Cassidy (song)

Last updated
"Cassidy"
Song by Bob Weir
from the album Ace
ReleasedMay 1972
RecordedJanuary–March 1972
Genre Folk rock, Country rock
Length3:41
Label Warner Bros. Records
Composer(s) Bob Weir
Lyricist(s) John Perry Barlow

"Cassidy" is a song written by John Barlow and Bob Weir [1] and performed by the Grateful Dead, Ratdog, and Phil Lesh & Friends. [2] The song appeared on Bob Weir's Ace , and the Grateful Dead's Reckoning and Without a Net albums. [3]

The song was named after Cassidy Law, who was born in 1970 and was the daughter of Grateful Dead crew member Rex Jackson and Weir's former housemate Eileen Law. [1] The lyrics also allude to Neal Cassady, who was associated with the Beats in the 1950s [4] and the Acid Test scene that spawned the Grateful Dead in the 1960s. Some of the lyrics in the song were also inspired by the death of Barlow's father. [5]

The song was quoted in the admiring and admirable obituary of Barlow in The Economist .

The song was first performed on March 23, 1974 at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. [3]

Cover versions

In 1991, Suzanne Vega recorded a version of this song on the album Deadicated . [2]

The Grateful Dead released a live version on their 1981 album Reckoning .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Hunter (lyricist)</span> American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet

Robert C. Christie Hunter was an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator and poet, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead. Born near San Luis Obispo, California, Hunter spent some time during his childhood in foster homes as a result of his father abandoning his family, and took refuge in reading and writing. He attended the University of Connecticut for a year before returning to Palo Alto, where he became friends with musician Jerry Garcia. Hunter and Garcia began a collaboration that lasted through the remainder of Garcia's life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Mydland</span> American keyboardist, songwriter and singer (1952–1990)

Brent Mydland was an American keyboardist, song writer and singer. He was a member of the rock band The Grateful Dead from 1979 to 1990, a longer tenure than any other keyboardist in the band.

<i>Europe 72</i> 1972 live album by Grateful Dead

Europe '72 is a live triple album by the Grateful Dead, released in November 1972. It is the band's third live album and their eighth album overall. It covers the band's tour of Western Europe in April and May that year, and showcases live favourites, extended improvisations and several new songs including "Jack Straw" and "Brown Eyed Women". The album was the first to include pianist Keith Godchaux and his wife, vocalist Donna Jean Godchaux, and the last to feature founding member Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, who died shortly after its release.

"Scarlet Begonias" is a song by the Grateful Dead. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and the music by Jerry Garcia.

<i>Terrapin Station</i> 1977 studio album by the Grateful Dead

Terrapin Station is the ninth studio album by the Grateful Dead, released July 27, 1977. It was the first Grateful Dead album on Arista Records and the first studio album after the band returned to live touring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dark Star (song)</span> Single by the Grateful Dead

"Dark Star" is a song released as a single by the Grateful Dead on Warner Bros. records in 1968. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter and composed by lead guitarist Jerry Garcia; however, compositional credit is sometimes extended to include Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bob Weir. "Dark Star" was an early Grateful Dead classic, which the group often used as a vehicle for extended jam sessions during live performances. One such performance, lasting 23 minutes, was included on the Dead's breakthrough 1969 album Live/Dead and is the best-known version of the song. "Dark Star" is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list and was ranked at number 57 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

"Sugar Magnolia" is a song by the Grateful Dead. Written by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir, it is one of the most well-known songs by the band, alongside such hits as "Truckin'", "Casey Jones", "Uncle John's Band", "Touch of Grey", and fellow sugar-adjacent tune "Sugaree".

<i>The Arista Years</i> (Grateful Dead album) 1996 compilation album by Grateful Dead

The Arista Years is a compilation album that chronicles the Grateful Dead's studio and live albums during their time with Arista Records. The album was released on two-CD and two cassette tapes on October 15, 1996. It contains tracks from Terrapin Station, Shakedown Street, Go to Heaven, Reckoning, Dead Set, In the Dark, Built to Last, and Without a Net. The set does not contain any new or expanded recordings. A media outlet sampler, Selections from the Arista Years, was released by Arista in January 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Born Cross-Eyed</span> 1968 single by Grateful Dead

"Born Cross-Eyed" is an original composition by the San Francisco psychedelic rock group Grateful Dead. It was written by rhythm guitarist Bob Weir during the band's sessions creating the album Anthem of the Sun, produced by David Hassinger, in 1968. It was released as a B-side with the single "Dark Star", one of the band's best-known musical excursions.

