GOOD OL' GRATEFUL DEADCAST
BONUS: Keys to the Rain: Celebrating Robert Hunter’s 80th
Release Date: June 23, 2021
Episode Overview
This special bonus episode of the Deadcast celebrates the 80th birthday of Robert Hunter (1941-2019), the legendary lyricist behind much of the Grateful Dead’s immortal catalog. Through interviews, stories, and unique audio clips, hosts Jesse Jarnow and Rich Mahan chronicle Hunter’s remarkable life and literary legacy, exploring his profound creative partnership with Jerry Garcia, his poetic philosophy, broader collaborations, and the enduring impact of his cosmic, folk-inspired lyrics.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. Robert Hunter’s Origins and Early Bohemia
- Childhood and Early Music: Hunter grew up in foster homes, found solace in books, relocated from California to Connecticut, and played in early bands (The Crescents) before returning west (08:39).
- Early Partnership with Garcia: Hunter and Garcia bonded in Palo Alto’s folk scene. Garcia recalls their days living out of cars and performing as "Bob and Jerry," sharing stories of camaraderie and creativity (10:14, 09:50).
- Hunter on Early Folk Scene: “We used to live in a couple of wrecked cars in a vacant lot in East Palo Alto... I had a glove compartment full of plastic spoons in my car.” – Robert Hunter, relayed by Jerry Garcia (10:14).
- Hunter’s First LSD Experience: One of the first in their circle to try LSD, as a test subject at a local VA hospital.
2. Becoming the Grateful Dead’s Lyricist
- Joining the Dead: Garcia calls Hunter back in 1967 to officially join as lyricist. Wrote his first lyrics mailed from New Mexico.
- First Song Submissions: Lyrics like “China Cat Sunflower” formed the bedrock of the Dead’s late-60s sound (13:07).
- Hunter’s Role: Unique among rock bands to have a “dedicated lyricist”—a “master of the folk tradition,” blending nature, myth, and Americana (14:07, Raymond Foy).
- “It’s unimaginable. That guy saves their ass big time. And nobody realized that more than Jerry.” – Raymond Foy (15:58)
3. Crafting the Garcia-Hunter Songbook
- Collaborative Songwriting Mechanics:
- “When Hunter and I write a song together, I can tell Hunter where I want the vowels and consonants... and he can write to order like that, you know, and still make it make sense and still make it be good. And that is not easy.” – Jerry Garcia (16:59)
- They'd work side-by-side, exchanging drafts, or Garcia would set a melody for Hunter to interpret; often involved intense late-night writing sessions (17:46).
- Hunter had melodies for his tunes but Garcia preferred only the lyrics, to avoid their tunes influencing his own music (19:07, Raymond Foy).
4. Hunter’s Solo Work and Signature Songs
- Solo Albums: Tales of the Great Rum Runners (1974) and Tiger Rose—produced at Mickey Hart's barn, feature members of the Dead (20:19).
- “Must Have Been the Roses”: Hunter’s signature, eventually adopted by the Dead, sparking complex feelings about artistic ownership (22:18).
- “I had thought of [‘Roses’] as my signature tune. But Jer decided he wanted to do it... that song would no longer be identified with me once he did it.” – Robert Hunter (22:18)
- “Must Have Been the Roses”: Hunter’s signature, eventually adopted by the Dead, sparking complex feelings about artistic ownership (22:18).
5. The Poet and Craftsman
- Poetry and Literary Publishing:
- Published poems in Dead Head Newsletters and several collections (Night Cadre, Sentinel, Glass Lunch).
- Translated Rilke’s Duino Elegies—without speaking German—working from multiple English versions (28:17).
- “His translation of Rilke is just amazing…in perfectly natural sounding English.” – Nicholas Meriwether (28:33)
- Authored the epic poem A Strange Music in the wake of the Gulf War.
- Collaborators remark on Hunter’s ability to work to precise poetic or editorial requirements like a tradesman, e.g., Raymond Foy on Idiot’s Delight: “He was a real craftsman…If you tell me you want the table to be 40 inches high, you get it 40 inches high.” (33:50)
6. Broadening Collaborations Beyond the Dead
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Zero and Greg Anton:
- Hunter invigorated the Bay Area band Zero with lyrics, granting new dimensions and freedoms, occasionally dipping into political territory—something he’d avoided with the Dead (43:17, Greg Anton).
