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Today's Grateful Dead song explained
Box of Rain
"Box of Rain" was written by Phil Lesh (music) and Robert Hunter (lyrics).
Lesh explains that he had written a tune to sing to his father, who was then dying of cancer. He took the music to Hunter, the band's lyricist, and the latter churned out the words in no time, stating later that the lyrics flew off his pen as fast as he could write them.
The song was almost always (perhaps always) sung by Lesh in concert, which is unusual in itself, because nearly all of the songs were sung by either Bob Weir or Jerry Garcia. "Box of Rain" became Lesh's signature tune; it was so popular with fans that a chant would be heard during the shows: "Let Phil sing! Let Phil sing!" Whereupon the opening chords to "Box of Rain" would come from Garcia's lead guitar, and Lesh would launch into the words - "Look out of any window, any morning, any evening, any day / Maybe the sun is shining, birds are winging, no rain is falling from a heavy sky / What do you want me to do? / To do for you to see you through? / For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago."
It's a beautiful, catchy tune; you can find a studio version of it on the band's 1970 release American Beauty. Lesh was never a very good singer, but his unique style lends itself very well to this song, and your heart can't help but soar when he sings it.
Check the titular line in the song: "A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through."
Lesh is telling his dad that his love for him will aid him in his fight against death. The heart, she is a mighty beast.
"Box of Rain" was written by Phil Lesh (music) and Robert Hunter (lyrics).
Lesh explains that he had written a tune to sing to his father, who was then dying of cancer. He took the music to Hunter, the band's lyricist, and the latter churned out the words in no time, stating later that the lyrics flew off his pen as fast as he could write them.
The song was almost always (perhaps always) sung by Lesh in concert, which is unusual in itself, because nearly all of the songs were sung by either Bob Weir or Jerry Garcia. "Box of Rain" became Lesh's signature tune; it was so popular with fans that a chant would be heard during the shows: "Let Phil sing! Let Phil sing!" Whereupon the opening chords to "Box of Rain" would come from Garcia's lead guitar, and Lesh would launch into the words - "Look out of any window, any morning, any evening, any day / Maybe the sun is shining, birds are winging, no rain is falling from a heavy sky / What do you want me to do? / To do for you to see you through? / For this is all a dream we dreamed one afternoon long ago."
It's a beautiful, catchy tune; you can find a studio version of it on the band's 1970 release American Beauty. Lesh was never a very good singer, but his unique style lends itself very well to this song, and your heart can't help but soar when he sings it.
Check the titular line in the song: "A box of rain will ease the pain and love will see you through."
Lesh is telling his dad that his love for him will aid him in his fight against death. The heart, she is a mighty beast.
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