Dark Star

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Garcia, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, McKernan, Weir

Dark star crashes (note a)
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" - available on the compilation CD What A Long Strange Trip It's Been and as a bonus track on The Golden Road (1965-1973) (thanks to Ben Miller for pointing this out to me). They are also spoken at the end of the Henry Kaiser version on "Those Who Know History ..."
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
Notes
(a) in some versions (eg 16 Mar 1968 and 18 Feb 1971) Jerry sings "Dark star flashes"

Grateful Dead Recordings
     studio 1967 Live/Dead (single version) (note 1)
     23 Feb 1968 Dick's Picks Vol 22
     16 Mar 1968 So Many Roads (1965-1995)
     24 Aug 1968 Two From The Vault
     11 Feb 1969 Fillmore East 2-11-69
     27 Feb 1969 Live/Dead (note 8)
     28 Feb 1969 Fillmore West 1969 - The Complete Recordings
      1 Mar 1969 Fillmore West 1969 - The Complete Recordings
      2 Mar 1969 Fillmore West 1969 - The Complete Recordings
     17 Apr 1969 Download Series Vol 12
     27 Apr 1969 Dick's Picks Vol 26
      8 Nov 1969 Dick's Picks Vol 16
     13 Feb 1970 Dick's Picks Vol 4
     28 Apr 1971 Ladies And Gentlemen ... The Grateful Dead
      3 Oct 1971 Dick's Picks Vol 2
     23 Mar 1972 Rockin' The Rhein (bonus disc)
      8 Apr 1972 Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72 (note 2)
     24 Apr 1972 Rockin' The Rhein
     21 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 36
     27 Sep 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 11
     26 Feb 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 28
     19 Oct 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 19
     11 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     30 Nov 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 14 (note 3)
     23 Jun 1974 So Many Roads (1965-1995) (note 3)
     10 Sep 1974 Dick's Picks Vol 7
     18 Oct 1974 Grateful Dead Movie (DVD and CD)
     31 Dec 1978 The Closing Of The Winterland (DVD & CD)
     16 Oct 1989 Nightfall Of Diamonds
     12 Jul 1990 View From The Vault II (DVD & CD soundtrack)
     14 Jun 1991 View From The Vault II (note 5) (DVD & CD soundtrack)
     16 Dec 1992 Dick's Picks Vol 27 (note 6)

(1) hidden track on remastered album, originally issued as part of the box set The Golden Road (1965-1973). Also included on the compilation What A Long Strange Trip It's Been
(2) an exceprt from this "Dark Star" was also included on the box set of LPs issued to raise money for the Glastonbury Fayre festival.
(3) jam only - no lyrics
(4) on DVD and CD only - not on videocassette versions
(5) first verse only
(6) second verse only
(7) a recording from Mickey and the Heartbeats playing at the Matrix on 30 Oct 1968 (jam only: no lyrics) has also been issued on CD, though not officially by the Dead
(8) also on Fillmore West 1969 -The Complete Recordings


Recordings from dead.net Tapers Section

"The Dead" Concert Recordings

Ratdog Live CD Series
 
Phil Lesh and Friends Recordings
     18 May 2006 Live At The Warfield
     19 May 2006 Live At The Warfield

Phil Lesh and Friends Digital Download Series
 
Other Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
     1989 Fresh Tracks In Real Time Tom Constanten
     1989 Those Who Know History Are Doomed To Repeat It Henry Kaiser
     1990 Heart's Desire Henry Kaiser (note 9)
     1992 Nightfall Of Diamonds Tom Constanten
     1993 A Historical Retrospective Solar Circus
     1993 Dead Ringers Dead Ringers
     1996 Dark Star: The Music Of The Grateful Dead David Murray Octet
     1997 Pickin' On The Grateful Dead David West et al
     1997 Space Debris Space Debris
     1998 Realms Jamie Janover (instrumental)
     1998 Blue Light Rain Jazz Is Dead
     1998 Welcome To Our World (For Members Only) JGB
     1998 3-13-98 Big Wu (jam only)
     1998 Live With His Funky Friends Merl Saunders
     2000 Stolen Roses David Grisman Quintet
     2000 Struggling Man Merl Saunders
     2000 Search For Intelligent Life Dose Hermanos
     2000 The Serpent Unrolled Fit And Limo
     2000 Grateful Dreams Tom Constanten
     2001 The Sea To The North Garth Hudson
     31 Dec 2001 There And Back Again Phil Lesh & Friends (note 10)
     2002 Electronic Tribute To The Grateful Dead Various (J.P.Melen)
     2002 88 Keys To Tomorrow Tom Constanten
     2003 Pluck! Eric Golub
     2003 Live On Tour Merl Saunders and Melvin Seals
     2005 Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares David Grisman Quintet
     2005 Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares John Ginty and Kathy Phillips
     2005 Live At Mojo Dreadnought

(9) this version is also on Henry Kaiser's "Eternity Blue"
(10) included on a bonus disk with early copies of "There And Back Again"
(11) the Branford Marsalis live album "Bloomington" has a few bars of the introduction to "Dark Star" played between songs in response to a request from the audience
(12) Ratdog's CD Live At Roseland contains an (uncredited) Dark Star Jam in the track "Ashes And Glass"
(4) Little Feat have released live versions of "Dark Star" jams on some of their concert albums


Futher Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For information on references in the lyrics see David Dodd's Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For sheet music, see:
          Grateful Dead Anthology Volume 1 (piano arrangement)
          Grateful Dead Authentic Guitar Classics Volume 2 (guitar TAB)

 

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