Dark Star
The Greateful Dead Lyrics
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Pouring its light into ashes
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
Lady in velvet recedes in the nights of goodbye
Shall we go, you and I while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds
The lyrics to The Grateful Dead's "Dark Star" are a hallucinatory mix of imagery and wordplay, evoking a sense of disorientation and the dissolution of order. The "dark star" itself seems to represent a catastrophic event or moment of crisis, with its "crashes" and the "pouring" of its light into "ashes." As reason "tatters," the forces of the world seem to be unmoored from their usual axis or grounding, and everything becomes unsteady and uncertain.
The singer's searchlight, meanwhile, is focused on uncovering "faults in the clouds of delusion," suggesting a desire to find truth or clarity amidst the chaos. And yet, the refrain of "Shall we go, you and I while we can / Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds" signals an acceptance of this state of flux and the transience of existence. The vivid imagery of "formless reflections," "ice petal flowers," and the "Lady in velvet" all contribute to the surreal, dreamlike quality of the song.
Overall, "Dark Star" is a dense and difficult song to parse, but its evocation of cosmic disintegration and the search for meaning amidst it all has made it a cult favorite among Grateful Dead fans.
Line by Line Meaning
Dark star, crashes
The 'dark star' has crashed or is falling, possibly a metaphor for a breakdown or collapse.
Pouring its light into ashes
Despite its falling, the dark star is still emitting light, perhaps implying that something beautiful can come from a difficult situation.
Reason tatters, the forces tear loose from the axis
In the midst of the chaos, logic and order break down, and things become disconnected and unstable.
Searchlight casting, for faults in the clouds of delusion
There is an ongoing effort to uncover the falsehoods and illusions that have obscured reality, perhaps referring to a search for truth.
Shall we go, you and I while we can
There is a sense of urgency to take advantage of the current moment and seize an opportunity while it still exists.
Through, the transitive nightfall of diamonds
This line is open to interpretation, but it could refer to a journey through a sparkling, surreal landscape or an exploration of the beauty and mystery of existence.
Mirror shatters in formless reflections of matter
There is a distortion or fragmentation of reflection, with the mirror (symbolic of self-awareness) broken into meaningless fragments.
Glass hand dissolving to ice petal flowers revolving
There is a transformation happening, with a hand made of glass dissolving into a swirling, floral pattern made of ice petals.
Lady in velvet recedes in the nights of goodbye
A mysterious figure associated with luxury and opulence (the 'lady in velvet') is disappearing into a goodbye or farewell, perhaps symbolizing the end of an era.
Shall we go, you and I while we can
Repeating the earlier line, there is still a sense of urgency to take advantage of the present moment before it passes by.
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds
Repeating the earlier line, the phrase may refer to continuing the journey through a surreal or transcendent landscape.
Contributed by David Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Passifloratripartira
Dark star crashes, pouring its light into ashes
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
Lady in velvet recedes in the nights of good-bye
Shall we go, you and I while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?
@gregor6922
Dark star crashes
Pouring its light into ashes
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
To ice petal flowers revolving
Lady in velvet
Recedes in the nights of goodbye
Shall we go, you and I, while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?
Robert Hunter wrote the following ending to the lyrics. You can hear it being spoken at the end of the single version of "Dark Star" :
Spinning a set the stars through which the tattered tales of axis roll
About the waxen wind of never set to motion in the unbecoming
Round about the reason hardly matters nor the wise through which
The stars were set in spin
What can be said about "Dark Star"? The prototypical Grateful Dead song, providing the band with a vehicle for countless hours of improvisation.
Hunter states in a note in Box of Rain that "Dark Star" was the first song lyric he wrote with the band.
In Garcia, Charles Reich questions Garcia about "Dark Star.":
REICH: Well then if we wanted to talk about "Dark Star," uh, could you say anything about where it comes from?
[GARCIA]: You gotta remember that you and I are talking about two different "Dark Stars." You're talking about the "Dark Star" which you have heard formalized on a record, and I'm talking about the "Dark Star" which I have heard in each performance as a completely improvised piece over a long period of time.
So I have a long continuum of "Dark Star" which range in character from each other to real different extremes. "Dark Star" has meant, while I'm playing it, almost as many things as I can sit here and imagine, so all I can do is talk about "Dark Star" as a playing experience.
REICH: Well, yeah, talk about it a little.
