Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia/Bob Weir/Phil Lesh
A mainstay of the Grateful Dead's concert performances, and now played
by Ratdog, Phil Lesh & Friends, The Other Ones etc.
Truckin' got my chips cashed inRobert Hunter sings an additional verse (never sung by the Dead so far as I know):
Keep truckin' like the doodah man
Together, more or less in line
Just keep truckin' on
Arrows of neon and flashing marquees out on Main Street
Chicago, New York, Detroit and its all the same street
Your typical city involved in a typical daydream
Hang it up and see what tomorrow brings
Dallas got a soft machine
Houston too close to New Orleans
New York got the ways and means
But just won't let you be
Most of the cats that you meet on the street speak of true love
Most of the time they're sitting and crying at home
One of these days they know they gotta get going
Out of the door and into the street all alone
Truckin' like the doodah man
Once told me "Gotta play your hand
Sometimes the cards ain't worth a dime
If you don't lay them down"
Sometimes the lights all shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it's been
What in the world ever became of sweet Jane? (note 1)
She lost her sparkle you know she isn't the same
Living on reds and vitamin C and cocaine
All her friends can say is ain't it a shame
Truckin' up to Buffalo
Been thinking you got to mellow slow
Takes time, you pick a place to go
Just keep truckin' on
Sitting and staring out of the hotel window
Got a tip they're gonna kick the door in again
Like to get some sleep before I travel
But if you got a warrant I guess you're gonna come in
Busted down on Bourbon Street
Set up like a bowling pin
Knocked down, it gets to wearing thin
They just won't let you be
You're sick of hanging around, you'd like to travel
Get tired of travelling you want to settle down
I guess they can't revoke your soul for trying
Get out of the door, light out and look all around
Sometimes the lights all shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it's been
Truckin' I'm a going home
Whoa, whoa, baby, back where I belong
Back home, sit down and patch my bones
And get back truckin' on
Once in a while when the music gets into the streetRobert Hunter through in a couple of additional verses in a performance on 18 November 1981:
Fifty old ladies buck every cop on the beat
They're putting the lock on Lindley Meadow and Kezar
Beginning to look like we can't play in the park
S.F. - that's an open town
Sometimes, it even makes a sound
Caution, spread the word around
Before them mother-truckers close it down
Enjoy yourself if just becauseNotes
Later than you thought it was
Just in case you're in the pink
It's later than you thought, I think
Take it away, take it away
Enjoy yourself if only that
There's more than one way to skin a cat
Stop at the teeth and keep it neat
So even [skindy] lands on his feet
Take it away, take it away
What in the world ever became of sweet Jane?More recently, Bob Weir has sometimes taken to singing "procaine" instead of "cocaine"
Since she had a sex change you know she isn't the same
[or: Ever since she went and had her frontal lobes changed ...]
Living on valium, ginseng and Contra cocaine
All her friends say ain't it a fuckin' shame
Recordings from dead.net Tapers Section
"The Dead" Concert Recordings
Ratdog Live CD Series
Phil Lesh and Friends Digital Download Series
| Dead-related recordings | |||||
| Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
| 1993 | Dead Ringers | Dead Ringers | |||
| Tribute Albums | |||||
| Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
| 1991 | Deadicated | Dwight Yoakim | |||
| 1996 | Long Live The Dead | Billy & Terry Smith | |||
| 1997 | Fire On The Mountain | Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead Vol 2 (Wailing Souls) | |||
| 1997 | Pickin' On The Grateful Dead | David West et al | |||
| 1999 | Swingin' To The Grateful Dead | Steve Marsh et al | |||
| 2001 | Gratefully Yours | Jim Hudak | |||
| 2001 | Blues Tribute To The Grateful Dead | Various (Richie And The Pocket Rockets) | |||
| 2002 | Electronic Tribute To The Grateful Dead | Various (J.P.Melen) | |||
| 2003 | Ukelele Summit 5 | Various (Mark Cass & Uke Topia) | |||
| Covers By Other Artists | |||||
| Date | Album | Recorded By | |||
| 1972 | The Incomparable ... | Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (note d) | |||
| 1973 | Watkin's Glen | King's Road | |||
| 1982 | White EP | Pop-O-Pies | |||
| 1984 | Joe's Second Record | Pop-O-Pies | |||
| 1989 | No Time | The Squalls | |||
| 1990 | Five Man Acoustic Jam | Tesla | |||
Truckin' got my chips cashed in
Keep truckin' like the doodah man
Together, more or less in line
Just keep truckin' on
Arrows of neon and flashing marquees out on Main Street
Chicago, New York, Detroit and its all the same street
Your typical city involved in a typical daydream
Hang it up and see what tomorrow brings
Dallas got a soft machine
Houston too close to New Orleans
New York got the ways and means
But just won't let you be
[cut]
What in the world ever became of sweet Jane?
She lost her sparkle you know she isn't the same
Living on reds and vitamin C and cocaine
All her friends can say is ain't it a shame
Truckin' up to Buffalo
Been thinking you got to mellow slow
Takes time, you pick a place to go
Just keep truckin' on
[cut]
You're sick of hanging around, you'd like to travel
Get tired of travelling you want to settle down
I guess they can't revoke your soul for trying
Get out of the door, light out and look all around
Sometimes the lights all shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it's been
Truckin' I'm a going home
Whoa, whoa, baby, back where I belong
Back home, sit down and patch my bones
And get back truckin' on