Jack Straw
Lyrics:
Robert Hunter
Music:
Bob Weir Reprinted with permissions copyright
Ice Nine Publishing
Grateful Dead Recordings
Date Album
26 Apr 1972 Hundred Year Hall
3 May 1972 Europe '72 (note 2)
19 Oct 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 19
15 Mar 1990 Terrapin Station (Limited Edition)
Dead-related recordings
Date Album Recorded By
1985 Live '85 Robert Hunter
Dec 1990 Box Of Rain Robert Hunter
1991 Deadicated Bruce Hornsby
27 Oct 1995 Furthur Festival Bruce Hornsby (with Bob Weir)
22 Jul 1998 The Strange Remain The Other Ones
First performance: October 19, 1971, at Northrop Auditorium, University of Minnesota.
We can share the women, we can share the wine
We can share what we got of yours, 'cause we done shared all of mine
Keep on rolling, just a mile to go
Keep on rolling, my old buddy, you're moving much too slow
I just jumped the watchman right outside the fence
Took his rings, four bucks in change, ain't that heaven sent
Hurts my ears to listen, Shannon, burns my eyes to see
Cut down a man in cold blood, Shannon, might as well be me
We used to play for silver now we play for life (note 1)
And one's for sport, and one's for blood at the point of a knife
And now the die has shaken, now the die must fall
There ain't a winner in the game
He don't go home with all, not with all
Leaving Texas, fourth day of July
Sun so hot, the clouds so low, the eagles filled the sky
Catch the Detroit Lightning out of Santa Fe
The Great Northern out of Cheyenne, from sea to shining sea
Gotta go to Tulsa, first train we can ride
Gotta settle one old score, one small point of pride
There ain't a place a man can hide, Shannon, will keep him from the sun
Ain't a bed can give us rest now, you keep us on the run
Jack Straw from Wichita cut his buddy down
And dug for him a shallow grave, and laid his body down
Half a mile from Tucson, by the morning light
One man gone and another to go
My old buddy you're moving much too slow
We can share the women we can share the wine
Notes
(1) at times in 1978 and 1979 Bob Weir sang "We used to play for acid ..." and "... now we play for Clive" (a reference to Clive Davis, the boss of Arista Records, who had at that time signed the Dead)