SUCH VIBES!... | FIRST TIME HEARING Grateful Dead - Ripple REACTION

[@88wildcat]

The lyrics are about your life. "There is a road, no simple highway between the dawn and the dark of night." The road is your life. Dawn is your birth, dark of night your death. "If you go no one may follow that path is for your steps alone." No one may follow because it is your life (i.e. path) and no one else's. Since no one else goes down that path other than you if you need or are looking for guidance it must come from a higher power than man because that is the only source that knows the path.

[@futurereflections4097]

That take made me think of this line Reach out your hand if your cup be empty If your cup is full, may it be again Let it be known there is a fountain That was not made by the hands of men The cup is the mind and the water is wisdom. The fountain you get the wisdom from cannot be given by any other human. Confirmed by the next line There is a road, no simple highway Between the dawn and the dark of night And if you go, no one may follow That path is for your steps alone Nobody is going to give you the answers because nobody has them. Ends with If you should stand, then who's to guide you? If I knew the way I would take you home Saying “If I had the answers I would guide you. But I don’t. Nobody does”

[@poetreatsartreats2469]

Right on Bro (:

[@83169]

@@poetreatsartreats2469 "Ripple in still water..." almost seems like a koan, or meditation on ultimate cause/cosmology...

[@scottfrench4139]

A higher power? Or are we part of that power and just need to connect with it?

[@evoshandor11]

Thats fucking right man.

[@klaptongroovemaster]

"Uncle John's Band" "Sugar Magnolia" "Friend of the Devil" "Casey Jones" "Truckin" "Touch of Gray" (more recent). All great songs.

[@ryanzeigler9763]

I love that 1986 is 'more recent'. jfc

[@kenlight3793]

@@ryanzeigler9763 any Dead tune less than 40 years old is "more recent"

[@TheUnconscious1]

You nailed it.... Uncle Johns Band would be the 1st Dead song I would play for a newbie deadhead. SM, FOTD, CJ, & Truckin would be a good order to get acquainted with some of the Deads more popular stuff

[@jackstraw6975]

Well you made it 😎.. now watch your subscriber base just explode ... so I have a song that will y’all happy .. horns ... jazzy .. so try eyes of the world from the album without a net .. thus is a live album and this particular song has Branford Marsalis sitting in sax and clarinet... it is ... if you want a great love ❤️ song with hippy vibes try “ they love each other ..Cornell univ may 77 a another live recording .. or Scarlett begonias from the same show .. since you all love Janice Joplin you should give Bird song a listen again from without a net .. it was written for Janice after she passed .. she was pig pens girlfriend and a friend.. it has horns also .. and gives you a great look at the spacey side of the dead .. the name comes from the dictionary.. google it 😎.. let see ok if you just want see 5 min of great rock .. try not fade away Buffalo by 7-4-89.. if you seek some disco try Shakedown street .. the version from rockplast Germany in 8o is good one .. You two are such a sweet couple !! It is fun to see this music discovered by young people .. So more dead facts .. Robert hunter wrote the lyrics for Garcia and John Barlow write the lyrics for Bob Weir .. three great eras .. 67 to 72pig pen on keys .. 1973- 78 Keith gouddux on keys .. 80-90 Brent midland on keys .. did not live long if you played keys in the grateful dead 😎 for the best video just go to the grateful dead official video ... they weee a live band there albums were good a few weee great however it was the non stop touring and live performances that made them what they were .. three great live albums .. live dead .. reckoning( for the faithful) and without a net .. great audio albums .. American beauty .. workingmans dead .. terrapin station .. shakedown street .. and Finally for FEMALE Friday try France from shakedown street or sunrise from Terripan station .. Donna Jean sang with them when her husband Keith played piano..

[@ginaluvsrush6093]

The entire Europe '72 Album lol!!!

[@thomasharris4942]

The Dead were a cultural phenomenon. They were the highest annual grossing live act for many years, as they had a huge dedicated army of followers ("Dead Heads") who went to all their shows. Many literally followed the Dead around the country like nomads. Going to one of their shows was a whole scene and a vibe that will never again be repeated or equalled.

[@westryan3297]

I'm considered dead fam 🤙

[@jeancoughlin5490]

And their followers were as eclectic as the Dead and came from all walks of life.

[@syf1174]

Correction: The Grateful Dead were a cultural phenomenon. "The Dead" is a cover band.

[@johntucker4296]

I've gotta think their followers were extremely loyal bc of their concerts. They just kept going and going. 3hrs, 4hrs,5hrs. I was at one at the U of Mn. and Jerry came out and played with the New Riders of the Purple Sage. I think I stayed 'til the end. But it was over 5 hours.

[@chinacatsunflower8054]

@@johntucker4296 We are extremely loyal even today :) Greetings from Italy (Yes, sir, deadheads are everywhere)

[@JazzDrummer1946]

Believe it or not, my wife and I danced to this song at our wedding. Neither one of us are Grateful Dead fans, but this is OUR song. It was playing on the Jukebox when we met (March 13, 1982). I'm gonna surprise her with this tonight.

[@Kim-hc5si]

YES, WATSON! 👏👏👏❤️

[@Rick-or2kq]

We were married Oct 10th 1981 and are both lovers of the Grateful Dead, 40 years together in 10 days, " what a long strange trip it's been".

[@missrachelreads]

My husband and I danced to "If I Had the World to Give" from Grateful Dead's album Shakedown Street. : )

[@Meaghan470]

same!! we got married August 9th 2003 (anniversary of Jerry's death)

[@Kunsoo1024]

The lyrics are poetry - you go with the feelings of the words, not a concrete "meaning." It's not a story. It's an appeal to something other than your conscious thoughts. Impressions and feelings. Try St. Stephen. That's a story song. As it happens, this song is about aging and dying, mostly. Just not in a morbid sense, but death as a journey you take alone.

[@RealDiehl99]

Well said❤

[@jameskossovitsas7216]

Amazing comment!

[@daniellegoldsmith9782]

YES! And absolutely listen to St. Stephen.

[@elmoblatch9787]

And the lyrics have very little rhyme.

