• https://www.dead.net/features/greatest-stories-ever-told/greatest-stories-ever-told-picasso-moon
    Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Picasso Moon"

    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!)

    "Picasso Moon"

    “Picasso Moon. I don’t know why I said that!” These are the words Phil Lesh said while the band was sitting around one day in the studio, according to an interview with Bob Weir.

    The two-word combo stayed with Weir, and eventually he and Barlow came up with this song, which was written in Mill Valley between February and May of 1989. Bob Bralove shares a composition credit on the song. I’ve always thought it was a fun song, although the barrage of images, references, and allusions in the lyrics might seem a bit over the top. After all, it’s bigger than a drive in movie, ooo-eee.

    In the short space of the song’s three verses and three choruses (each of which is a variant), Barlow introduces us to a rapidly-shifting terrain of ominous ruin—“South of Market,” as he says. But what made me think of this song this week was my recent vacation in beautiful Maine, where, a few times, I drove past a strange sign in front of a country eatery with the cryptic statement: “No Chowder. No Crab. Wrinkles.”

    I feel like a terrible researcher, a bad librarian. I never stopped to find out what “wrinkles” were. But I quoted the song out loud to my wife and family and encountered baffled bemusement. “What the heck is Dad going on about now?” they seemed to be thinking.

    I had a job trading bits for pieces
    We'd make wrinkles, advertise them as creases

    Now, however, I find that a simple google search reveals that “wrinkles” is another word for periwinkles. Wrinkles, in Downeast parlance, are pickled periwinkles and whelks. Yum, right? And probably not what Barlow was referring to.in the lyric. But for me, this episode stands as another example of the depth to which Grateful Dead lyrics have permeated my thinking. And, if you are reading this, probably yours, too.

    I also think of that pair of lines as a complement to the line in “West L.A. Fadeaway”: “I had a steady job, hauling items for the mob.” I guess just because it’s a reference to previously-held jobs.

    Several lines in the song seem to play on other Grateful Dead song lyrics, such as “”Shattered light / Diamond bullets ripping up the night,” which plays on several images and ideas in “Dark Star.” And the “I guess it doesn’t matter, I guess it doesn’t matter,” line, of course, brings “Morning Dew” to mind, as does the line “Strikes the morning, atomic dawn…” And “wheels within wheels” echoes “Estimated Prophet.”

    But, generally, what sticks with me about “Picasso Moon” is an overall feeling of creepiness, with its “metal angel” and “tattooed tots” and “leather-winged lover.” (The song pairs nicely in some ways with “Hell in a Bucket.”) That’s if I bother to think about the words. More, it’s just a wash of images and glimpses of interplay between people. Is there a story in there? If there is, it seems to be set in a bar scene south of Market.

    If I lived South of Market, I might take offense. I spent a bit of time in the neighborhood in the late 1980s, and it seemed fine to me. The area, for those not familiar with San Francisco, is, well, south of Market St. Market runs at a diagonal across downtown San Francisco, starting at the Ferry Building on San Francisco Bay and running westward, generally, to Castro Street. But the SoMa neighborhood includes several subsets—smaller neighborhoods like the Financial District South, Yerba Buena, South Park, and the Castro. Barlow’s mention of “leather-winged lover” may be an echo of the role of the Folsom Street Fair in making a safe place for leather enthusiasts.

    The Wikipedia entry for SoMa notes that “The area has long been home to bars and nightclubs. During the 1980s and 1990s, some of the warehouses there served as the home to the city's budding underground rave, punk, and independent music scene. However, in recent decades, and mostly due to gentrification and rising rents, these establishments have begun to cater to an upscale and mainstream clientele that subsequently pushed out the underground musicians and its scene.”

    “Picasso Moon” appeared on Built to Last, released in 1989, on Hallowe’en. It became a staple of live performances.

    I would love to hear anyone with a coherent (or even a not-so-coherent!) idea of what the story within this song might be. Maybe for one week we should rename this feature “Weirdest Stories Ever Told.”

    (Pretty soon, it might be time to write about “Terrapin Station.” Should I do it as one piece, or break it into component parts for a series? Your thoughts welcome.)