- On the creative process: “He would allow me to pick and choose and move things around...but he would not want any additional words because he was very particular about his words.” (45:05)
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Jim Lauderdale Partnership:
- A major late-career collaboration led to about 100 songs; each wrote independently and quickly, resulting in a diverse catalog blending bluegrass and Americana.
- “We had a real fast writing process ... I guess we wrote about 33 songs during this visit.” – Jim Lauderdale (57:36)
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With Bob Dylan:
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Other Artists: Lyrics for Phil Lesh and Friends, Mickey Hart, Los Lobos, David Nelson, Elvis Costello, U2, and more (53:27, 54:22).
7. Hunter the Private Citizen and Modern Publisher
- Immense Privacy: Known for being intensely private, valuing solitude as necessary for work (49:49, Raymond Foy).
- Internet Work: Served as DeadNet webmaster, posted journals, entire manuscripts, and even “published” his novel Red Sky Fishing via email sharing (50:33, 52:05).
- “Such activity constitutes a new idea of publication. It’s an experiment in the dark.” – Robert Hunter (51:40)
- “Why can't I publish something via email? As long as you actually credit ... I don't mind if you continue to promulgate this, as long as you respect my copyright and don't edit my stuff.” – Nicholas Meriwether (52:05)
8. Philosophy, Ethics, and the Folk Lyric
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Ethical Code in the Lyrics: Hunter’s work regarded as a “code of behavior” for Deadheads, echoing the role of balladists as communal guides (67:19, Raymond Foy).
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On Songwriting and Legacy:
- “A song cannot emerge in any time but its own. The time it helps create. A tune contains its unique place in eternity, just as a specific time contains the tune, allowing the past to sketch the outlines of the future. It can take a lifetime to grasp that or an instant, whichever is longer.” – Robert Hunter, Songwriters Hall of Fame, 2015 (67:59, 68:24)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On The Hunter-Garcia Partnership:
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On Songcraft:
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On Artistic Influence:
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On Anonymity:
- “He was very old fashioned, and he believed in that almost extinct quality… privacy.” – Raymond Foy (49:49)
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On Folk Balladry:
- “That is what Hunter is a master of, is balladry.” – Raymond Foy (41:28)
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On Legacy and Meaning:
- “His words have so much meaning that they give new meaning to the word meaning.” – Jim Lauderdale, introducing Hunter at Americana Music Honors (66:25)
- “I accept [this award] in the name of those who labor in anonymity in the song minds… who pursue this uncertain occupation for the sake of the song itself.” – Robert Hunter (66:47)
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On Leadership and Homecoming:
- “You who choose to lead must follow but if you fall, you fall alone if you should stand, then who’s to guide you? If I knew the way I would take you home.” – Robert Hunter (68:43)
Important Segment Timestamps
- 03:04 – Hunter & Garcia on their connection and songwriting process
- 08:39 – Hunter on The Crescents, early musical roots
- 10:14 – Jerry Garcia on his wild early days with Hunter
- 13:07 – “China Cat Sunflower” and Hunter's entry into the Dead’s lyric canon
- 14:07 – Raymond Foy on discovering Hunter’s role and mastery
- 16:59 – Jerry Garcia on technical songwriting partnership
- 19:51 – “Must Have Been the Roses” and Hunter’s feelings on artistic ownership
- 27:15 – Nicholas Meriwether on Hunter’s poetry and Rilke translation
- 33:50 – Raymond Foy details publishing Idiot’s Delight
- 43:17 – Greg Anton on Zero’s collaboration with Hunter
- 52:05 – Hunter’s experiment with email publishing
- 61:20 – Hunter’s collaboration with Bob Dylan
- 67:59 – Hunter’s poetic statement from Songwriters Hall of Fame
- 68:43 – “If I knew the way I would take you home”
Conclusion
Through songs, stories, poetry, and friendships, Robert Hunter’s transformative presence is felt far beyond the Grateful Dead. Embracing the folk tradition while bringing unmatched poetic vision and empathy, Hunter shaped the very soul of the Dead’s myth and millions of listeners’ lives, providing a code, a language, and a lyrical universe to explore eternally.