[@MaceGill]

About those lyrics, they're vaguely spiritual. They don't mean anything specific. They are supposed to mean something specific to YOU :) "Franklin's Tower" is another tune like that

[@willcool713]

Oh, no. They have a very specific meaning. The Dead don't talk out of their ass. They always have a point, if you can understand what they're saying, but you pretty much need a lot of LSD or a PhD in Psych and maybe a degree in comparative religion as well. It's what they used to refer to as "being there," and what "woke" used to mean.

[@rahbeat9785]

best comment Macey

[@trismegistus7638]

Very Taoist song. "If I knew The Way. . .", "There is a road. . .", "You who choose to lead must follow"

[@AnthonyL0401]

@@willcool713 No, they are a very human experience. Deadheads always think everything is so deep. The DEEP part is that we ALL share this, even with no LSD

[@willcool713]

@@AnthonyL0401 True, that, but most people find it virtually impossible to recognize. There are core truths, which Dead songs sing to, but those truths take effort to reveal themselves and having not done in-depth personal inventory, most folks find such basic truths debatable and anything but enlightening. And so, if you don't think the Dead sing about some of the great eternal mysteries, then you don't really understand. Many people hold that the secret to those mysteries comes from not paying attention to them, but that's far from a universal opinion, nor a particularly intelligent one.

[@malcolmplatt3768]

It's about being born, living, and dying and how you fill the time in between birth and death.

[@brianwalkosz9567]

When you "understand" the lyrics....you will CRY TEARS OF JOY

[@sallysharp3845]

This was a good Dead song choice. Another good one is "Box Of Rain", just to keep this party going.

[@kathleenmather432]

Another good one “Sugar Magnolia”

[@kathleenmather432]

Also “Trucking”! How could I forget that one? It was the theme song of my 20s LOL. “What a long, strange trip it’s been “.

[@georgelynch6139]

Box of Rain is the only song sang by Phil the bassist. It’s about him and being with his dad as he is dying. Humans singing about humans to humans,

[@tamarleigh]

It’s the song that inspired me to try to learn to play guitar, but I didn’t truly understand it until 30 years later when my dad was dying. 💔

[@johnr.8275]

@@kathleenmather432 Every time I hear that line, I think "the trip was only about five years old at that point!" And Hunter had only been the Dead's lyricist for about 3 years then. I think Hunter foretold the future there!

[@kimberlyjenkins725]

I still have to recommend - The Band and The Staples - The Weight. I really think you would both enjoy it! Take care!

[@jamesdalton8539]

or the Staples alone :-) Sha na na na boom boom yeah (If it makes you Happy)!

[@artfisk3]

yes do this !!

[@johnr.8275]

I love that version of The Weight! If you really want your mind blown, check out Aretha Franklin's version. I heard it on some college radio station coming home one day and I had to pull over, it was that good.

[@johncagnettajr344]

The lyrics blend both eastern and western philosophies regarding life as and adventure , seeking truth, sharing knowledge, positive and negative, ying and yang, each of us finds our own way. The water is never really still. Ripples appear even without wind or a pebble being tossed.

[@Nikoricci]

David Grissman’s mandolin makes me smile, too 😊

[@13terapyn]

💘💘"What A Long Strange Trip It's Been"...The Grateful Dead is the soundtrack of my 20's. I spent those years traveling to shows up and down the Westcoast of the United States. It was a wonderful experience that changed me as a person. I entered my 20's as a confused, angry young man. I had just turned 30 a month before Jerry died and the band known as Grateful Dead had disbanded. I entered my 30's happy, well adjusted and at peace. I owe most of that to this band and the monumentally wonderful people I met along the way who taught me so much about the beauty of life. I attended Jerry's funeral at Golden Gate Park where the experiment known as TGD began. "What A Long Strange Trip It's Been"...💘💘

[@cosmonaut9942]

I was on that bus too. From '69 through '95 I saw every show the Dead played in California, and that was a lot of shows. I was there for the closing of Fillmore West and the closing of Winterland Arena. I went to every New Years Eve show. I was also at the Golden Gate Park memorial for Garcia. I was also at Golden Gate Park for the Bill Graham memorial when the Dead played. In the '80's I was good friends with Eileen Law who worked in the Dead's office and she gave me backstage passes to most shows in the Bay Area during the '80's. Mickey Hart is my neighbor. I'm old now but I'm still on the bus.

[@1dkappe]

And the LSD changed you as well. 😂

[@SkepticCyclist]

If you like the Hippie stuff and since you already did Neil Young, you should try listening to some "Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young" or "Crosby, Stills, and Nash". They also have some good harmonies that you also enjoy.

[@traog]

"Teach your children well" is a good one.

[@cat3rgrl917]

@@traog agree

[@jamesdalton8539]

Stephen Stills solo as well!

[@Calistogakid2u]

@@traog That's Jerry on the pedal steel guitar. He made a deal that in exchange, CSN would help the Dead with improving their harmonies.

[@lostsailor76]

With Mr. Garcia on on peddle steele.

[@Rick-or2kq]

This well is bottomless, as someone commented, " the Grateful Dead were a cultural phenomena", and die hard fans are known as "Dead Heads", they lived and breath the Grateful Dead thousands followed them all round the county and the world going from show to show, many of my friends were Dead Heads. Last time I saw them was in Boston Garden, I believe in '91', seen them many times.

[@julieharden2433]

Yes! I followed the Dead for years. I met so many awesome people, and had such amazing experiences. So glad you found the Grateful - just two weeks before "The Days Between". Jerry's birthday date is August 1st, and died on August 9th. We celebrate those 9 days as "The Days Between" If you're looking to understand the lyrics...maybe drink some mushroom tea. LOL

[@cnatview]

@Julie Harden.... I followed Jerry closely as I am diabetic and I knew he was too. He had so many near misses just with his diabetes and then a heart attack ended up taking him. I really LOL'd with your comment about mushroom tea.

