For the casual fan of the Grateful Dead, it’s probably one of
the more easily overlooked complexities of the band’s repertoire
that a good portion of well-known lyrics contain a variety of
little known anecdotes and clever references spanning everything
from Greek mythology and timeless nursery rhymes to classic
literature. This is attributable to the fact that in addition to
being the only non-performing member of a band ever inducted to
the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame and co-writer of the majority of
the band’s best material (as well as a bit of Bob Dylan’s),
longtime Dead lyricist Robert Hunter (born Robert Burns) was a
well studied poet, storyteller and literary translator. With
entries based on and culled from The American Book of the Dead:
The Definitive Grateful Dead Encyclopedia by Oliver Trager,
let’s take a look at a sampling of some of the best references
and anecdotes from the Robert Hunter songbook. Reuben and Cerise
– Reuben and Cerise has been a fan favorite since day the early
days with JGB for