GARCIA, ROBERT C. HUNTER, WILLIAM KREUTZMANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@richardsiciliano7117
Honestly, the beginning of this song with Jerry on the pedal steel is one of my all-time favorite pieces of music.
@davidsaddler7922
I recall the first time I listened to The Wheel. The first time I saw the Grateful Dead was September 21, 1972. As I recall, they did not play The Wheel. Even though it was a four and a half hour show, The Wheel had not yet been added to the band's repertoire. I did nothing but talk about the show the next day, Friday, with my friends at school. One friend, Jeff, eventually lent me a copy of Jerry Garcia's first album. I must have listened to the entire album at least four times before he asked me to return it. Then I bought my own copy. And, yes, the pedal steel guitar is one of Jerry Garcia's most magical moments in his studio recording career. God Bless the Grateful Dead! And thank God we still have fantastic recordings like this to remember the phenomenal talent of Jerry Garcia!
@lynnemilazzo3904
Not only is the music itself incredible in every way, but the LYRICS pierce your very soul.... It's the MESSAGE. Don't just sit back and let life pass you bye. Time is flying by. Can't you try harder? Do more. Be more... Wake up..
@jackstrawFW
Blessed am I to be able to read my own feelings about this song from another, you really are the eyes of this world. Jah bless 💚
@richardbarrett9111
I hear so much pedal playing come through in his guitar playing. It was just in his soul, the phrasing, the riffs, the hooks, the scales. A thing of beauty. His pedal playing almost always makes me cry.
@johnmitton8492
In my lifetime I have found a few songs that always please my ears. The Wheel off Garcia tops the list. The pedal steel still teases my ears with its sweet sweet sounds. Thankfully there is only one jerry. I don't think I could handle missing two.
@kurtbeindorff6349
It's a shame that Jerry only played pedal steel (commercially) for about 5 years or so. His work with CSN&Y and when he was a member of The New Riders of the Purple Sage is phenomenal.
@tpzid
@@kurtbeindorff6349 Yes. His volume pedal technique is flawless.
@Akindone53
Jerry's work on Crosby's album " If I could only remember my name" is memorable. Love the peddle steel on "Laughing", it soars a like brilliant rising star.
@AndyBigDaddyWilkinson
Thats a very poignant reflection...I miss JG so much..too...you are right ,.,,missing two would be unfuckenbearable...