[@chantaloblander9039]

🤣

[@elegantgypsyrose5328]

Electric Kool-aid Acid Test

[@cosmonaut9942]

I miss Garcia every single day since he died. When I hear some Hunter/Garcia tunes like Brokedown Palace I can't help but cry, not necessarily because of sadness but because it is so beautiful. I was fortunate to know Jerry a little bit and will always remember our conversations, mostly at a vegan restaurant in Sebastopol, the town in Sonoma County where he was staying when he was rehabbing from his diabetic coma. Dark Star was written in Rio Nido California, about ten minutes from my house. Garcia went to Analy High School which was when he got into his first rock 'n roll band. It's about a mile from my home. A lot of memories are flooding my head right now and these reaction videos always do that to me. I'm old now but I'm still on the bus.

[@smagnolia]

Dedicated deadhead here and I have to say that “Eyes of the the World with Branford Marsalis” is the next Dead song for of you. ✌🏼🌸 Jordon, check out Bela Fleck and the Flecktones for some crazy mad banjo! (Maybe a live version of “Big Country”) Love you both and am so glad you have each other because if you didn’t, my boyfriend would be chasing Amber! 😄

[@paulinwoburn9680]

I am in total agreement with Eyes of the World with Branford. Excellent. And I also love Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

[@johnr.8275]

I must be in the minority, because I just *cannot* get into the version(s) with Branford. Sounds like the Dead with Kenny G. No disrespect whatsoever intended to Branford - he is a monster musician - but I could never get into it, try as I did. Everyone raves about 3/29/90...I think 3/30/90 is even better. Help > Slip > Franklin's opener, a filthy Little Red Rooster courtesy of Brent, and that second set featuring China Doll, Terrapin, Uncle John's and an Attics encore? I'll take it!!

[@smagnolia]

@@johnr.8275 I know Jordan and Amber enjoy the sax, which is why I recommended this version for them. ✌🏼

[@Meaghan470]

one of the best Eyes is also 77/02/26 at Swing Auditorium

[@mikecoleman4795]

“Friend of the devil” is their best bluegrass jam.

[@paysonbenefield1983]

Heard that!

[@booboo8577]

In the Pines is another good one.

[@johnallen9567]

A little ditty called Cumberland Blues might have something to say about that.

[@mikemaricle9941]

Dark Hollow, Jack-A-Roe, Monkey and the Engineer, Samson and Delilah.

[@MrMarckeedee]

Nah shakedown street is their best Bluegrass jam Jk. Seriously though I just want to see them react to shakedown and see their faces at the groovadelic funk and Phil’ fat bass line. All that as these two are preparing for some accustom hippy sing along. It gets them every time!!!!

[@muzikman4399]

“Touch of Grey”, “Truckin’ “ and “Casey Jones” are probably their most popular songs, they seem to get a lot of airplay on “Classic” Rock stations and I will submit one more “Alabama Getaway”. These will probably appeal to Jay more but still be in your “wheelhouse” Amber! Enjoy! 👍😎🤘💕

[@michaelkeefe8494]

The Dead's whole vibe is about life being "a long strange trip" (a line from the song Truckin'). A San Francisco hippie band from Haight Ashbury and the Summer of Love. They had a huge following that followed them all over the country. Their shows were basically one-band festivals of peace, love and acid.

[@dmstewart66]

There is a lot to this song but the meaning is simple. To "ripple in still water." To not wait for things but to be cause them yourself. Create the life you want and the change you want... don't wait for anyone else. Don't wait for ripples to effect you, be the ripple that effects what's around you. That meaning can be taking in a 1000 different ways but it all comes down to the same thing. Don't wait for life to change you. Be the change. If only we knew the way. But the way to get there and where "home" is, is a different path to a different place for everyone. Your ripple will be will be different and unique from everyone else's though which is why it ends with the line "If I knew the way, I would take you home".

[@cnatview]

Oh, my favorite Grateful Dead song!!!! It is such a deep song. "Ripple in still water, When there is no pebble tossed, Nor wind to blow." The song is definitely open to interpretation. Thank you, thank you for reacting to this song. I think you both are officially Dead Heads now. lol I hope you both are feeling well. Take care and be well. Peace.

[@cnatview]

I found this on the song: "This song, which was recorded in a country-folk style, was written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. Hunter was not a performing member of the band, but wrote the lyrics to many of their songs. Hunter's words were often very poetic, lending themselves to interpretation. In this song, he writes about the joy of music in the air and how we must all choose our own path. Dead chroniclers and fans have noted multiple connections between "Ripple" and the Old Testament's Psalm 23. The harp mentioned at the beginning suggest the musical instrument that traditionally accompanied the psalms. The still water, the cup, the road at night, and some other subtle pieces all suggest a connection. Dennis McNally also notes that about 30 friends and neighbors, all untrained singers, were brought in to sing the final chorus, "just like a church service almost anywhere."

[@stephenulmer3781]

Hey guys! May I suggest The Moody Blues "Nights in white satin" (the full long version) Not the live version ☺❤☺

[@rickycook5522]

I agree.

[@karenthomas4404]

Good choice

[@cliffhodge6167]

Good song but they’ve got much better stuff like I’m just a singer in a rock and roll band. Or the story in your Eyes. Seen them twice.

[@johnboydTx]

A great recommendation 🤠👍💛✌

[@rickycook5522]

Correction. It's Knights in White Satin.

[@reallynow1445]

The way you lead your life is the message. Everyone has their own path/road/highway. In the end (death) you walk alone

[@saintray44]

The dead played their songs covered songs.they never played the same show twice.there is no song list.when you have 500 songs which do you want to play. They are a jam band they really didn't care much about records. They actually allowed a section in the audience to record their epic 3 hour shows..they were followed by a million strong more probably called dead heads many followed them around. The world.the parking lots looked like gypsy caravans.everyone is accepted for who they are.i never saw a fight at dead concert.theres so many books on them and their fans.dont sweat trying to figure out lyrics with them.

[@chantaloblander9039]

You explained this so well.

[@ramonaugalde6671]

I've been to over 30 dead shows you MUST react to live performances to understand they were the ultimate hippie band. RIP Jerry!

[@peterreist2882]

Yes . Why I recommended the playboy after dark performance. Live, 2 diff types of tunes, with St Stephen being rocklike performance and big fan favorite. Not to mention the guys getups

[@barbarascotto3873]

Saintray44 "everyone is accepted for who they are". Wow, you are spot on. That brought tears to my eyes. It's true, walking through Shakedown, or in the concert itself, everyone is just cool. I have literally seen "strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hands". I really have. Most Deadheads are just naturally accepting of everyone.

