Thought I Heard a Blackbird Sing

J. Scott Ridgell

6 years ago

Jerry Garcia died on this day 25 years ago at the young age of 53. Here is a good story discussing Jerry’s last concert and his final days truckin’ around here on Mother Earth click here.

This would be the Dead’s last concert with Jerry on stage and was at Soldier Field in Chicago on 9 July 1995 exactly one month before he died. He played the following tune and you can see him very tired and very worn down as he sang the mournful lyrics about moving on down the road. It’s almost like he knew something bad was coming. Those blackbirds are never good omens.

Thought I heard a blackbird singing

Up on Bluebird Hill

Call me a whinin’ boy if you will

Born where the sun don’t shine

And I don’t deny my name

Got no place to go, ain’t that a shame?

Thought I heard that KC whistle

Moaning sweet and low

Thought I heard that KC when she blow

Down where the sun don’t shine

Underneath the Kokomo

Whinin’ boy got no place to go

So many roads, I tell you

So many roads I know

So many roads, so many roads

Mountain high, river wide

So many roads to ride

So many roads, so many roads

Thought I heard a jug band playin’

If you don’t who else will?

From over on the far side of the hill

All I know the sun don’t shine

And the rain refused to fall

And you don’t seem to hear me when I call

Wind inside and the wind outside

Tangled in the window blind

Tell me why you treat me so unkind

Down where the sun don’t shine
Lonely and I call your name
No place left to go, ain’t that a shame?

P.S. As I thought about doing this post it occurred to me that I had previously said something about Jerry passing on this day. Sure enough when I hit that trusty Search button, I landed on the following post that I did on this very day 10 years ago (click here.) What can I say? So many blog posts I tell you. What’s a whinin’ boy to do?

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