[GARCIA]: I can't. It talks about itself.
Nothing like a straight forward answer, lol, Garcia and Hunter were quite a pair
Dark Star was the first lyric that Robert Hunter wrote with the Dead.
He had previously sent a few lyrics to them from New Mexico and was then invited to join them.
Hunter describes the journey in the introduction to his collected lyrics Box Of Rain;
The trip took six weeks with a surreal layover in Denver.
By the time I hit Nevada I had a dime in my pocket which I put in a slot machine and parlayed into enough to make a phone cal the guys I was on my way.
I arrived in San Francisco with a case of walking pneumonia and the clothes on my back.
The next day I was writing Dark Star, feeling pretty much as the lyric suggests.
The initial lyrics were written at Rio Nido where the Dead were playing when Hunter joined them.
The single version of Dark Star was recorded in the studio during the recordings sessions for Anthem Of The Sun.
Robert Hunter speaks the words at the close of the song.
Dark Star was first performed, without lyrics, by the Grateful Dead in September 1967.
The first version with lyrics was in the December of that year.
The song was a major focus for improvisation and was played regularly through the 1960's and up to 1973.
After 1974 it only appeared on odd occasions in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1984 before making a comeback in October 1989.
It was then played about 25 times through the 1990s the last performance being in March 1994.
@jerrynelson1929
Thanks for articulating that this is the gateway to Bitches Brew, Mahavishnu 1971-1973, Weather Report in particular. Agreed that this is the tightest, most effectively recorded Dark Star version I have the pleasure of hearing.
While the aforementioned Fusion works include incredibly technical skill sets, the orchestral view of this Dark Star provides a tight, yet free listening adventure that is on a different plane than Orange Lady, Bitches Brew , Spanish Key, Pharaoh,s Dance, Meeting of the Spirits, Birds of Fire,Trilogy, The Unknown Soldier, Second Sunday in August, Crystal. Not a better plane, just a Different one,
I have become a Deadhead over the last 25-30 years because I really like the extended jams and free/ psychedelic work, such as Playing in the Band, Wharf Rat, The Other One, and the Eleven , St Stephen, Bird Song, China Cat/ I know you Rider, Uncle John’s Band ( can go on and on )…..
This specific recording of Dark Star just takes you AWAY , just like “ In a Silent Way. Both of these recordings were made within weeks of each other in 1969. My vinyl copies of each are in really good shape, which I can still listen on my Bose 901 speakers….had to replace my original Phillips turntable a couple of years ago ,and replaced my Kenwood amp a couple of times.
These albums and artists have provided a lifetime of pleasure, joy and both my parents and wife of 41 year’s demanding to “turn that down”
- but keep listening and even have convinced my wife to keep the station on the Grateful Dead channel on XM or a downloaded Grateful Dead disc in the car!
Some guys just don’t grow up 😃😊
@rodneyhatch56
I stole this record from a record store when I was thirteen years old. I am now 63. I still have this record 50 years later. It is part of my operating system.
@georgecorbett9832
Maybe u should take it back now and say “thank you”
@manga4715
By Blockbuster standards....you owe 145,000,000.12
@landlinesandpercolators8822
First I want to say I am sorry for the shoplifting I did. For the record though, LPs were not easy to steal. You can't put them under your shirt. Preferred method was have a bag from the store, slip the albums in, and if you wanted to really be thorough, fold and have an old receipt and a small stapler to staple it on with. Then walk out like you bought it.
@EzeICE
Right On brother!
@maryslusarchuk3810
I think sometimes we steal what we need. Even when we don't know it at the time, our subconscious does.
@Mrbeahz1
So I was 18 when I got this album. I waited till my 52 year old mom went to her room, then I put it on. 5 minutes in she comes out, and I immediately start with "I'll turn it down". She's all: "No! What is this? Who is this?" Long story short, I started the side over, and Mom and I listened to Dark Star, and we both loved it.
@Finnrock1
the " Mothers " know best!
@therasound
you are a lucky, lucky man my friend.....
@martintowse6812
Had a similar experience having turned someone else's mother, thirty years my senior onto 'Morning Dew' on Europe 72. Daughter walked in and assumed her mother was listening to BBC radio 4. Dark Star on this album confirmed my path to adulthood when I was fourteen, thanks elder brother. Jerry leading us out of chaos, as phenomenal today as then.