Robert Hunter, Grateful Dead lyricist, dead at 78 – Sept. 23, 2019
“It is with great sadness we confirm our beloved Robert passed away yesterday night,” Hunter’s family announced in a statement. “He died peacefully at home in his bed, surrounded by love. His wife Maureen was by his side holding his hand. For his fans that have loved and supported him all these years, take comfort in knowing that his words are all around us, and in that way his is never truly gone. In this time of grief please celebrate him the way you all know how, by being together and listening to the music. Let there be songs to fill the air.”
Robert C. Hunter (June 23, 1941 – September 23, 2019) was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead. (Wikipedia)
Of course there is no need to tell that to a Deadhead. His words mean more to us than anyone else’s words can tell. How much, he’ll never know.
In the moment, nothing better than Hunter’s own words, which dare to speak with the wisdom of a child, directly from the heart…
Attics of My Life
In the attics of my life Full of cloudy dreams; unreal Full of tastes no tongue can know And lights no eye can see When there was no ear to hear You sang to me
I have spent my life Seeking all that’s still unsung Bent my ear to hear the tune And closed my eyes to see When there were no strings to play You played to me
In the book of love’s own dreams Where all the print is blood Where all the pages are my days And all my lights grow old When I had no wings to fly You flew to me You flew to me
In the secret space of dreams Where I dreaming lay amazed When the secrets all are told And the petals all unfold When there was no dream of mine You dreamed of me
~
Attics Of My Life Lyrics by Robert Hunter, Music by Jerry Garcia
Deadheadland will be finding many ways to pay tribute to our sage poet. We love you Robert, and are so very grateful for all you gave us.
Safe travels through the bardos, or whatever you see next.
Jerry, my friend,
you’ve done it again,
even in your silence
the familiar pressure
comes to bear, demanding
I pull words from the air
with only this morning
and part of the afternoon
to compose an ode worthy
of one so particular
about every turn of phrase,
demanding it hit home
in a thousand ways
before making it his own,
and this I can’t do alone.
Now that the singer is gone,
where shall I go for the song?
Without your melody and taste
to lend an attitude of grace
a lyric is an orphan thing,
a hive with neither honey’s taste
nor power to truly sting.
What choice have I but to dare and
call your muse who thought to rest
out of the thin blue air
that out of the field of shared time,
a line or two might chance to shine —
As ever when we called,
in hope if not in words,
the muse descends.
How should she desert us now?
Scars of battle on her brow,
bedraggled feathers on her wings,
and yet she sings, she sings!
May she bear thee to thy rest,
the ancient bower of flowers
beyond the solitude of days,
the tyranny of hours–
the wreath of shining laurel lie
upon your shaggy head
bestowing power to play the lyre
to legions of the dead
If some part of that music
is heard in deepest dream,
or on some breeze of Summer
a snatch of golden theme,
we’ll know you live inside us
with love that never parts
our good old Jack O’Diamonds
become the King of Hearts.
I feel your silent laughter
at sentiments so bold
that dare to step across the line
to tell what must be told,
so I’ll just say I love you,
which I never said before
and let it go at that old friend
the rest you may ignore.
This documents the recently surfaced studio recordings Robert Hunter did with the band Comfort, along with live recordings of select songs that aren’t available in Studio form (“Jesse James”, “She Gives Me Love”) for his still-unreleased album called “Alligator Moon”, supposed to be released around 1978.
The suite of songs, known as the “Alligator Moon Suite”: “Mesa Linda”; Domino, Cigarette and Melina; Domino; Blue Note; New East St. Louis Blues; and “Cigarette” (not in circulation/ not part of the suite although it seems as though it was written for it.) were all recorded (as from well as the full album most likely) was recorded on 10/18/1977 at Front Street Recording studio. These songs are in their Rough Mix form.
“Drunkard’s Carol(e)” (sometimes spelled and sung as the name “Carole”, along with “Promontory Rider”, and “Hooker’s Ball” were all released on the career retrospective “Promontory Rider” Compilation in 1984.
The only live song is “Jesse James”, as there is currently no studio version of it.
“She Gives Me Love” is the only song where it has both no studio version, nor a live version, so it is omitted. It would have been the lead-off track to start the album.
This portrays what the album sounded like mostly studio, and some of their live output. Hunter had stated that it worked better as a live recording (to which, i agree.)
Although deaddisc.com points out that it would be listed in reverse order (alligator Moon Suite on side 1/ Side 2 (Drunkards Carole etc..), i’ve reverted the order back to which was common in the days of vinyl.
1. Drunkard’s Carol – 0:00 (from “Promontory Rider” LP)
Alligator Moon Suite:
A) Mesa Linda – 15:18 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
B) Domino, Cigarette and Melina – 19:43 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
C) Domino – 21:13 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
D) Blue Note – 25:15 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
E) New East St. Louis Blues/Cigarette – 29:36 (from “Studio Rough Mix” of Album, 10/18/1977 Front Street)
Personnel are as follows:
Robert Hunter – guitar, vocals
Marleen Molle – vocals
Kathleen Klein – vocals
Kevin Morgenstern – electric guitar
Richard McNees – keyboards
Larry Klein – electric 6-string bass
Rodney Albin – Vina, violin, mandolin?
Pat Lorenzano – drums.
Credits:
• Producer – Bob Matthews
• Engineer – Betty Cantor-Jackson
• Produced at Front Street, California.
