I've always thought that
Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers
where did the songs come from
I haven't decided yet
history
Grateful Dead
Roots of the Grateful Dead
Roots of the Dead Website
Know the root, but don't know the GD song
Elegy
Elegy (1586)
Chidiock Tichborne
My prime of youth is but a frost of cares;
My feast of joy is but a dish of pain,
My crop of corn is but a field of tares,
And all my good is but vain hope of gain:
The day is past, and yet I saw no sun,
And now I live, and now my life is done.
My tale was heard, and yet it was not told,
My fruit is fallen, and yet my leaves are green,
My youth is spent, and yet I am not old,
I saw the world, and yet I was not seen:
My thread is cut, and yet it is not spun,
And now I live, and now my life is done.
I sought my death, and found it in my womb,
I looked for life, and saw it was a shade,
I trod the earth, and knew it was my tomb,
And now I die, and now I was but made;
The glass is full, and now the glass is run,
And now I live, and now my life is done.
** - would be ideal set to music by Garcia.
ROCKWITHYOUBOY
Take a look at the cover songs GD performed for some insight:
Johnny B. Goode, The Promised Land, Around And Around - all Chuck Berry songs (Rock & Roll)
Mama Tried, Sing Me Back Home - Merle Haggard songs (Bakersfield Country & Western)
Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie - Elizabeth Cotten (North Carolina Country/Folk - performed by acoustic GD). She also wrote and recorded a song titled 'Shake Sugaree' that might have inspired the Garcia/Hunter song 'Sugaree'.
Tore Up Over You (3rd JG solo album) - Hank Ballard & The Midnighters (50s R & B). The song was written by Ballard. Ballard also just happened to write 'The Twist'...yeah 'The Twist'!
El Paso - Marty Robbins (Texas Country & Western). Written by Robbins who also wrote a song called 'Sugaree' that was covered by Hank Ballard and might have also inspired Garcia/Hunter's 'Sugaree'.
I think you can see their influences were many and varied...and don't forget about the Jazz influence of John Coltrane & Miles Davis...they would have their main influences on the 'Jams' & 'Space' portions of shows (imho). As another poster stated read, read, read!