Written by Jerome Garcia and Robert Hunter
Recorded by the Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead's outstanding songwriting is often lost within the popular focus on their improvisational approach to music and cultural influence. But behind all the smoke, jamming, and dancing is a large library of incredible songs and Americana. Black Peter perfectly exemplifies this - and it features one of my favorite bridges!
The song's protagonist narrates his last few days from his deathbed. He’s not looking for a grand send-off, just a few friends to share his last hours on earth, because “tomorrow, maybe go beneath the ground.”
And this is generally our protagonist’s take on his situation throughout the verses of the song. He wants to die peacefully. The laidback 7th-chord bluesy groove throughout captures the sweet sendoff of a dying man – but then comes our bridge, introduced by way of change in key.
See here how everything lead up to this day
And it's just like any other day that's ever been
Sun going up and then the sun, it going down
Shine through my window and my friends, they come around
While his own life and impending death mean everything to this man, the earth will continue to spin as it does every day. But if we can accept that we’re mere specks of dust within the history of the universe, we can also appreciate the beauty of everything around us and our role as part of an endless thread of living and dying matter. This might be the last time he sees the sunrise and he wants to feel the warm glow in his room and spend these precious last moments with friends. Beyond his friends, he's just a poor dying man worthy of spectacle but not pity. And he joyfully accepts this. The beauty of this sentiment and the imagery of Hunter’s lyrics are, as always, matched perfectly with Garcia’s songwriting.
If you're playing along at home, one might wonder, which version of Black Peter should I listen to? With the Dead, that’s always a good question, as their music was built upon a guiding principle that the best version of a song is the one you’re currently creating. Additionally, they’re known as a live band and their studio versions of songs are often premature for a song’s development, overproduced, or simply uninspired. But with Black Peter, I’m confident in recommending the studio recording from Workingman’s Dead. The band is relaxed and perfectly within their element, Jerry’s vocals are sweet and heartbreaking, and the bridge gently flows back into the final verse guided by Pigpen’s mellifluous harmonica. Sadly, Pigpen’s health quickly declined in the few years following this release, and by his own choice and isolation during his final days, he was not surrounded by friends.
You won’t find harmonica on any live versions, but if you have the time, in addition to the studio version, you can also enjoy twenty-five years of outstanding concert performances, each one a little different than the other. So go ahead and roll on up, roll back down, and enjoy!
-MJK
Recorded by the Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead's outstanding songwriting is often lost within the popular focus on their improvisational approach to music and cultural influence. But behind all the smoke, jamming, and dancing is a large library of incredible songs and Americana. Black Peter perfectly exemplifies this - and it features one of my favorite bridges!
The song's protagonist narrates his last few days from his deathbed. He’s not looking for a grand send-off, just a few friends to share his last hours on earth, because “tomorrow, maybe go beneath the ground.”
And this is generally our protagonist’s take on his situation throughout the verses of the song. He wants to die peacefully. The laidback 7th-chord bluesy groove throughout captures the sweet sendoff of a dying man – but then comes our bridge, introduced by way of change in key.
See here how everything lead up to this day
And it's just like any other day that's ever been
Sun going up and then the sun, it going down
Shine through my window and my friends, they come around
While his own life and impending death mean everything to this man, the earth will continue to spin as it does every day. But if we can accept that we’re mere specks of dust within the history of the universe, we can also appreciate the beauty of everything around us and our role as part of an endless thread of living and dying matter. This might be the last time he sees the sunrise and he wants to feel the warm glow in his room and spend these precious last moments with friends. Beyond his friends, he's just a poor dying man worthy of spectacle but not pity. And he joyfully accepts this. The beauty of this sentiment and the imagery of Hunter’s lyrics are, as always, matched perfectly with Garcia’s songwriting.
If you're playing along at home, one might wonder, which version of Black Peter should I listen to? With the Dead, that’s always a good question, as their music was built upon a guiding principle that the best version of a song is the one you’re currently creating. Additionally, they’re known as a live band and their studio versions of songs are often premature for a song’s development, overproduced, or simply uninspired. But with Black Peter, I’m confident in recommending the studio recording from Workingman’s Dead. The band is relaxed and perfectly within their element, Jerry’s vocals are sweet and heartbreaking, and the bridge gently flows back into the final verse guided by Pigpen’s mellifluous harmonica. Sadly, Pigpen’s health quickly declined in the few years following this release, and by his own choice and isolation during his final days, he was not surrounded by friends.
You won’t find harmonica on any live versions, but if you have the time, in addition to the studio version, you can also enjoy twenty-five years of outstanding concert performances, each one a little different than the other. So go ahead and roll on up, roll back down, and enjoy!
-MJK
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