back in 71

I lived in Eastern Pennsylvania

I was my Mama´s son

When you walked in our door

A sign hung on the wall

"This is a Grateful Dead house"

It didn´t say no more

We were Workingman´s Dead

Saint Stephen too

You didn´t have to wait in line

´Cause there was no queue

In a blue denim shirt he was a god to me

I never heard a guitar that could sound so free

And I never thought that I would be dancing on his grave

We would journey on down

to the Fillmore East

Uncle Bobo was there

Throwing tickets in the street

Old Bill used to say

That on a given night

The greatest band in the world

Is gonna treat you right

I´d sit with my brother

And God strike me down

That when the acid kicked in

The band tore the house down

At five in the morning we would make our way

Still tripping in the light of day

But we never thought that we would be dancing on his grave

And the Pigpen died

I couldn´t listen no more

You know he liked his wine

There was a devil at the door

I heard the people started coming

They came and came

The "Love Light" turned into "Not Fade Away"

Like a Fender Twin just about to blow

Gasping at its final show

Something seemed to make the music change

The man was a workhorse

He was born to play

He did what he had to do

Just to give it all away

Fear will make you sick

Fame will make you drown

It´s like a ball and chain

Not to let the people down

Holed up in some cubicle

Looking for a miracle

Dreaming of the way things used to be

It´s an inside story

It ain´t mine to know

I think he lost his life

To do one more show

Now I´m playing for the Deadheads

On a given night

A man´s gotta make a living

But it don´t seem right

In a blue denim shirt he was a god to me

I never heard a guitar that could sound so free

But I never thought that I would be dancing on his grave