[@saintray44]

.the people are the best .i remember a show in Manhattan BEACON THEATRE ..the bus parked the school bus that followed them. They invited myself a lady friend aboard.we had two great days..about 4 guys 6 girls basically lived in it.only in the 70s it. Was so much fun.im sure you have had some similar stories BARBARA

[@CuzKatieSaysSo]

I played this at my husband's funeral. Going on 16 years and I still miss you terribly!

[@davewildermuth7519]

There's a whole rabbit hole here for you guys to go down. "Uncle John's Band," "Franklin's Tower," "Friend of the Devil," "Scarlet Begonias," "Sugar Magnolia."

[@randygabbert7831]

I was a Dead head back in the day, saw them live many times. They may be the most unique "rock" band of all time. This is a great song and you might also try Althea on eof my personal favorites! Great choice!

[@ddstinger8480]

Althea told me upon scrutiny.

[@randyrubert4177]

I understand you guys like gritty growly voices guitar solos drum solos saxophone solos and organ solos if that's the case you need to listen to Edgar and Johnny Winters version of tobacco road live one song has everything you like can't go wrong

[@user-he6nj1zv9f]

Yes. great suggestion, you will love it.

[@glgoodpasture]

The "Grateful Dead" was fronted by Jerry Garcia, the artist that Ben and Jerry named their ice cream "Cherry Garcia " after. Both Ben and Jerry were "Deadheads" . On a side note, Jerry gave LSD to Carlos Santana just before Santana's Woodstock performance.

[@leighcarpenter1712]

My favorite Grateful Dead Song!! Great choice.. Touch of Grey.. for us “ oldies”.

[@RichardGassman]

Jerrys sincerity when he sings always reduces me to tears

[@cartercarter645]

Thank you Thank you for opening the door. Their repertoire is vast. It takes a while to get into the lyrics. A lot of metaphors wispy meanings. They all are masters of their instruments, they have more layers than An onion. Best jam band ever- they never leave u out there- have fun. Congrats u guys - the girls are going to b such excellent big sisters!!!!

[@chadrussell70]

Ripple” is about making peace with life, and finding a path that suits you by learning from the other lost people around you, and of course embracing the power of joy through music. It’s about remembering that we’re all in this together, but also that your life is your own to lead.

[@amysanders3971]

I was at the Dead's last show at Soldier Field in Chicago. Let me tell you, there's nothing like it- no 2 shows were ever the same. Not even the same songs. They have an amazingly vast catalog of songs. You can practically pull reactions out of their rabbit hole forever. I don't know if you could get any "hippier" than the Dead. You are gonna love it!

[@fugly747]

I was at the show as well. A million people were outside, but only a 100,000 inside. A good show, it was the last show scheduled for the 1995 Summer Tour. They played two encores; the first was 'Black Muddy River'. This was a dreadful encore song. My friend heard the song start and wanted to leave. I told him "You never know when you're going to see this band again." We stayed and were rewarded with a 'Box of Rain', sung by Phil. I feel blessed to see that show and 30 others.

[@donnagonatas3155]

Deadheads are probably the only true hippies left! The closthes, music and peace and love.✌❤

[@jacqueline4514]

So simple and soothing; Shakedown Street and Touch of Gray are good examples of another side of them. Favorite one: FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN 💗

[@fritzmonday451]

Yes in deed ! Thank you, for dlving into Grateful Dead ! You're gonna love them, the more you listen !

[@vincentdarrah]

The Dead were the only band I have heard of that allowed people to bring recording devices to their concerts. They would tape off about 200 seats. They said they would do it because they never played a song the same way twice. They would then pay those Deadheads for the recordings and release their own bootleg songs. They never had a smash hit but were the highest grossing band in their time because they would reinvest their profits into the band. Jerry Garcia was a genius

[@ramonaugalde6671]

They also held tickets for concerts to be sold by mailorder using very specific instructions so scalpers couldn't rape their fans with over priced ticket

[@sirslice]

"A Touch of Grey" went top 10 on Billboards Hot 100 and to #1 on the mainstream rock chart. The video was also often played on video channels. I'm just sayin'.

[@willcool713]

And because of all those bootlegs, they're one of the most historically documented bands, especially of their time.

[@Matt-fv2qb]

@@ramonaugalde6671 That's for sure! I remember sitting outside the main post office, waiting for midnight so that I could drop my self-addressed stamped envelope, 3x5 notecard and postal money order into the box. It was quite the little ritual!

[@vincentdarrah]

@toronto daddy It's true, they have the rights to all of their property, their songs, their merchandise, everything, no other group did that. It was their lawyer who set them up

[@williamquinn3196]

The Greatful Dead are their own music category! Amazon has a fantastic bio, Long Strange Trip. This band is a bottomless rabbit hole! In concert, they were a total improv band. RIP JERRY! Their music is still being released 20 yrs after his death!

[@ajschroetlin2196]

The greatest American band of all time. You'll find funk, jazz, blues, rock and roll, gospel, bluegrass, snd country in their repertoire. If I'm stuck on a deserted island with one band to listen to, it's going to be the Grateful Dead.

[@pambennett3390]

This song is poetry. All about the lyrics. That’s how we were back then. It was amazing.

[@RickZackExploreOffroad]

I was hoping y'all would hit on the Dead. The way I always interpreted this song was the journey through life and what road you choose. "Between the dawn and the dark of night" By the way the name Grateful Dead refers to Medieval folk tales (during the Black Plague) in which a stranger comes across a body and gives him a proper burial The spirit of the deceased comes back and helps the kind stranger.

[@edprzydatek8398]

Years ago I went to a Grateful Dead concert in Utica, NY. After the concert, as we were driving home we saw "hippy" hitch-hikers holding signs that said "Boston", "Toronto", "Philadelphia"........ It was a concert I'll never forget. Some of the lyrics in "Ripple" are said to have been drawn from the Bible and the Coran. And the chorus is like Japanese haiku. To me it's a spiritual and moving piece of acoustic folk music. They have so much more to offer, too. Great reaction.

