• https://www.dead.net/features/greatest-stories-ever-told/greatest-stories-ever-told-hell-bucket
    Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Hell In A Bucket"

    By David Dodd

    Here’s the plan—each week, I will blog about a different song, focusing, usually, on the lyrics, but also on some other aspects of the song, including its overall impact—a truly subjective thing. Therefore, the best part, I would hope, would not be anything in particular that I might have to say, but rather, the conversation that may happen via the comments over the course of time—and since all the posts will stay up, you can feel free to weigh in any time on any of the songs! With Grateful Dead lyrics, there’s always a new and different take on what they bring up for each listener, it seems. (I’ll consider requests for particular songs—just private message me!)

    “Hell In A Bucket”

    Early on in my career as a Deadhead, I remember getting into a conversation with a fellow Deadhead, my minister, actually, who was upset at the time with the band for not banning the bikers from the scene. Never having really been in “the scene,” I was taking the issue on from a purely idealistic, theoretical perspective, pointing about that the Grateful Dead encompass both light and dark, roses and thorns, and that the presence of the Hell’s Angels, or other bikers, at shows was just an example of this.

    I did have some firsthand experience of at least one show which seemed entirely dominated by bikers, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, in June 1978. The bill comprised Eddie Money, The Outlaws, Santana, and the Dead, and it seemed like everywhere I looked (and I was, as they say, in a sensitive state of mind at the time) all I saw were leather-clad, threatening-looking biker dudes. I remember leaving the field level where we had pitched our blanket, climbing to the top of the stadium, and looking out over the parking lot, where a line of choppers stood parked, stretching for hundreds of yards. The drum solo at that show included a motorcycle revving through the sound system—or at least, I’m pretty sure it did. It sounded like it. Eventually everything was ok, but it was touch and go for me for awhile there.

    I asked my friend the minister if he didn’t think that it was better to have the bikers be around the Dead’s energy than, say, Black Sabbath, and he admitted that I had a point.

    The Bob Weir / John Barlow / Brent Mydland song “Hell in a Bucket” directly references the biker scene, and I’m sure that somehow Barlow just wanted to put that element into the band’s repertoire somehow. After all, there are plenty of outlaw elements sprinkled through the band’s songs.

    In the case of this song, though, the singer/narrator seems to be wishing a sorry fate on his erstwhile main squeeze, with the argument being that once she has a biker charging up and down her halls on his chopper, she’ll realize that the narrator was really pretty good, at least by contrast.

    What a fun argument! I mean, could that ever actually happen? No, but it is an interesting scenario to play out in fantasy.

    “Bucket” debuted on May 13, 1983, at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. I wasn’t there, but I did hear its second performance, later that same weekend, and I remember enjoying reading Alice Kahn’s wonderful review of the show, in which she promulgated one of the best-ever Mondegreens, referring to the song as “Police on a Joy Ride.” The song frequently featured as the show opener over the course of the next two-plus decades, although it wasn’t used in that role until about a year after its first performance. It was performed by the Dead for the final time on June 30, 1995, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

    “Hell in a Bucket” appeared on In the Dark, released in July 1987. I have to admit that, until just now, I did not realize that Brent Mydland was co-credited with the music for the song. In fact, it’s something that will need correcting in The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics, if I ever get the opportunity to put together a revised edition (there are a number of other mistakes, as I’m sure anyone who regularly reads this blog would suspect…).

    The song features a number of verses that were ultimately cut from the performance version (you can find ‘em in the lyric link above). Back in 1997, David Gans posted this note on rec.music.gdead (remember newsgroups?):

    I was hanging out at Weir's a bit in those days, and there were some gnarly ideas batted around for that song. Gerrit Graham (who wrote "Victim or the Crime" with Bobby) was around for some of these sessions, too.

    I was actually able to contribute a little to "Hell in a Bucket": I suggested to Bob that he change "You imagine me kissing the toe of your boot" to "You imagine me sipping champagne from your boot." Barlow seemed slightly miffed about it, but I'm pretty sure he got over it.

    So, maybe it should be credited to Weir/Barlow/Mydland/Graham/Gans…?

    The most fun reference in the song, for me, is Catherine the Great. (Although I really enjoy the backwards self-reference to Saint Stephen: “bucket hanging clear to hell…”). It’s worth finding some biographical information about her reign as the Russian monarch in the late 18th century, and about her personal life. “Ravenous” seems like a pretty apt word for her appetites. But she was also a promulgator of the Enlightenment, and advanced the nation in many important ways, so that her reign is considered to have been the Golden Age of Russia.