"Black-Throated Wind" is the second song from Grateful Dead member Bob Weir's solo debut, Ace. The song was written by Weir and lyricist John Perry Barlow about the experiences Barlow had on a road trip from New York City to San Francisco in 1971. Barlow has said that the experience was "right out of Easy Rider", in that he was accosted by locals in the American South for having long hair.

<i>Nightfall of Diamonds</i> 2001 live album by Grateful Dead

Nightfall of Diamonds is a double live album by the Grateful Dead released in 2001. It was recorded on October 16, 1989 at Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford and includes the full concert. This was the final date of a five-day run at the venue.

<i>View from the Vault, Volume Three</i> 2002 live album by Grateful Dead

View from the Vault, Volume Three is the third release in the "View from the Vault" series by the Grateful Dead. It was released simultaneously as a three disc album on CD and as a concert performance video on DVD. It contains the June 16, 1990 show at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California.

<i>Go to Nassau</i> 2002 live album by Grateful Dead

Go to Nassau is a two-CD live album by the rock group the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on May 15 and 16, 1980, at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. The album, released in 2002, presents half of the songs played on the final two nights of a three-day run at the venue. It is sequenced to represent a prototypical single Dead concert, similarly to Without a Net. The shows were recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour and selections were originally broadcast on FM radio stations, on June 22, 1980. The album's title is a syllepsis, referring figuratively to the band's then-current album, Go to Heaven, and literally to the band going to Nassau County to perform.

"Shakedown Street" is a song by the Grateful Dead. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter and composed by guitarist Jerry Garcia. It was released as the title track on the album Shakedown Street in November 1978. The song was first performed live on August 31, 1978, at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, in Morrison, Colorado. The song "From the Heart of Me" was also played for the first time during the performance. It depicts the reasons for inner-city urban decay. The album Shakedown Street reached number 41 on the Billboard Top 200 for 1979.

<i>Road Trips Volume 2 Number 4</i> 2009 live album by Grateful Dead

Road Trips Volume 2 Number 4 is a two-CD live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The eighth in their "Road Trips" series of albums, it was recorded on May 26 and 27, 1993, at the Cal Expo Amphitheatre in Sacramento, California. A third, bonus disc included with some copies of the album was recorded at the same two concerts. The album was released on August 25, 2009. As of 2024 the shows are the latest to be given a dedicated official release outside of 30 Trips Around the Sun in 2015, which featured a show from each year between 1966-1995.

<i>Crimson White & Indigo</i> 2010 live album by Grateful Dead

Crimson White & Indigo is a live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia on July 7, 1989. The album consists of three CDs, plus a video recording of the same show on one DVD. It was released on April 20, 2010. The video was produced and directed by Len Dell'Amico.

<i>Road Trips Volume 4 Number 5</i> 2011 live album by Grateful Dead

Road Trips Volume 4 Number 5 is a live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. Subtitled Boston Music Hall 6–9–76, it includes the complete concert recorded on June 9, 1976, at the Boston Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts. It also includes six songs recorded on June 12, 1976 at the same venue. The 17th of the Road Trips series of archival albums, it was released as a three-disc CD on November 1, 2011.

Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead is a live album consisting of audio and video recordings from the Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead concerts. These shows were performed by former Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and Mickey Hart, along with Trey Anastasio, Bruce Hornsby, and Jeff Chimenti. The album was recorded on July 3, 4, and 5, 2015, at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The other two Fare Thee Well concerts, played on June 27 and 28 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California are not included. The album was released on November 20, 2015.

<i>The Warfield, San Francisco, California, October 9 & 10, 1980</i> 2019 live album by Grateful Dead

The Warfield, San Francisco, California, October 9 & 10, 1980 is a live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the two sets of acoustic music performed by the Dead on October 9 and 10, 1980 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco. It was produced as a two-disc LP in a limited edition of 10,000 copies, and as a two-disc CD in a limited edition of 6,000 copies. It was released on April 13, 2019, in conjunction with Record Store Day.

<i>Daves Picks Volume 40</i> 2021 live album by Grateful Dead

Dave's Picks Volume 40 is a four-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It was recorded on July 18 and 19, 1990, at Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana. It was released on October 29, 2021, in a limited edition of 25,000 copies.

References

  1. 1 2 Brightman, Carol (1998). Sweet Chaos: The Grateful Dead's American Adventure. New York: Pocket Books. pp. 175–176. ISBN   0-671-01117-0 . Retrieved 17 January 2010.
  2. 1 2 "Grateful Dead Lyric and Song Finder: Cassidy". Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  3. 1 2 Dodd, David. "The Annotated 'Cassidy'". The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics. University of California at Santa Cruz . Retrieved 18 January 2010.
  4. Dodd, David. "Greatest Stories Ever Told : Cassidy". Dead.net. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
  5. Barlow, John Perry. "Cassidy's Tale", Literary Kicks