[@artiewithers6980]

I’m not a “Dead Head” by any means, so there are many people more qualified to commit and recommend songs. I have 8 or 9 of their CDs, and I do like them. I would recommend China Cat Sunflower or Cosmic Charlie, or Uncle John’s Band. Oh yea, Franklin’s Tower is a great song.

[@MaceGill]

Oh, yes to Franklin's Tower!

[@billbrovero9389]

China Cat is fire

[@ginoshi3447]

I've forgotten how much I miss the Dead. Thank you so much for this!

[@stlmopoet]

Truckin' is a peppy song by the Grateful Dead. Uncle John's Band is good. Ripple is one of my favorite songs from them. I find G.D. a bit hit or miss, but they had a large following who literally followed them around the country from gig to gig.

[@MrMarckeedee]

Shakedown. Or China Car. Why is truckin always recomended? It’s a mediocre radio friendly mains-tray but not their best work.

[@stlmopoet]

@@MrMarckeedee Different people like different things.

[@argelbargel7680]

The great David Grisman on mandolin.

[@randybaker6042]

From the era you're talking about, the Dead's classic songs outside of their fan base (the Deadheads) are Truckin and Casey Jones. Casey Jones wasn't a single because of reference to cocaine but it probably would have been their biggest single. Taking recommendations from Deadheads isn't going to get you anywhere because every song is great (especially live). lol

[@ChicoEscuela]

Robert Hunter writes poems that allow one to interpret (or not) so subject and intentionality isn't wrapped up for you. You will find classical folklore and cultural references throughout the songbook, but the voice can be elusive. This opens up the listener to take their own journey. He and Garcia made magical art. Ripple reads more spiritual to me, an ode to one's own search for lightness. It has meaning to me personally so it is timeless. Maybe when this was written it spoke to the hazy end of the hippie era and that what mattered was your own truth and self reliance, and not gimmickry of the times. An appeal to the peaceful warrior in us all. And I'm sure Hunter would scoff at trying to pin it down.

[@williamobryan682]

I guess rap is easier to understand for a lot of peeps .

[@dajuice4200]

This is one of my favorite bands. Franklin's Tower, Brown Eyed Woman, Scarlet Begonias, Shakedown Street, Eyes of the World, Terrapin Station, and Estimated Prophet. They are a great live band. I have been to many live shows.

[@bobmathis-friedman6742]

The Greatful Dead are named after a Folklore cycle of stories involving the rewards given to people who show unusual respects to the dead or to sites where spirits dwell. They were originally called the Warlocks, but changed their name early on. I'd recommend Trucking or Cosmic Charlie

[@realamerican5813]

I find sometimes their songs don't make total sense lol. I would recommend "Touch of Grey" next. Haven't listen to them in a while. Good pick! ROCK ON!! Jeff

[@davebowman2131]

FIRST: I love you guys, your minds and your ears are wide open, and more importantly, so are your hearts. In a divided country, the two of you give me hope for the future. It's a joy to watch you hear for the first time the songs that I take for granted. Keep it up. SECOND: The Dead are the second greatest band of all time, right behind the Beatles. Through the decade of the 1980's they sold more tickets and made more money that Bruce Springsteen and Michael Jackson at the height of their fame, and they did it without having a song ever played on the radio. THIRD: the Dead's lyrics cannot be truly understood in one hearing like almost all other songs you guys pick, the Dead's lyrics are open to your interpretation, they are questions, not answers. They are wisdom that you find in yourself, and over the years as your viewpoint of life changes, the lyrics reveal another side, like another facet of a diamond you see it in a different light, a different context and go "Aha! I get it!" Think of a dead song as a fortune cookie, when you open it and read the fortune, you always stop and think, "Well how does this fortune apply to my life?" and sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't, or not at that point in your life anyway. That's up to you. Most songs just beat you over the head with what they're trying to tell you. The Grateful Dead don't tell you, they tell you to ask yourself. As a result, this is music for a life, not a phase. These songs will have a different meaning to you as you grow up and as you grow old. FOURTH; listen to a live performance, not a studio album, they are not a fraction of what they were live, listen to a show from 1989 and it will have speed, power, grace, electricity, thundering rhythm and beauty. Listen to Downhill From Here. Thanks guys, much love. For a song: UNCLE JOHN'S BAND, Shakedown Street

[@topgazza]

Give Tom Jones and Janis Joplin live on the Tom Jones show singing Raise Your Hand for a continuation of the blues/funk/rock feel. What a paring

[@danielglenn915]

CSNY pairing with him on Long Time Gone with great as well.

[@craigmarti]

The Grateful Dead are the most influential band in my life. Changed me as a person, this is the song that my wife and I danced to at our wedding (different version though). As for the lyrics, Robert Hunter (RIP) was one of the most critical members of the band and wrote many of the most popular Dead tunes. The beauty of the Dead and Hunter was that the "meaning of a song" is left up to the interpreter and he would never explain it. As he said in another song called Terrapin Station... The storyteller makes no choice; soon you will not hear his voice; his job is to shed light; and not to master The Grateful Dead are a band that is purely in the moment. The same song, jam, or lyric can have a different meaning from one day to another. If you really want to experience the Dead then I highly recommend their live stuff. The authenticity of their live stuff could not be replicated in the studio. Have fun on your journey!

[@davekriz7019]

There is a lot more of Grateful Dead music to be had. SCARLET BELGONOYAS.

[@whoucisme]

Ripple was a rare one to hear live....they played it very rarely and usually for someone who was terminally ill....when it's your time to be called home...many have it played at their funerals

[@johnr.8275]

I sang and played it at someone else's funeral once. Someone very near and dear to me who died *way* too young. There wasn't a dry eye in the place, my own included. It was so hard to get through the song, but also very soul-cleansing at the same time. They were words that needed to be sung. I still regret that I wimped out and didn't go straight into Brokedown Palace (the ultimate goodbye, really) just like on the album.....but it had been a good long while since I played that song, and remembering which spot has the A minor and the straight A always vexed me unless I practiced the hell out of it. Oh well.