    And then there’s the official music video that came with the song. Go find it and watch it if you haven’t for awhile—there is a wonderful duck with a slave collar, tigers, pigs, bikers, and all filmed at New George’s in San Rafael. Bobby is wonderfully over-the-top in the video.

    When all is said and done, though, I guess I would have to go with the sense that this song was meant to be a call to “enjoy the ride,” no matter what might be going on in our lives. And as a show opener, it was the perfect way to start what was bound to be a crazy crazy night….

    362381
24 comments
sort by
Recent
Reset
Items displayed
  • Default Avatar
    mcmillan.esq@g…
    6 years 4 months ago
    misogynist lyrics
    these lyrics are so bitter - yuk
  • Inadrainditch
    7 years 3 months ago
    Hell In A Bucket
    When they first started playing this I thought Bobby was saying "A taste of your elegant pie"
  • Default Avatar
    dain_bramage
    9 years 11 months ago
    ears
    i used to think it was "when the snakes come out your ears" Did bobby ever do one of those switcheroos to this verse or was i hearing things?
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years 11 months

By David Dodd

Here’s the plan—each week, I will blog about a different song, focusing, usually, on the lyrics, but also on some other aspects of the song, including its overall impact—a truly subjective thing. Therefore, the best part, I would hope, would not be anything in particular that I might have to say, but rather, the conversation that may happen via the comments over the course of time—and since all the posts will stay up, you can feel free to weigh in any time on any of the songs! With Grateful Dead lyrics, there’s always a new and different take on what they bring up for each listener, it seems. (I’ll consider requests for particular songs—just private message me!)

“Hell In A Bucket”

Early on in my career as a Deadhead, I remember getting into a conversation with a fellow Deadhead, my minister, actually, who was upset at the time with the band for not banning the bikers from the scene. Never having really been in “the scene,” I was taking the issue on from a purely idealistic, theoretical perspective, pointing about that the Grateful Dead encompass both light and dark, roses and thorns, and that the presence of the Hell’s Angels, or other bikers, at shows was just an example of this.

I did have some firsthand experience of at least one show which seemed entirely dominated by bikers, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon, in June 1978. The bill comprised Eddie Money, The Outlaws, Santana, and the Dead, and it seemed like everywhere I looked (and I was, as they say, in a sensitive state of mind at the time) all I saw were leather-clad, threatening-looking biker dudes. I remember leaving the field level where we had pitched our blanket, climbing to the top of the stadium, and looking out over the parking lot, where a line of choppers stood parked, stretching for hundreds of yards. The drum solo at that show included a motorcycle revving through the sound system—or at least, I’m pretty sure it did. It sounded like it. Eventually everything was ok, but it was touch and go for me for awhile there.

I asked my friend the minister if he didn’t think that it was better to have the bikers be around the Dead’s energy than, say, Black Sabbath, and he admitted that I had a point.

The Bob Weir / John Barlow / Brent Mydland song “Hell in a Bucket” directly references the biker scene, and I’m sure that somehow Barlow just wanted to put that element into the band’s repertoire somehow. After all, there are plenty of outlaw elements sprinkled through the band’s songs.

In the case of this song, though, the singer/narrator seems to be wishing a sorry fate on his erstwhile main squeeze, with the argument being that once she has a biker charging up and down her halls on his chopper, she’ll realize that the narrator was really pretty good, at least by contrast.

What a fun argument! I mean, could that ever actually happen? No, but it is an interesting scenario to play out in fantasy.

“Bucket” debuted on May 13, 1983, at the Greek Theater in Berkeley. I wasn’t there, but I did hear its second performance, later that same weekend, and I remember enjoying reading Alice Kahn’s wonderful review of the show, in which she promulgated one of the best-ever Mondegreens, referring to the song as “Police on a Joy Ride.” The song frequently featured as the show opener over the course of the next two-plus decades, although it wasn’t used in that role until about a year after its first performance. It was performed by the Dead for the final time on June 30, 1995, at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

“Hell in a Bucket” appeared on In the Dark, released in July 1987. I have to admit that, until just now, I did not realize that Brent Mydland was co-credited with the music for the song. In fact, it’s something that will need correcting in The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics, if I ever get the opportunity to put together a revised edition (there are a number of other mistakes, as I’m sure anyone who regularly reads this blog would suspect…).