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    mishnef
    8 years 8 months ago
    dissecting terrapin
    I realize that I'm commenting on a post that's almost a year old, but I always thought of terrapin as a way-station for the trans-migration of the soul where one waits to be reunited with his or her true love much like the rainbow bridge where one is reunited with one's pets after death of the physical body.one of my favorites. be well
  • vickersey
    9 years 1 month ago
    Picasso Moon / Ashes and Glass
    This song seems to have a nothing to lose mood, similar to that of Ashes and Glass and Hell in a Bucket. Having apocalyptic tones. More so with Ashes and Glass.Example: Picasso Moon- Strikes the morning, the atomic dawn Scramble back to cover...South of Market in the land of ruin... Here comes metal angel, she looks ready to ride... The next skull on your necklace is mine... Dark angel, what's bothering you So strange, you do me all that you do Dark angel, you're making me blue.... ***In the book of Revelations it talks about not being able to buy or sale without the mark of the beast. Referenced here-"I see your face printed on my money Your brazen ways really move me, honey Heart of darkness, yeah, yeah Why am I laughing, this ain't funny Dark angel, now just don't start You'll break my spirit, you'll wreck my heart You must have a licence for practicing that art"
  • Default Avatar
    dain_bramage
    9 years 4 months ago
    post apocalyptic
    comparing themselves to the effects of a nuclear apocalypse. first verse post apocalyptic environment, second verse the dead's ability to warp time/space, the chorus blends them together. third verse i give up...
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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!)

"Picasso Moon"

“Picasso Moon. I don’t know why I said that!” These are the words Phil Lesh said while the band was sitting around one day in the studio, according to an interview with Bob Weir.

The two-word combo stayed with Weir, and eventually he and Barlow came up with this song, which was written in Mill Valley between February and May of 1989. Bob Bralove shares a composition credit on the song. I’ve always thought it was a fun song, although the barrage of images, references, and allusions in the lyrics might seem a bit over the top. After all, it’s bigger than a drive in movie, ooo-eee.

In the short space of the song’s three verses and three choruses (each of which is a variant), Barlow introduces us to a rapidly-shifting terrain of ominous ruin—“South of Market,” as he says. But what made me think of this song this week was my recent vacation in beautiful Maine, where, a few times, I drove past a strange sign in front of a country eatery with the cryptic statement: “No Chowder. No Crab. Wrinkles.”

I feel like a terrible researcher, a bad librarian. I never stopped to find out what “wrinkles” were. But I quoted the song out loud to my wife and family and encountered baffled bemusement. “What the heck is Dad going on about now?” they seemed to be thinking.

I had a job trading bits for pieces
We'd make wrinkles, advertise them as creases

Now, however, I find that a simple google search reveals that “wrinkles” is another word for periwinkles. Wrinkles, in Downeast parlance, are pickled periwinkles and whelks. Yum, right? And probably not what Barlow was referring to.in the lyric. But for me, this episode stands as another example of the depth to which Grateful Dead lyrics have permeated my thinking. And, if you are reading this, probably yours, too.

I also think of that pair of lines as a complement to the line in “West L.A. Fadeaway”: “I had a steady job, hauling items for the mob.” I guess just because it’s a reference to previously-held jobs.

Several lines in the song seem to play on other Grateful Dead song lyrics, such as “”Shattered light / Diamond bullets ripping up the night,” which plays on several images and ideas in “Dark Star.” And the “I guess it doesn’t matter, I guess it doesn’t matter,” line, of course, brings “Morning Dew” to mind, as does the line “Strikes the morning, atomic dawn…” And “wheels within wheels” echoes “Estimated Prophet.”

But, generally, what sticks with me about “Picasso Moon” is an overall feeling of creepiness, with its “metal angel” and “tattooed tots” and “leather-winged lover.” (The song pairs nicely in some ways with “Hell in a Bucket.”) That’s if I bother to think about the words. More, it’s just a wash of images and glimpses of interplay between people. Is there a story in there? If there is, it seems to be set in a bar scene south of Market.

