Chris Hillman (formerly of the Byrds) on Morning Sky.This version included on What a Long, Strange Trip It's Been."Ripple" appeared in the middle of the first set, an acoustic set,īetween "Dark Hollow" and "Brokedown Palace." The "Brokedown Palace" was alsoĪ premiere, as was the show's "Operator," and Classic Grateful Dead: Selections From "American Beauty"įirst performed on August 18, 1970, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.(The film aired on VH-1 on April 16, 1997.) According to an interview with Hunter in a documentary film by Jeremy Marre, "Ripple," "Brokedown Palace" and "To Lay Me Down" were all composed in one afternoon, over a half-bottle of retsina. The poet isĬompassionate, as shown by the last line, but wants us to realize The final verse conveys optimistic hopelessness. Individual life in the pool of universal life. Thought in an individual mind the second time a ripple is an Symbol of an individual life, caused by nothing a disappearingīack into still water, back into the fountain not made by people.Ī life is a ripple. The chorus follows, and in this context the ripple has become a (For an alternate take, see email from Linda Gershon) (death) is a metaphor for life, each life being individual. The next verse takes the song from the universalīack to the individual. Was not made by human hands, represents a cosmic or universal This cup, moreover, can be refilled at a fountain which, since it The first contains aīenediction, wishing the listener a "full cup," or a happy life. The next two verses introduce new themes. The visions will return! And lo, he stays,Īnd soon the fragments dim of lovely formsĬome trembling back, unite, and now once more The stream will soon renew its smoothness, soon Poor youth! who scarcely dar'st lift up thine eyes. Vanishes, and a thousand circlets spread,Īnd each mis-shape the other. Ripple is in accordance with Samuel Taylor Coleridge's imagery inĭescribing the fleetingness of the altered state in "Kubla Khan": His choice of a pool of water being momentarily disturbed by a Goes with any attempt to describe experience in an altered state. It is possible that Hunter's thoughts were bornįrom the experience of altered states, and the frustration that Reason can be imposed on thinking, or that anything reasonableĬan come from thinking, since communication of thought willĪlways be flawed. Verse form to express this idea, which is contrary to WesternĬivilization's principle of logical, rational thought. Suggests that thought is like a ripple, not caused by anything,Īnd doomed to be fleeting, not to be held. It is set apart formally from the rest of the song, beingĪ seventeen-syllable haiku. The chorus is the main puzzle of the song, as highlighted by the But the poet concludes that even though 'the thoughts are Thoughts will actually occur to the person who is now singing the Since it is questionable whether any of the original poet's Identification between singer and listener can never be total, The next verse continues this theme, but points out that the Mortality, since his thoughts will continue to generate new In this way, the original poet breaks out of So the relationship between poet and reader is unity they areīoth the poet. Opening up a discussion of the relationship between the singerĪnd the listener, who will also, it is hoped, come to be The poet expresses concern that the song be sung by other people, Tune, so that the listener is prepared to think about the song. Hunterīegins the verse by invoking the elements of song: words and Song, about listening to the song and making it your own. The first verse, addressing the listener, is about Hunter, in choosing the folk lyric format, has infused it with Sense of cosmic oneness, and of East meeting West. Late 1960's, with overtones of that Haight-Ashbury era, such as a A true song is meant to be sung, and so its words mustīe easy to remember, unless it is an experimental or art song.īut Hunter wrote "Ripple" in the folk song tradition during the "Ripple" is a song lyric by Robert Hunter. Hunter has posted the manuscript of an early draft of the song in his archives. If you should stand then who's to guide you? It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken Would you hold it near as it were your own? Would you hear my voice come through the music If my words did glow with the gold of sunshineĪnd my tunes were played on the harp unstrung Reproducedīy arrangement with Ice Nine Publishing Co., Inc. ("Ripple" composed and written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. Words by Robert Hunter music by Jerry Garcia. Dowling's "Ripple": A Minor ExcursusĪlso, a sermon, "No Simple Highway," by Elizabeth Greene, is available. The Annotated "Ripple" "Let there be songs to fill the air" The Annotated "Ripple"Īn installment in The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics.ġ997-98 Research Associate, Music Dept., University of California, Santa Cruz
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