[@donnagonatas3155]

Can't get any more hippie than the Grateful Dead. Been a Deadhead since 1976!!!!!!✌❤

[@jaquestraw1]

Another '76er sister 💖💖

[@Wrangzilla]

I was born in 76 and have listened to the Dead since the 80’s. Can I join the group? Lol

[@donnagonatas3155]

@@Wrangzilla of course!!!!! Can't have too many Deadheads!✌❤

[@barbarascotto3873]

It doesn't matter what year, the bus came by and we all got on. That's what matters ✌️

[@donnagonatas3155]

@@barbarascotto3873 I was 16 in 76. My older sister took me to my first show. Back in the day in Boston they came every year and it was like 7 straight days of shows. Boston turned into San Francisco in 69 every summer! It was just the best!!!!!!✌❤

[@paulweber686]

I believe that most of the early grateful dead lyrics were by Robert Hunter; he was the lyricist for most of their catalog. Unusual that a band would have a lyricist who was not an instrumentalist...

[@fireisle]

John Perry Barlow wrote a lot of the lyrics for Weir's songs. But Robert Hunter did perform the songs he wrote for the Grateful Dead and did have a solo career. He for sure was an instrumentalist.

[@chrisdurham6517]

Ripple means something different with every year and every gray hair. Maybe It's an invitation to launch when we're young, and an invitation to rest as we age, and a Glimpse of the path to whatever is next as we perceive that time up ahead. I miss Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter; I like to think I'll catch up with them when it's time.

[@gevlar]

Bill Graham, famous Rock promoter, once said, “The Grateful Dead aren’t the best at what they do. They’re the only ones who do what they do.” Welcome to the Deadhead Club, Amber. It’s a great place.

[@drkmriggs]

Sounds like something Graham would say!

[@robindavisduckworth8992]

R.I.P. to Jeff LeBar, lead guitarist from Cinderella. I know thos is off topic but can you play " DONT KNOW WHAT YOU GOT UNTILL YOUR GONE". You willl be glad you did.

[@robertcutting4007]

Listening to this song since I was a teenager and I'm 65 now. I believe it's about life and how we live it and what we do with it. Be good humans, peace and love. Life is to short and we all deserve to be happy. I love the song ang love this band. Thank you

[@AustinKloud]

One of my fav’s - Jane’s Addiction covered this song back in the 80’s.

[@theodoreritola9758]

WHO DIDNT cover the 70s lol

[@gennyreese420]

I was never a dead head but I certainly appreciate them for what they are! 20 and 30 years ago my very close friends were actual deadheads, traveled the country with them, had hundreds and hundreds of recordings on cassette tape, did hundreds and hundreds of hits of acid! When you talked about floating the river earlier this year I thought you might enjoy the grateful dead, so I’m really glad you had your first listen and I hope you enjoy more from them in the future. Also interesting, I very clearly to remember the day Jerry Garcia died, my roommate at the time was obsessed with him, and she came into my room bawling exclaiming that Jerry was dead! We had a friend, an actual real life person whose name was Jerry at the time and I thought she meant him! I finally figured out who she meant after going round and round a few times…anyway I’ll never forget that day. Another great act for you all to check out would be Maceo Parker. He happen to be playing that night in Telluride at the fly me to the Moon saloon and we were all already going. The night was insane with intense energy for mourning of Jerry Garcia who had played with Maceo Parker many times and it was a very profound evening I will never forget.💕✌️✨🌙🙏💖

[@jesrush]

Hello Dead Heads!!✌️😊💙🤍🥰

[@barbarascotto3873]

🙋‍♀️😁

[@jesrush]

@@barbarascotto3873 gotta love ‘em! Got my first Dead tatoo in 1990! ✌️😁

[@barbarascotto3873]

@@jesrush I have only one, but headed out on tour in August with Dead and Co, so when I head into Ohio, gonna get more tattoos (I was on vacation in Ohio and got my first one there).

[@jesrush]

@@barbarascotto3873 I got my tattoo in Ohio as well!!✌️😁

[@barbarascotto3873]

@@jesrush haha! That's a coincidence. I live on Long Island and am 47, and was the kind of person who would NEVER get a tattoo, then last September, the love of my life, my partner and soul mate, the man who turned me onto the Dead-- died of cancer. I fled to some friends in Ohio after the funeral to try to deal with his death and we were talking about tattoos and I thought a Dead tattoo would be a great way to honor him. There was a very reputable place not far from where I was (just outside of Cleveland) and I was SO scared, but I survived, and loved it so much (NFA lyrics), I went back the next day for another one. They were able to copy a note he wrote me in his handwriting and tattoo that on my arm. When I go back in Sept, I'm planning to get a Stealie, and about three more Dead lyrics.

[@noenduringcity]

The thing about Robert Hunter's lyrics (he wrote most of the lyrics for Jerry's songs, of which Ripple is one) is that they were specifically written to be open to interpretation. There is no one single meaning. The meaning will be different for each person, and it changes throughout your life. They weren't trying to force a particular meaning or message on people. That being said, there is no such thing as "looking too far into it" with the Grateful Dead. They were/are very, very intelligent people who were/are delving into the deepest mysteries of the human experience. So, the interpretation about the "simple highway" between the dawn and the dark of night is quite appropriate. I'd never thought of it quite like that. I interpret as being about the path between extremes of good and evil, and how we all find our own way on that path. No one else can tell you how to find your path home, and if you're looking for the Grateful Dead to guide you, well, they're trying to find their own way as well. To really "get" the "whole meaning" of this song, a couple of hits of acid will really help. Then all those fragmented meanings and glimpes will come together and you'll get it, at least until it slips through your grasp once again. ;)

[@456012]

I think you guys gotta get back to the Beatles and listen to “come together” 🤟

[@georgelynch6139]

The Dead lyricisms are not what they mean but what “your” interpretation is

[@averagepolishguy3730]

You guys should react to more Amy Winehouse! Try Back to Black, one of her best songs.

[@joshehrendreich4058]

"Shakedown Street" "China Cat Sunflower" "The Golden Road" "Scarlet Begonias" "Mountains of the Moon" "Fire on the Mountain". Also all great songs.