If I lived South of Market, I might take offense. I spent a bit of time in the neighborhood in the late 1980s, and it seemed fine to me. The area, for those not familiar with San Francisco, is, well, south of Market St. Market runs at a diagonal across downtown San Francisco, starting at the Ferry Building on San Francisco Bay and running westward, generally, to Castro Street. But the SoMa neighborhood includes several subsets—smaller neighborhoods like the Financial District South, Yerba Buena, South Park, and the Castro. Barlow’s mention of “leather-winged lover” may be an echo of the role of the Folsom Street Fair in making a safe place for leather enthusiasts.

The Wikipedia entry for SoMa notes that “The area has long been home to bars and nightclubs. During the 1980s and 1990s, some of the warehouses there served as the home to the city's budding underground rave, punk, and independent music scene. However, in recent decades, and mostly due to gentrification and rising rents, these establishments have begun to cater to an upscale and mainstream clientele that subsequently pushed out the underground musicians and its scene.”

“Picasso Moon” appeared on Built to Last, released in 1989, on Hallowe’en. It became a staple of live performances.

I would love to hear anyone with a coherent (or even a not-so-coherent!) idea of what the story within this song might be. Maybe for one week we should rename this feature “Weirdest Stories Ever Told.”

(Pretty soon, it might be time to write about “Terrapin Station.” Should I do it as one piece, or break it into component parts for a series? Your thoughts welcome.)

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“Picasso Moon. I don’t know why I said that!” These are the words Phil Lesh said while the band was sitting around one day in the studio...
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Greatest Stories Ever Told - "Picasso Moon"
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“Picasso Moon. I don’t know why I said that!” These are the words Phil Lesh said while the band was sitting around one day in the studio, according to an interview with Bob Weir.
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“Picasso Moon. I don’t know why I said that!” These are the words Phil Lesh said while the band was sitting around one day in the studio, according to an interview with Bob Weir.

