Robert Hunter’s poetic career started in Palo Alto, CA’s coffeehouse scene during the 1960s. It was within this environment that he discovered his passion for writing poetry and crossed paths with his future songwriting collaborator, Jerry Garcia.
Despite writing poetry for several years, Hunter’s career did not take off until 1967. It was then when he sent the lyrics of “St. Stephen”, “Alligator”, and “China Cat Sunflower” to his friend Garcia and the Grateful Dead. Shortly after, he became the band’s main lyricist and started collaborating with Garcia to create numerous well-known songs.
Robert Hunter’s poetry encompasses a wide range of themes, including folk stories and vibrant emotions that he skillfully depicts to convey his message. These lyrical motifs can be categorized into three main groups. The first category includes themes rooted in tradition, where classical concepts are presented in a folklore-inspired manner. The second category comprises themes with a modern twist, exploring contemporary ideas through a current writing style. Lastly, there are themes that often bridge the gap between contemporary and traditional approaches or transcend these classifications altogether, forming their unique categories.
Hunter frequently utilizes the gambling theme in his works. The poems “Candyman” and “Loser” effectively showcase this motif with the lines: “Come on boys and gamble/Roll those laughing bones.”
The lines “Seven come eleven, boysI’ll take your money home. ‘Candyman’Last fair deal in the country, sweet SuzyLast fair deal in the town. Put your gold money where your love is, baby,Before you let my deal go down. Loser” allude to professional gamblers and hint at potential problems and deceit, particularly in the song “Loser”. In “Candyman”, there is a clear indication of a grudge the Candyman holds against someone in Memphis. The sense of trouble is both more and less apparent in “Loser” with the line “Don’t you push me babybecause I’m moaning low.”
I possess exclusive knowledge that you will never acquire. Do not consume strong alcoholic beverages, only a cup of cold coffee. I will rise in the morning and embark on a journey. The concept of trouble is a prominent element in this song, yet it is conveyed in a more subtle manner. Another recurring theme in Hunter’s music is that of traveling. “Jack Straw” serves as a prime example, incorporating the railroad as a symbolic representation: Catch the Detroit Lightning departing from Santa Fe, hop on the Great Northern train from Cheyenne, and travel from coast to coast. Our destination is Tulsa, and the first available train will be our means of transportation…
The travel motif in the poem is exemplified by the chorus, which goes as follows: Keep a rollin’ Just a mile to go Keep on rolling, my old buddy You’re moving much to slow. Additionally, the poem discusses the excitement that comes with long-distance travel.
Love is a theme that Hunter focuses on in his poems, which goes beyond the traditional and contemporary divide but is primarily found in his folk poems. One notable example of his exploration of love is “Sugar Magnolia,” a beloved classic that portrays an ideal lover. The lyrics of the song express the delightful qualities and essential nature of this lover, such as being like a refreshing breeze in a pine forest under the moonlight during summer nights and bringing a sense of craziness in the sunlight.
The poem continues to depict a woman with an ethereal quality, reminiscent of a sprite. “Cumberland Blues” serves as a notable illustration of Hunter’s motif of labor, depicting the story of a coal miner in the mines of Cumberland. The poem also draws strong similarities to the theme of conventional wisdom. I must descendI must descendOr I will be unable to continue working there.
In the verse, a poor man who is content with a five-dollar bill is contrasted with another man who is not making any money and is crying. The second man asks if he can take the first man’s shift at the mine. This idea is a recurring theme in Hunter’s poems “Greatest Story Ever Told” and “Uncle John’s Band,” highlighting the conventional wisdom found in everyday country life and folk tales. “Uncle John’s Band” especially exemplifies this theme and represents Hunter’s traditional style from the early 70s.
Think this through with me
Let me know your mind
Oh, oh what I want to know
Is are you kind?”
Greatest Story Ever Told” is a satirical ballad playing on the wisdom of the biblical figure Moses. Once again, the common-sense theme is prevalent, but told in a more sardonic vein. His brain was boiling, his reason was spent
He said if nothing was borrowed then nothing was lent.
