Grateful Dead

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A song written in the 1920's and played by the Dead right from 1966 through to 1995. Bob Weir has also played it with most of his solo bands.

This is the version the Dead sang most of their career, though not all verses were sung each time. It was recorded as "All New Minglewood Blues" on "Shakedown Street".

The version on the Dead's first LP (called "New New Minglewood Blues") was rather different:

I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den

I was born in a desert, raised in a lion's den

And my number one occupation is stealing women from their men

If you're ever in Memphis, better stop by Minglewood

If you're ever in Memphis, better stop by Minglewood

Well take a walk down town, the women sure look good

If you can't believe me, don't make it hard to believe in you

If you can't believe me, don't make it hard to believe in you

'Cause we all need each other, well you know it's true

Notes

(a) Bobby sometimes sang "... sometimes, I am sometimes I ain't" (thanks to Dan Franzen for pointing this out)

(b) Bobby varied this line too - "Couple of shots of whiskey, those [Dayton/Long Island/etc] girls start looking good."

(c) OK: there are lots of different ways to spell "Timbuctoo." "Timbuktu" is a common modern spelling. "Tomboctou" is the French spelling. Other spellings include "Tumbutu" (the Koyra Chiini language version). (Thanks (?!) to Dan Franzen for stimulating this footnote).