I believe that the knowledge we will die is what defines us as humans, though of course it seems that other animals must know this. “Black Peter,” “Ripple,” “Crazy Fingers,” and others all mention these salient facts of our existence. The Dead have quite a few songs about the arc of birth to death. In the song, the two are linked in the way we always link those who have passed away and those who bear their names into the future. Cassidy (note the different spelling) Law was born in 1970. Neal Cassady died in February, 1968, near San Miguel de Allende, apparently from the effects of exposure to the elements. I love the contrasting images of the colt drawing the coffin cart, of the scorched ground being grown green again, of the night-time washed clean.īarlow wrote this song for the newborn Cassidy Law, daughter to the band’s beloved office manager and early archivist and caretaker of the Deadheads, Eileen Law. We arrive and we are lost to the world, eventually. I think each of us, listening and singing along, can hear our entire lives in this song. “There he goes, and now here she starts - hear her cry.” In the Bob Weir / John Perry Barlow composition “Cassidy,” Barlow sets himself the task of comparing a newborn baby girl, named Cassidy, with the legendary “Cowboy Neal” who previously appeared in “That’s It For the Other One.” In this case, the comparison is a study in contrasts, even as the two Cassidys intersect in the life of the band. When we have compared everything in the world

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.įormer United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins had this to say about poetry itself: 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.

Almost Brilliant by T.K. Cassidy