10 Awesome Grateful Dead Songs You May Not Know

Photo: By Warner Bros. Records (Billboard, page 9, 5 December 1970) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A friend of mine once said he never got the whole Deadhead thing until he saw the Grateful Dead live. Anyone who is a true Grateful Dead head understands exactly what my friend was talking about. Seeing the Grateful Dead while Jerry Garcia was alive was akin to a religious experience. Seeing the Grateful Dead changed you. If it did not, you probably should not have been to the show in the first place. There are very few bands or artists that have ever had that strong an effect on their fans. I have seen hundreds of concerts in my life, and only a handful went beyond just the entertainment value. Bruce Springsteen and Led Zeppelin in the 70s, The Doors, James Brown, and Janis Joplin in the late 60s, and Prince in the mid-80s were shows that transformed the human body and spirit. However, a 1960s or 1970s Grateful Dead concert could not be compared to anything else.

There are so many Top 10 Grateful Dead songs articles that have been published. They all contain the same songs, Sugar Magnolia, Casey Jones, and so on. There is a need to publish another list just like that. We thought it would be more interesting to publish an article highlighting 10 great Grateful Dead songs that the casual listener may not be aware of. Any true Dead Head will absolutely know these songs, but the average listener may not. We picked songs from the band’s catalog, starting with their debut album and ending with Steal Your Face. The songs have been chosen in chronological order. It was a tough list to put together because from 1967 to 1977, the Grateful Dead released so much great material.

# 10 – Morning Dew

If you ever saw the Grateful Dead live and heard them perform “Morning Dew,” you would instantly understand what my friend was talking about. “Morning Dew” was released on the band’s debut album in 1967. It was the opening track on side two of the record. The song was written by Bonnie Dobson and Tim Rose. The lead vocal was sung by Jerry Garcia. It is the perfect song to open up our 10 Deep Tracks Grateful Dead Songs

# 9 – That’s It For The Other One

Anthem of the Sun (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition)

The great Grateful Dead musical journey presented in the “That’s It For The Other One,” was released on the band’s second album entitled Anthem of the Sun. The song combines studio and live performances. Songwriting credits include Jerry Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Ron McKernan, Bob Weir, and Tom Constanten. The composition contains four movements. “Cryptical Envelopment,” written and sung by Garcia, was performed from 1967 to 1971, then dropped and revived for select performances in 1985. “Quadlibet for Tenderfeet” is a brief instrumental section that connects the first and third movements, featuring audible transitions between studio and live recordings. “The Faster We Go, the Rounder We Get” was composed by Kreutzmann and Weir, with Weir on vocals. This movement became one of the band’s most frequently performed pieces with 586 documented live performances. The section is typically shortened to “The Other One” in concert and has reached 30 minutes or longer in some performances.

Weir’s lyrics reference the Merry Pranksters and Neal Cassady. The line “the heat came ’round and busted me for smilin’ on a cloudy day” refers to Weir’s arrest for throwing a water balloon at a police officer. The movement ends with a reprise of “Cryptical Envelopment.” “We Leave the Castle,” composed by Constanten, is an avant-garde piece featuring prepared piano and studio effects and represents his only songwriting contribution to the band.

# 8 – China Cat Sunflower

Bob Weir’s great bass-driven groovy track “China Cat Sunflower” was first recorded for the Grateful Dead’s 1969 studio album Aoxomoxoa at Pacific Recording Studios in San Mateo, California. The single was released June 20, 1969, on Warner Bros. Records with a runtime of 3 minutes and 40 seconds, backed with “St. Stephen” on the B-side. Jerry Garcia composed the music, Robert Hunter wrote the lyrics, and Garcia typically provided vocals. The production credit goes to the Grateful Dead. The song begins with two distinct guitar riffs: the first by Garcia, with a second by Bob Weir interwoven on top. The lyrics reference Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, George Herriman’s Krazy Kat, and Dame Edith Sitwell’s “Polka.” The Grateful Dead first performed “China Cat Sunflower” on January 17, 1968, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco, then known as the Carousel Ballroom.

# 7 – Dupree’s Diamond Blues

The Aoxomoxoa album was such an incredible record that we could not just choose one song from the album. Our second choice to list on our 10 Awesome Grateful Dead Songs You May Not Know list was the great track “Dupree’s Diamond Blues.”

# 6 – Black Peter

“Black Peter” has always been a huge favorite among Dead Heads. The song was released on Grateful Dead’s album Workingman’s Dead. The album was released in 1970. The song was written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. It appeared as the second track on side two of the record.

# 5 – Till The Mornin’ Comes

As we continue our 10 Awesome Grateful Dead Songs You May Not Know list, we arrive at the classic American Beauty album. The record was such a huge commercial success for the band that it was difficult to find a great track on the album that rock fans may not know. Whether you know it or not, the song “Till The Morning Comes” defines the spirit of Jerry Garcia

# 4 – Weather Report Suite

The “Weather Report Suite,’ was the brilliant 12-minute musical adventure written by Bob Weir. The suite appeared on the 1973 album “Wake of the Flood.” It was the album’s closing musical number.

# 3 – China Doll

The Grateful Dead recording of “China Doll” appeared on the band’s album From the Mars Hotel. It was written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. China Doll appeared as the second song on the album’s opening side. The album was released in 1974.

# 2 – Crazy Fingers

The great Jerry Garcia song “Crazy Fingers” was released on the Blues For Allah album. The song opened side two of the record. It was written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter. The album Blues for Allah was released in 1974

# 1 – Sugaree

We conclude our 10 Awesome Grateful Dead Songs You May Not Know list with a song that was released on the band’s double LP Steal Your Face. The album was released in 1976. The great track “Sugaree” was placed as the opening song on the album’s fourth side. Once again, it was another great song written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia.

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