The song features a number of verses that were ultimately cut from the performance version (you can find ‘em in the lyric link above). Back in 1997, David Gans posted this note on rec.music.gdead (remember newsgroups?):

I was hanging out at Weir's a bit in those days, and there were some gnarly ideas batted around for that song. Gerrit Graham (who wrote "Victim or the Crime" with Bobby) was around for some of these sessions, too.

I was actually able to contribute a little to "Hell in a Bucket": I suggested to Bob that he change "You imagine me kissing the toe of your boot" to "You imagine me sipping champagne from your boot." Barlow seemed slightly miffed about it, but I'm pretty sure he got over it.

So, maybe it should be credited to Weir/Barlow/Mydland/Graham/Gans…?

The most fun reference in the song, for me, is Catherine the Great. (Although I really enjoy the backwards self-reference to Saint Stephen: “bucket hanging clear to hell…”). It’s worth finding some biographical information about her reign as the Russian monarch in the late 18th century, and about her personal life. “Ravenous” seems like a pretty apt word for her appetites. But she was also a promulgator of the Enlightenment, and advanced the nation in many important ways, so that her reign is considered to have been the Golden Age of Russia.

And then there’s the official music video that came with the song. Go find it and watch it if you haven’t for awhile—there is a wonderful duck with a slave collar, tigers, pigs, bikers, and all filmed at New George’s in San Rafael. Bobby is wonderfully over-the-top in the video.

When all is said and done, though, I guess I would have to go with the sense that this song was meant to be a call to “enjoy the ride,” no matter what might be going on in our lives. And as a show opener, it was the perfect way to start what was bound to be a crazy crazy night….

Custom Sidebar

Listen on Spotify

Display on homepage featured list
On
Homepage Feature blurb
Early on in my career as a Deadhead, I remember getting into a conversation with a fellow Deadhead, my minister, actually, who was upset at the time with the band for not banning the bikers from the scene. Never having really been in “the scene,” I was taking the issue on from a purely idealistic, theoretical perspective, pointing about that the Grateful Dead encompass both light and dark, roses and thorns...
Homepage Feature title
Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Hell In A Bucket"
summary
Early on in my career as a Deadhead, I remember getting into a conversation with a fellow Deadhead, my minister, actually, who was upset at the time with the band for not banning the bikers from the scene. Never having really been in “the scene,” I was taking the issue on from a purely idealistic, theoretical perspective, pointing about that the Grateful Dead encompass both light and dark, roses and thorns...
Custom Teaser

Early on in my career as a Deadhead, I remember getting into a conversation with a fellow Deadhead, my minister, actually, who was upset at the time with the band for not banning the bikers from the scene. Never having really been in “the scene,” I was taking the issue on from a purely idealistic, theoretical perspective, pointing about that the Grateful Dead encompass both light and dark, roses and thorns...

dead comment

user picture

Member for

16 years 10 months
Permalink

1. My best Hells Angels story: I was taking photos at a daylong concert in Golden Gate Park, which as I recall KBC (Kantner/Balin/Casady) were headlining. Huge crowd, and a lot of Hells Angels in attendance. At some point I was wandering around getting crowd shots and came upon this family group: a couple of little blond kids and a great big, long-haired, bearded Angel, all huddled around an unseen thing in the guy's hand. As I got close enough to overhear, he was saying, "It's a baby bird. He must have fallen out of his nest. Let's go find mom so she can take care of him with the other birds." 2. Back in the days when Barlow was doing a lot of interviews for the magazine I edited, we were en route to one of them when somehow this song came up for discussion, and Barlow was aghast that I interpreted "Z-rated" to mean "sleep inducing (zzzzz)" when he meant it to mean Way Beyond X.
user picture

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

I love both those stories, Mary! But especially your interpretation of Z-rated. Yay! That's how I'm using the phrase from now on.
user picture