I requested him to show mercy, but instead, he handed me a gun. He stated, ‘Sometimes certain things must be done.’ One captivating motif that Hunter frequently explores in his modern poems is his own encounters with the Grateful Dead. The poem “Truckin'” serves as the most renowned illustration of this theme: Illuminated neon arrows and flickering marquees spread across Main Street, encompassing cities like Chicago, New York, and Detroit all along the same thoroughfare. A standard city immersed in an ordinary daydream. Let it go and discover what the future holds…
As I sit and gaze out of my hotel window, I have heard a rumor that someone is planning to forcefully enter the premises. Normally, I prefer to get some rest before embarking on a journey. However, if the authorities have obtained a legal document allowing them access, they will indeed enter. It is disheartening to constantly be harassed and disrupted. It feels as though I am being hunted, much like a bowling pin that is continuously knocked down. These incessant intrusions become exhausting, as they persistently refuse to leave you alone.
This poem captures the negative aspects of being on the road with the Dead, but accurately reflects Hunter’s personal experiences. Another poem about the author’s interactions with the band is “New Speedway Boogie,” which recounts the disastrous Altamont Speedway concert in Altamont, California. This poem also showcases Hunter’s versatile and adaptable writing style.
On the mountain and on the hill, we spent some time. Certain events occurred that we cannot comprehend, but I believe we will understand them eventually. In one way or another, this darkness has to be relieved.
The theme of friendship is another prominent theme in Hunter’s works. This theme can be found in songs like “Built to Last,” “Foolish Heart,” and “Brokedown Palace.” In “Built to Last,” the search for genuine friendship and stability is explored through lyrics that mention the times when one can offer assistance and the times when one can’t provide any help. The song concludes by highlighting the importance of finding something enduring and long-lasting.
Sometimes we offend each other, and if we can’t forget or choose not to, our relationship might end. The song “Foolish Heart” has a similar message about being cautious when selecting friends. Give your all in everything you do, but be careful not to give your love to someone who is foolish. Take risks even in places others fear…
But be cautious when choosing companions and never give your love to a foolish heart, my friend. The author advises their friend to follow their own path, embrace life fully, and carefully consider their relationships.
Another example of the theme of friendship is found in the poem “Brokedown Palace,” which exhibits Hunter’s characteristic style during that period. While this piece could be interpreted as a love poem, it is more likely symbolizing the departure of two dear friends and the realization that life continues: Fare you well my honeyFare you well my only true one.
One of Hunter’s most common themes, not belonging to modern or folkloric categories, is the light/dark or “opposite” theme. It encompasses various variations such as knowledge/mystery, life/death, order/chaos, and good/evil. An illustration of two of these themes can be found in the song “Dark Star,” which incorporates both the light/dark and order/chaos themes.
Dark Star crashes pouring its light into ashes. Lady in velvet recedes in the nights of goodbye. Reason tatters, the forces tear loose from the axis. Mirror shatters in formless reflections of matter.
“New Speedway Boogie” also plays on the order/chaos theme: It’s got no signs or dividin’ lines and very few rules to guide.
Bibliography
- Bubelis, Wally. Home. (Thematic Essay) http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/home.html 1995.
- Dead, Grateful. American Beauty. Warner Bros. Records, 1970.
- Dead, Grateful. Built to Last. Arista Records, 1989.
- Dead, Grateful. Dead Set. Arista Records, 1980.
- Dead, Grateful. Go to Heaven. Arista Records, 1980.
- Dead, Grateful. In the Dark. Arista Records, 1987.
- Dead, Grateful. Terrapin Station. Arista Records, 1977.
- Dead, Grateful. Workingman’s Dead. Warner Bros. Records, 1970.
- Dodd, David. Ambiguity as a Philosophical Stance in the Lyrics of the Grateful Dead. (Essay) http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/ambig.html 1997.
- Dodd, David. The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics: A Website. http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/#songs 1997.