[@trevordoolan5011]

If your lookin' for more beautiful Hippie Songs, you won't go far wrong with -- Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young ~ Wooden Ships (Woodstock 1969) It is one of the most beautiful tunes of... ever✌ .

[@kenlight3793]

Glad to see that you finally discovered the Dead - we all do at some point in time. They have a very eclectic portfolio of over a hundred original songs, plus some amazing covers, representing rock and roll, blues, bluegrass, ballads, country, jazz, funk, acid rock, plus their own unique sound. Here are some wonderful, original Grateful Dead Tunes that I suggest you react to: 1. UNCLE JOHN'S BAND 2. SUGAR MAGNOLIA 3. CHINA CAT SUNFLOWER 4. TRUCKIN' 5. FRIEND OF THE DEVIL 6. TOUCH OF GREY 7. SHAKEDOWN STREET 8. CASEY JONES 9. U.S. BLUES 10. ESTIMATED PROFIT Also, the Dead are know for their live concerts, so if you can react to a concert video (there are thousands available on KZbin) I suggest you try that. And, don't try to fully understand the lyrics - most of the lyrics were written by the late, great Robert Hunter, while in an altered state....

[@fredkrissman6527]

Wow! You saved me A LOT of writing my own comment... Thanx

[@kenlight3793]

@@fredkrissman6527 Sorry for being so verbose - clearly, I have a point of view, when it comes to the Dead :)

[@fredkrissman6527]

No apology needed for grokking the Dead,@@kenlight3793!

[@Ray013]

As a native who grew up in San Francisco and who has seen them in concerts in Golden Gate Park or at the Fillmore and the Avalon Ballroom in the 60's, I will attest that the Dead are the epitome of what you call the Hippy vibe.

[@jessithanks8082]

I always think of this as my dad's song. He's a musician, and he used to play this at his shows a lot when I was little. He's having trouble remembering lyrics these days.

[@drkmriggs]

Lol so am I. God bless your old man.

[@evoshandor11]

The Grateful Dead is the most American Rock Band of all time. Pure Americana. Listen to the Europe 72' double live album for the gold, there is a deep well of music here if you get into the Dead.

[@johnr.8275]

Amen, Ron. THANK you; it's nice to see someone else who gets it. I always thought I was the only guy who said the Dead was the most American rock band of all time. I guess not! They encompassed just about every form of American music at one time or another, sometimes all at once: rock, bluegrass, country, blues, jazz, Cajun, folk etc. There was no one like them, nor will there ever be again. I miss the days of touring with the Dead!!

[@BeastrealDT]

You picked a very good first song as a starting point for your journey into the Grateful Dead. This is from the album, "American Beauty." A record collection is not complete with this album. So much so that the song, "Truckin'", which on that album. The United States Library of Congress declared it a National Treasure. "Ripple in the still water when there is no pebble tossed or wind to blow." We do not realize the lives that we affect every day. Like ripples echoing out we touch others and have impact. We are all one family is what the Grateful Dead are all about. Dead Heads are tribal and welcoming. Their albums vary in styles of psychedelic, folk, rock, jazz, prog, with hints of African, Jamaican & Latin sounds and much more. A live show is an experience like no other. Ask fellow KZbin reactor, Jamel aka Jamal, who went to Dead & Co. (some surviving members and new comers) at the Hollywood Bowl 10-31-2021. He has a video posted Amber will the song, "France." You will loose your minds over, "Terrapin Station." 💀 &🌹4Ever!!! ✌️

[@dennisbrooks8566]

😆👍👊🙏 Makes this old Head smile seeing the reaction. What you do in life leaves Ripples . Which path you walk affects not just you but others .

[@melod7670]

Never heard of the Dead.. Wow. Once you get your feet wet, go to their live jams.. They are THE jam band.

[@bobmessier5215]

This band is best known for turning 3 minute songs into 20 minute jams when they are playing live. Fans (Dead Heads) followed them everywhere (like a moving city) across the country for decades on the band's live tours.

[@emanonfox1709]

the jam band phenomenon is alive and well, gotta love it

[@dawntilley884]

It has a meaning for your different stages of life. In school I hated poetry, then from this song I realized lyrics are just that, poetry for music.

[@treywhitehead2262]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for reacting to this! You picked the right one to start, Amber! I am a (relatively) young 'Deadhead' (as we are called) and was so fortunate to see them 17 times in the 90s with Jerry Garcia (he was the primary singer in this particular song) still alive (he died in 1995). That many times because they played different shows all the time and was not uncommon for them to play multiple shows in each city they visited to showcase this. This is a rabbit hole definitely worth diving down. Larry's comment below listed most of the Dead's most accessible songs for the new listener. Give some of those a try! Love you guys & your vibe! 'Just keep truckin' on.....' (lyrics from the Dead song Truckin')

[@davidpahlka6301]

The Grateful Dead are all about coping with life no matter what life throws at you. Sure, the lyrics make references to drugs but mainly pot and a little booze or a little love. No other band was a one hit wonder, "Touch of Grey", but if I go to my local bar's juke box, there are 2,500+ songs! Maybe more than the Beatles! Each concert was different. If the audience were getting into one particular musician, they'd ad lib, let him run with it. They weren't commercial, only in it for the music and giving their fans an experience. They weren't too much into politics despite the troubled times. CAUTION! Their songs themselves can be addictive. I spent a month's rent just so I could write but instead turned onto the Grateful Dead station and listened to Bob Weir's tales and various songs and only wrote three pages all month. I was living homeless for three months staying a a shelter and a work crew I was assigned with was sent to clean up after their last concert in Vegas. We were standing out side and Bob Weir told the management company if they didn't let us inside, the band would stop playing! We had no drugs only some vitamin water they gave us and we got a contact high just on their music! Swear to God! When I was younger (!8) in the 60's I used to see the Dead all the time around S.F., at the Avalon or Fillmore or playing at a anti-war benefit. Then I took acid or was high on pot, some of my friends were involved with the biggest pot dealers in the West Coast until they were busted in '68". If any of their songs have a message, it is subtle. How they mix blues, blue grass, country, folk, rock and soft jazz is genius. Genius is impossible to explain, just enjoy and don't analyze it too much. It isn't Left brain power they appeal to but the Right, hoping to connect you with the Center front brain power in your forehead which often connects with God!

