Old & in the Way was a one-shot bluegrass band whose legacy lasted far long… Read Full Bio ↴Old & in the Way was a one-shot bluegrass band whose legacy lasted far longer than the band. Led by Grateful Dead member Jerry Garcia (banjo, vocals), the band also featured David Nelson (guitar, vocals), David Grisman (mandolin, vocals), Vassar Clements (fiddle), Peter Rowan (guitar, vocals), and John Kahn (bass). Garcia formed the band in 1973 as a way to revisit his bluegrass roots and demonstrate his affection for the music. To round out the lineup, he recruited Clements and Kahn as well as Grisman and Rowan, who were both West Coast session musicians who had previously played together in the band Muleskinner. Taking their name from a Grisman composition, Old & in the Way played a handful of gigs, most of them at the Boarding House in San Francisco in October. An album, also called Old & in the Way, was culled from these shows but not released until 1975 on the Grateful Dead's own record label, Round. The record combined standards and Rowan originals, which later became standards. Although the album was the only one the lineup released during the 1970s, the members continued to play together in various permutations over the next two decades, and the record continued to sell steadily. The group reunited after Garcia's death in 1995, releasing a second album (actually composed of 1973 recordings), That High Lonesome Sound, in early 1996. A third album of 1973 vintage appeared at the end of 1997.

Uncle Pen
Old & In the Way Lyrics

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Oh, the people would come from faraway
They'd dance all night till the break of day
When the caller hollered, "Do-se-do"
He knew uncle Pen was ready to go

Late in the evenin' about sundown
High on the hill and above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle, oh, how it would ring

You can hear it talk, you can hear it sing

He played an old tune he called, "Soldier's joy"
And the one he wrote called, "The Boston boy"
But the greatest of all was, "Jenny Lynn"
To me that's where the fiddle begins

Late in the evenin' about sundown
High on the hill and above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle, oh, how it would ring
You can hear it talk, you can hear it sing

But I'll never forget that mournful day
When uncle Pen was called away
They hung up his fiddle and they hung up his bow
I knew it was time for him to go

Late in the evenin' about sundown
High on the hill and above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle, oh, how it would ring
You can hear it talk, you can hear it sing

Late in the evenin' about sundown
High on the hill and above the town

Uncle Pen played the fiddle, oh, how it would ring
You can hear it talk, you can hear it sing

Overall Meaning

"Uncle Pen" by Old & In the Way is a tribute to a beloved fiddle player, named "Uncle Pen" who played music in the rural town of Kentucky. The lyrics poetically describe a scene of people who traveled far to dance to Uncle Pen's music all night until the break of dawn. When the caller would say, "Do-se-do," that was the sign for Uncle Pen to get ready to play. The song takes the listener to a specific moment in time when Uncle Pen would begin playing his fiddle at sundown up on a hill, and the music would be so vibrant that it would talk, ring, and sing. The lyrics capture the energy and spirit of Uncle Pen's music, his legacy, and the community he served. The song ends with a sorrowful note of Uncle Pen's passing and how they had to hang up his fiddle and bow, signifying the end of an era.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, the people would come from faraway
People would come from faraway to dance all night till the break of day.

They'd dance all night till the break of day
The people would keep dancing all night long until the morning came.

When the caller hollered, "Do-se-do"
When the caller shouted 'Do-se-do', it was a signal for Uncle Pen to start playing the fiddle.

He knew uncle Pen was ready to go
The caller knew that Uncle Pen was ready to play the fiddle when he heard the sound of 'Do-se-do'.

Late in the evenin' about sundown
In the late evening, around the time of sunset.

High on the hill and above the town
Uncle Pen played the fiddle from a high spot above the town, where his music could be heard far and wide.

Uncle Pen played the fiddle, oh, how it would ring
Uncle Pen played the fiddle in such a way that the sound would resonate and echo all around.

You can hear it talk, you can hear it sing
The sound of Uncle Pen's fiddle was so emotive and expressive that it might as well have been speaking words or singing a song.

He played an old tune he called, "Soldier's joy"
One of Uncle Pen's favorite songs to play on the fiddle was an old tune he called 'Soldier's Joy'.

And the one he wrote called, "The Boston boy"
Uncle Pen had also written a song that he liked to play on the fiddle called 'The Boston Boy'.

But the greatest of all was, "Jenny Lynn"
To Uncle Pen, the most beautiful and captivating song he ever played on the fiddle was 'Jenny Lynn'.

To me that's where the fiddle begins
For the artist of the song, the song 'Jenny Lynn' is the ultimate fiddle tune, the pinnacle of the instrument's expressive potential.

But I'll never forget that mournful day
The singer of the song will never forget the sad day when Uncle Pen passed away.

When uncle Pen was called away
Uncle Pen passed away, leaving behind his fiddle and all the wonderful music he had created with it.

They hung up his fiddle and they hung up his bow
After Uncle Pen's death, his fiddle and bow were no longer used, and were instead hung up and left to gather dust.

I knew it was time for him to go
The artist recognizes that Uncle Pen's passing was a natural conclusion to his time on earth, and that it was time for him to leave.

Contributed by William Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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