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This reminds me of some Jerry/Hunter songs from this era, including Days Between, and So Many Roads, where the song feels like the Dead becoming self-aware. References to and from their older songs abound, and the lyricists seem to have realized (and this was not a new discovery for them) the lyrical power of images flashing by; think back to the images in China Cat, for example. Now, I'm not a Bobby-hater; in fact, I really like Bobby and would love to meet and talk with him about any number of things! But this song always struck me as too Bobby-esque. Although it has these powerful allusions and references and has an interesting musical form, I still think it's too bulky, like he's trying to do a little too much within one song. And of course, the "bigger than a drive-in movie, oo-wee" makes this a song I never play around my non-Head friends, because it makes me feel like the fish-in-the-barrel to their shotgun. As far as Terrapin goes, I think you should address the Lady With a Fan/Terrapin Station lyrics (the ones the Dead perforemed) in one post, but deal with the stuff that was only on the album (or done by post-Jerry bands) in another post.
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Probably being in a an altered state when I first heard this song in 3/30/90, I thought for sure the ending of the chorus was - slipping and sliding grooving Louie - I think my friend set me straight later that year. If there is any meaning it is abstract like Picasso's Art. As far as Terrapin goes - Lady with a Fan Terrapin Station At a Siding The overwhelming band adulation for Keith Olsen's work.
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(this may not be about Picasso Moon, but I think my comment is relevant to all things GD): The brief discussion of San Francisco in the above article just reminded me that I'm a Deadhead who has NEVER been to San Francisco in my life!!! I am from New York, and have rarely ventured out to the west coast (Ive been to San Diego and LA). I have many shows and videos from Winterland, Cow Palace, Golden Gate Park, Oakland Coliseum (or Arena?), Fillmore West, Avalon, etc...... I have seen vintage '60s footage of Haight Ashbury. All the great bands that I love so much came out of the Bay area (Dead, Airplane, Quicksilver, Country Joe, Sly & The Family Stone, Creedence). But I've never seen where all of this magic originated!! One day I MUST make a pilgrimage to San Francisco, and see the city of the Grateful Dead. Go to all the places and parks and music clubs that are still around. Visit Market Street and Lombard Street and Castro Street. It seems like a beautiful place.
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Early 80s punk scene south of Market.
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Mr. Dodd, would you, by chance, have been passing through Ellsworth, ME on the way to or from Acadia National Park when you saw that sign?
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Why yes, that's exactly where I saw that sign!
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be sure to devote some space to the extra material on Jack O' Roses. Ivory wheels on a rosewood track, indeed.
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Cool! My folks have a place in Sedgwick, and we've seen that sign more times than we care to count, and have always found it to be oddly comforting, though it never brought this song to mind. I do, however, have a very distinct memory of listening to the Playin' in the Band from Rocking the Rhein while driving by there.
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...in a pig's asshole moon? A pretty darn nasty sight indeed to behold and yet harder still to actually play. The universe will be fine tonight my dyin' ass. Got to hear them play this song on their final tour at RFK. Always wanted to hear it in concert. Kinda like Passenger, it put a bit of punch into their playing that I once read Phil seemed to prefer over the all the ching ching shit. A bit of crunch. Good song to play as Chaos descends at the end of Time.
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The Picasso Moon has several phases, beginning its cycle as a Blue Moon, showing respect for the great American songbook, as well as paying homage to the Blues. It morphs into a Rose Moon, elemental Grateful Dead iconography, where new life is watered by the rain and love blooms. Next is an African Moon, tapping elemental percussion, powering the dance. Then comes the Sugar Cube Moon, an angular perspective, acid that strips away pretence and artifice and exposes the truth of lust, greed and revenge alongside hope, kindness and enlightenment, where murder coexists with play. Finally, the Surrealist Moon illuminates a world where everyday experience takes on new meaning, where shadows lean towards the light and there are ripples on still water.
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Dave I enjoy your comments and insights. In this issue I was very intrigued by the possibility of dissecting terrapin. Can I request to look into the entire lyrics? I saw Hunter sing it many moons ago, would love to see / discuss this lovely song. THANKS
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Not only the extra verses and twists on the Jack o'Roses version (crawling as a viable option for arrival at the station), but also consider the wonderful rendering of Lady of Carlisle, the old folk song that spurred the opening section....(don't let me down, sweet lord, don't let me down! saith the sailor as he follows his heart into the lion's den--that added passion and faith has been central to my feel for the song ever since, so much stronger than "at least a try") While following the Hunter moon here, when you get really ambitious you could tackle the Marie Helena......a neglected masterwork, with its involving story (the rich, reflective version of what may have occurred between "ten years ago" and "tonight") and its sweet Garcia lead colorations.
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Long before I was into the Dead, I was into Ian and Sylvia, and the first time I heard Terrapin Station, the album, it was about a verse in when I went holy bleep, it's the Lady of Carlisle! I always loved Hunter's spin on it, especially "you decide if he was wise." I was so happy when Hunter tied it all together so nicely.
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on Marie Helena, the live performance of which had me sobbing behind a pillar at the Great American when Hunter did it live.
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Diamond bullets ripping up the night. Last participation. Everyone has to figure these songs out for themselves anyway. Some interpretations lead down curious roads. Some down others. So long...and thanks for the songs.
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comparing themselves to the effects of a nuclear apocalypse. first verse post apocalyptic environment, second verse the dead's ability to warp time/space, the chorus blends them together. third verse i give up...
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This song seems to have a nothing to lose mood, similar to that of Ashes and Glass and Hell in a Bucket. Having apocalyptic tones. More so with Ashes and Glass.Example: Picasso Moon- Strikes the morning, the atomic dawn Scramble back to cover...South of Market in the land of ruin... Here comes metal angel, she looks ready to ride... The next skull on your necklace is mine... Dark angel, what's bothering you So strange, you do me all that you do Dark angel, you're making me blue.... ***In the book of Revelations it talks about not being able to buy or sale without the mark of the beast. Referenced here-"I see your face printed on my money Your brazen ways really move me, honey Heart of darkness, yeah, yeah Why am I laughing, this ain't funny Dark angel, now just don't start You'll break my spirit, you'll wreck my heart You must have a licence for practicing that art"
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I realize that I'm commenting on a post that's almost a year old, but I always thought of terrapin as a way-station for the trans-migration of the soul where one waits to be reunited with his or her true love much like the rainbow bridge where one is reunited with one's pets after death of the physical body.one of my favorites. be well