[@JimCross-b4x]

This is a classic. This song shows how good this group was. They could play straight rock and roll and then come a with a song like this. They were brilliant.

[@willcool713]

I can't believe you guys listened to The Dead. Right- the-f***-On! One of my all time favorite bands. I saw them play for four hours with Bob Dylan, in '87, I think, just a year or so before Jerry Garcia died. This is *the* quintessential Hippie band, almost the very definition in themselves. They had an entire caravan of followers that toured alongside the band. From personal experience I can tell you that except for the Oregon Country Fair and the Rainbow Gathering, there is no place I have ever known where I felt as accepted as a hippie than at a Grateful Dead concert. It felt like coming home.

[@raenellefisher8514]

They have a huge catalog. 184 original songs and 304 covers. Plus, they were, more than anything else, a live band. They have 2000 concerts available, and they prided themselves on never playing songs the same way twice. Huge catalog. I listen every day, for hours, and I haven't heard it all. Robert Hunter wrote the lyrics to this and many of their songs. He is notoriously hard to pin down. You can read multiple meanings into all his songs.

[@sometimesboy]

I haven't heard a lot of GD but I feel like the gist of this song is just about sending out positive vibes out in all directions.

[@Meaghan470]

super special song for me. I had lymphoma at age 18 (1991); I had left a Grateful Dead tape in the deck of my dad's car. He & my mom heard the song one day while I was really sick & the line"If I knew the way.. I would take you home" really hit them hard. (as a parent now I get that) BUT, my husband & I used RIPPLE as our song to end our wedding in 2003 (4 yrs after my dad died) (PS we got married on August 9th 2003 ((the 8th yr anniversary of Jerry Garcia's death) & in our program; we honoured Jerry.

[@roolenoir3183]

Dead Head here!! Y’all are so cute! People used to follow this band all over the US and they were so cool. True hippies

[@gratefulkm]

Hey lady "Listen to Loser" WELCOME And this path will help you FEEL nothing but LOVE

[@bobmcfadden1111]

I saw the Dead half a dozen times back in the day, most of any band. I got into them late but I know people who went to dozens of their shows. Honestly, not the world’s best studio band, but seeing them play live was magic. So much fun! There are plenty of documentaries and clips of Grateful Dead shows on KZbin, check them out, you will love the vibe. A fascinating group with a history that goes back to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, Ken Kesey and the acid tests and so much more. They shouldn’t be analyzed as much as enjoyed. Rock covers, gospel, bluegrass, Americana, plus their original work, they were into everything. Personal aside, I went to James Madison University in the ‘70s. One of the men’s dorms was famous for having a lot of guys who were major Dead fans. Walk by any day and you were liable to hear them playing from someone’s window. Their dorm sports teams were called The Deadheads. Hellishly good soccer teams!

[@chriso6719]

First song that always comes to mind when The Greatful Dead is mentioned is 'Truckin'

[@Calistogakid2u]

Congratulations on a great(ful) first pick. The Dead are impossible to pigeon hole. Folk, blues, rock, psychedelic... Help On the Way/Slipknot/Franklin's Tower, He's Gone, Black Throated Wind, Cassidy, Bird Song, Uncle John's Band. The list goes on.

[@SmilingMedicineEntertainment]

It's such a joy seeing people react to a song and band for the first time I've spent my life listening to and following around the country. This like many of their "philosophy" songs means what YOU think it means. It means what I think it means. It means what all these other folks here thinks it means. It's intentionally vague, and can mean different things as you age and grow. If you listened to the Grateful Dead two years before this song came out, it was a totally different sound, with the same musicians. Two years later, they were into another style. They kept changing and morphing over the years to keep the music fun and interesting. If you wanna check out their psychedelic sound, try Dark Star or The Other One. If you wanna hear them play county, Friend of the Devil or Me and My Uncle. Blues...Hurts Me Too or Death Don't Have No Mercy. Reggae....Estimated Prophet. Funk...Shakedown Street. Polka....Mexicali Blues. Ballads...To Lay Me Down or Broke Down Palace. Jazz...Eyes of the World. Feel like dancin'...Playing in the Band. And forget about the concept of "time". Some of these songs will run 15-20 minutes. When they play them live, which is where the rubber meets the road, they can last 30-40 minutes or more. Enjoy your journey because The Grateful Dead is really traveling music.

[@danheisey9052]

The Dead is in my top 5 of all time bands/artists. Sugar Magnolia is my personal all time favorite Dead tune for sure. Love you guys! You make me smile every day.

[@over-educated-sp]

YYYYYAAAASSSSS! This is the group everyone your age wears with that big skull and lightning. Most are tie died. This song is about fortune, life, etc. play Friend of the Devil. Uncle John’s band, Scarlet Begonias.

[@adiarainfoster]

Ohhhh this is my favorite Grateful Dead song!!! And there's far more depth to it than a lot of people realize i think. Singing music that is a hand-me-down with broken thoughts, people have gone before and sung great songs and you start with that and try to create something new from it. The ripple is you, stirring up the waves by creating something new. the fountain that wasn't made by the hands of men is the fountain of creativity. and talking about leading on the path or falling on the path and no one to help you is in reference to doing things with that creative wellspring that no one has before (specifically in music in this case, I think) and since no one has before, there's no one to guide you. it will either be a huge success or it will fail but you have to stand up and try again. forge ahead and make something new that others will want to do as well, just like many before you have done (thus if you choose to lead, you must follow in the footsteps of others who have also led). Though no one can follow you directly, they can use your creativity to inspire their own and go on to create more new and wonderful things. It's how icons are born

[@seanprice6535]

The Greatful Dead are one of the best bands to come out of the 1960's. Known as a jam band their fans are called Dead Heads and we would follow them from town to town sometimes hitchhiking sometimes catching a ride with friends etc. We always had a groovy time. Check out more of their music, you will dig it. Love you guys, Peace and Love!

[@elaine8013]

This is often played at biker and hippie funerals. I cried listening but at the same time so many beautiful memories of wonderful people who blessed my life.