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Dead songs (and covers) whose lyrics start with the title


John A

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For no good reason other than weird thoughts about the Grateful Dead follow me around, I randomly mused this afternoon about Dead songs, categorized separately by originals and covers, where the opening words are the song's title.

 

Nothing came to mind instantly, although after thinking for a couple minutes I had a small list.  I thought a bit more, and the list kept growing, but I quickly got stuck.  Note there's a handful of examples that almost qualify but not quite, like Attics ("In the attics of my life" opens the song), One The Road Again ("She's on the road again"), and Smokestack ("Whoa-oh smokestack Lightning"). 

 

So tonight I was motivated to look trough a list of song the Dead played and see what said perusal might uncover.  My cursory research totals 16 originals Grateful Dead songs and 8 non obscure covers that fit the bill.  In fairness, I got less than half of these on my own.

 

Anyone want to take a stab at some of these? I'll be interested in one's I missed...

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Don't Ease Me In doesn't count because "don't ease, don't ease" opens the song.

 

Dear Mr. Fantasy didn't make my list; well done Billy Delyon. So we're now up to at lease 16 original and 9 covers.

 

Thus far by my count 13 of the originals and 5 of the covers have been named.  Good work, folks! And kudos to 2muchfun, who has dominated the proceedings.

 

At least 3 originals and 4 covers still to go....maybe more?

 

 

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I didn't count Here Come Sunshine because only in the reimagined version that showed up in the 90s did it start that way. And Dancing' doesn't count because it opens with "dancin', dancin', dancin' in the streets"

 

But with Schoolgirl and Boss Man we're down to 2 covers from my list.

 

And with Cosmic we're also down to 2 originals from my list.

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33 minutes ago, John A said:

I didn't count Here Come Sunshine because only in the reimagined version that showed up in the 90s did it start that way. 

 

Good call. I only heard the 90s version

in my head.

 

Praise DSO.

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And with Mountains of the Moon we are now waiting on 1 original and 2 covers (or anything else I may have missed).

 

edit:  I just came up with another cover. Hint - it's quite obscure, done by Bobby in 1985. Woe is the OCD Deadhead. 😂

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Dead didn't play Easy To Slip, plus it starts with "it's so", nor did the Dead play Breadbox which is technically called "Move Along" I think anyway, and Ain't Superstitious starts with "well"... Tea, sing Race Is On to yourself again and get back to us. 😜

 

But, we have Tea with Next Time You See Me, and 2muchfun back again strong with Till The Morning Comes.

 

That leaves just 2 covers on my (new) list, having come up with the obscure 1985 Bobby cover.  The other cover hint: while the song starts with the title, it isn't sung straight up but rather in a drawn out fashion.  This might get knocked off in 24 hours.  Good work by the Starheads. 👍

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Aww, man, neither Satisfaction nor Hey Jude made it to my list.  Good ones!

 

So the covers has swelled to 14, because I got 2 more myself.  I'll reveal one of them as Stir It Up, which could be controversial because they never really did the whole song.  Only a train wreck of a stab it it in Hampton '88.  Bobby aborted after about a verse, and Jerry for whatever reason wasn't interested in helping him! But I think it still makes the list.

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Originals list is now down to 15.  I, and A. Crew as well, have erred.  "Mountains of the moon" opens the second line of the first verse. Damn it!

 

edit: and the cover list has now come side by side with 15 as well.  Just got a new one. Shit.

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