Member for

14 years 3 months
Permalink

Really outragoeus rocker with the words to match. A Couple of mondigrens here that I never realized till I just read the lyrics. I think they fit better than the original words! "I was drinking last night with a barker (as in circus barker)" "And the serrated scenes you create... The serrated scenes you create." "And I know that you'll think of me only when the snakes come marching in" Is sure to send you beaming on a bad trip if heard at the wrong time. And what is it with Barlow? Did he really expect Bob to sing: "And while you were saying your mantra I was humping your very best friend And comparing myself to Sinatra 'Cause I did it my way in her end" In front of 80,000 people at a stadium show, 1000 of whom are guaranteed to be mad lesbians? For all of that, it was a fun song that got you dancing.
user picture

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

The Wild Ones "You coulda been one of the Beatles Johnny", Lee Marvin as Chino. Then Mildred (Peggy Maley) "What are you rebelling against Johnny","Wadda ya got" Marlon Brando as Johnny Strabler. Back in August 1987 when riding up to Telluride from Albuquerque on the Terrapin Bus I was singing, "We may be goin to hell in a bucket babe, but at least I'm in Telluride". Over 30 years in the southwest and my only time to Telluride. We arrived late Friday night "In The Dark" and left late Sunday night "In The Dark". The Friday night run up into the mountains the brakes started smoking, could smell them. The lively conversations quickly went silent as Norm slowed it way down and he crawled the Terrapin Bus slowly down from the pass into Telluride. God and the spirit of Neal Cassady were our co-pilots that night. Norm is one helluva driver and never panicked and we arrived alive. This coming Saturday would have been Neal Cassady's 88th birthday. And thanks Norm and Sandy for all the positive energy.
user picture

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

For some reason I remember hearing that a lot of Bob's inspiration for this song was because an interview that he did with a female who had it out to peg the Grateful Dead and its followers as bad people. This is what/who he is talking about "There may come a say when I'll dance on your grave. Unable to dance I'll still crawl across it" Along with the rest of the condescending verses. Apparently this reporter published the interview and tried to put down the Grateful Dead and the dead heads who follow them around, they chose to do this song in retaliation. Although I heard this story almost 25 years ago it makes sense to me and gives the lyrics a great meaning. Thought I would share, if I am wrong please correct me or feel free to add to this.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

15 years 5 months
Permalink

I was at that show when it debuted. We thought the song would be titled "Enjoyin' the ride" or just "The Ride." Later, my friend told me it was the "ravenous cat from the grave" (not Catherine the Great). Only time I saw a Dead debut performance though I did see the second "Brother Esau."
user picture

Member for

10 years 2 months
Permalink

I never resonated to The Dead's biker associations. That being said, my first girlfriend was a daughter of a Hells Angel and although it wasn't "Z rated" it was pretty hot and heavy for our very tender young ages.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

14 years 11 months
Permalink

Serrated, of course, is pronounced with accent on the second syllable, the first being pronounced suh, so it really wouldn't work as a mondegreen, as Anna suggests. Also not sure why the variant mondigren; Mr. Dodd has it right.
user picture

Member for

11 years 8 months
Permalink

I like Mary's story about the biker and the bird. It reminds me of a story I heard many times during my childhood; one I related to my son many times during his childhood. One I remind myself of still. It involves a judge, a book, and a cover. Enjoy the slow and steady ride down the hill. **Is that the AFLAC duck?
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

11 years 10 months
Permalink

I always assumed the zzz.. was the scene you create..(hopefully nobody falls asleep while you're creating "your" scene). z beyond x? WOW..that's why i keep coming back.! Cool
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

11 years 10 months
Permalink

we wrote a song called x-rated music..."its got rhythm, its got rhyme. makes you feel dirty every time..XRATED MUSIC".. beyond x-rated WOW
user picture

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

"The beetles miss you Johnny, all the beetles miss you". According to some online research the term beetles meant motorcycle girl back in the 50s. I think the song Hell in a Bucket was partly inspired by the underground cartoonist S. Clay Wilson. " I got junebugs in my nose and I didn't even flinch". Great song with an edge. Hilarious video. Ducks yaz yaz. And on this date 88 years ago Neal Cassady was born in Salt Lake City while his parents were On The Road. "I lost my boots in transit babe, a pile of smoking leather. Nailed a retread to my feet and prayed for better weather", The Merry Pranksters Welcome the Beatles.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

