The lyricist Jerry Garcia said made the most incredible songs of the century
While beloved in the world of psychedelic rock, it was always evident that even if they weren’t performing songs in other styles, the Grateful Dead were thoroughly invested in the work that other artists were producing in far-flung areas.
Throughout their 30-year run, they quite often used to create a fusion of sounds by adding their own flair to music from the world of jazz, blues, country or folk. While picking and choosing elements from a variety of places doesn’t always land with audiences, with some people preferring for artists to stick to one lane that they’re most comfortable with, it was evident from the band’s work that they were more than adept at dipping their toes into all of these different scenes.
Over this stretch of time, the legendary group were known for covering songs by acts like Bob Dylan and The Beatles extensively, but while they paid tribute to some of the biggest names, they would also throw in songs from pioneering figures in other scenes into their setlists, usually as a mark of respect for their excellence in these less-expected areas.
The Grateful Dead were also known to have delved into the world of soul by covering the works of Wilson Pickett, and established themselves as fans of early folk and country through covering the incredible compositions of guitarist Elizabeth Cotten as well.
There is seemingly no end to the band’s pool of knowledge, and paying tribute to these incredible songwriters often used to be repaid by the original artists, who lauded the Grateful Dead as one of the most original bands of their generation. In addition to this, it also meant that they were fortunate enough to meet and work alongside some of the people they respected most.
It was perhaps fortuitous that Jerry Garcia’s road manager during the latter stages of his solo career, Steve Parish, happened to be the second cousin of one of the greatest songwriters of the early 20th century, and who was someone whom Garcia greatly admired.
Known for having written lyrics for Broadway musicals and contributed to some of the finest songs ever composed, Mitchell Parish was someone whom Garcia had looked up to since childhood as being one of the most formidable songwriters, and during a 1993 interview with Rolling Stone, he expressed his delight at having been lucky enough to share his company shortly before he died earlier that year.
“I got to hang out with him, 92 years old,” Garcia recalled. “I hung out with him like five or six times – good hangouts, you know. He was so fun. He was like the book, you know. He wrote ‘Deep Purple’, ‘Sweet Lorraine’, some of the most incredible songs that were written in this century. ‘Stardust’ for Christ’s sake! ‘Sophisticated Lady’, I mean, God – what a guy. Getting to know him was an incredible experience. When he died this last year, it was a crusher. I really wanted to write a song with him.”
Even though they never managed to collaborate with his songwriting hero in an official capacity, the amount that he would have undoubtedly been able to learn from such a figure is a priceless takeaway, and while Garcia would unfortunately pass away only two years later, he would have certainly cherished this opportunity just as much as having met some of the biggest names in rock and roll.