10 years 9 months
Permalink

Time to Lower Down That Bucket Again "Clear to Hell" and see what You will Come Up with Now. I like to Think, as David noted, The Dead's Energy serves a better purpose than some of the other sorts of Hell Raising Music. The Dead certainly Can Relate to the Good and the Bad and the Ugly aspects of Life ....One Way or Another. Yeah Buddy...Keep telling yourself you're Enjoying the Ride. This Song strikes me as an Alcoholic Ranting and Raging against One who Cares Too Much. If you've known an Alcoholic well then you've observed the slow deterioration of their well being as the Addiction grows stronger. It takes a long time to get to the point where an Intervention seems in order...and then it is Pure Hell. I've encountered this sort of thing and know the Dance too well. Deflect the attention away from My Failures and Magnify Yours Instead. "Never mind how I stumble and fall" Lets just attack You instead and find every hurtful thing to say and lay it on so thick that you'll Back Off so I can Remain a Falling Down Drunk and Fool myself into Thinking "At Least I'm Enjoying the Ride" Yeah Buddy. Imagine August West Loving His Wine more than Pearly Baker and being that "same Old Rat in a Drain Ditch...." Maybe "You Know Better but I Know Him" and that's how Hell in a Bucket strikes me and pulls up a lot of resentments and issues with loved Ones who made me Dance this Dance. Its a real Kick in the Gut and I suspect that's exactly the reaction Weir and Barlow were after.
user picture

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

I never thought of the singer as a drunkard. Always thought he was a bitter escapee from a woman either formerly innocent or recently revealed as a Z-rated Harpy who mocked his every mistake.The biker would either be a good match or fitting revenge.Still have an 80's "Enjoyin' the Ride" T with a skeleton-driven VW bus. And of course I'm still enjoyin' the ride with music and Tales From the Golden Road.Love to all
user picture

Member for

12 years 10 months
Permalink

I always heard the "charging his chopper up and down your carpeted halls" as a sex reference, if you know what I mean. (Carpet, as in: Does the carpet match the drapes?) Thus, the z-rated scenes. One can only imagine what they are. We are given the Catherine the Great clue. She reportedly had many lovers, and it is rumored she even had a thing for horses. It's a sexually charged song. The singer is repulsed -- it's gone too far. He can't resist though. He's enjoying the ride while he debases himself. It's ugly. I always thought Garcia's guitar lines were by far the best thing about it.
user picture

Member for

11 years 8 months
Permalink

It took some time to jog my memory.I know her, well. Or at least, well enough. I slept with her for several years of my adult life. But I don't remember ever inviting her in. Or meeting her. Or what she looks like. It's true, though, she was a fun ride in the beginning, but looking back, it's easy to see that she was nothing more than a sinister, self-centered bitch who demanded all of my attention, all of the time. When she realized that I had wised-up and was finally talking to others about her, she left, for her next fling/victim and I got better. share-the-light presents an interesting viewpoint.
user picture

Member for

14 years 2 months
Permalink

Ol' Hell in a Bucket. I always hated it! never liked it, and the video is a disgrace. but as usual, they didn't ask my opinion. MAKE...PLANS...MAKE...PLANS...MAKE...PLANS...
user picture

Member for

15 years 1 month
Permalink

I used to have it written down under that name on some early 80s tapes. I just listened to a good '88 version from the recent show on the Dead Hour. One of the favorites that I saw was the second set opener on the first night of Mountain Aire '87 up at Angels Camp in Calaveras County. After the smoking Good Mornin' Little Schoolgirl with Carlos at the end of the first set...I was right down near the stage and I remember pretty clearly that there was a huge biker contingent there! Maybe that's why they chose to play it for the second set kick-off, lol. Good times. :)
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

...when you're going to Hell in a Bucket...but just 'cause they sang it, doesn't mean it 'twere sewn...OOooo... know... Au contraire, mon frère... "Same old friends, the Wind and Rain...", sure sounds like an Ace weather report to me. I always liked these songs in concert.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

16 years 9 months
Permalink

Since you brought up mondegrens, and often being in a 'sensitive state of mind' (or... tripping our balls off) here is something I had heard for a long time when I had the tape. I thought the whole first verse was drinking vessel puns I was drinking last night with a BUCKET and I showed him a PITCHER of you I said PAL, get to know her... i know, dumb... but kinda cute in retrospect.
user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

9 years 11 months
Permalink

i used to think it was "when the snakes come out your ears" Did bobby ever do one of those switcheroos to this verse or was i hearing things?
user picture

Member for

8 years 9 months
Permalink

When they first started playing this I thought Bobby was saying "A taste of your elegant pie"