Uncle John's Band
Encyclopedia
"Uncle John's Band" is a song by the Grateful Dead
that first appeared in their concert setlists in late 1969. The band recorded it for their 1970 album Workingman's Dead
. Written by guitarist Jerry Garcia
and lyricist Robert Hunter
, "Uncle John's Band" presents the Dead in an acoustic and musically concise mode, with close harmony singing.
The song, one of the band's most well-known, is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2001 it was named 321st (of 365) in the Songs of the Century
project list.
-inspired folk arrangement with acoustic guitars. The song's close harmony singing was inspired in part by Crosby, Stills and Nash
. Both the music and the lyrics summon up the Dead's feel for Americana
, with the song making allusions to both past — Irving Berlin
's "Alexander's Ragtime Band
" — and present — the fate of the American counterculture
at the turn of the decade. In particular, at the end of the tumultuous sixties, when the hopes and dreams for an Age of Aquarius
with its Summer of Love
became undermined with the hard edges of reality illustrated by the 1968 Democratic National Convention
in Chicago and the stabbing death at Altamont, the lyrics encapsulate the core concern of those who survived with the line, "Whoa-oh, what I want to know is are you kind?"
Robert Hunter's lyrics ("It's a buck dancer's choice my friend; better take my advice") may have been influenced by James Dickey
's 1965 poem/poetry collection "Buckdancer's Choice
."
It is quite possible that "Uncle John" is referring to Mississippi John Hurt who was an influence on the band and was known by that alias. Another possibility is that Uncle John's Band refers to the New Lost City Ramblers as Uncle John was a nickname for John Cohen. Also, Uncle John may be a biblical reference to John the Baptist, who baptized in a river. Such an explanation may correlate to the lyrics "He's come to take his children home."
Part of the lyrics mention 'Don't Tread On Me'.
released "Uncle John's Band", backed with "New Speedway Boogie", as a single
in 1970, but got limited airplay because of length issues. Garcia worked with Warners to cut it down, though he later called the mix "an atrocity." "I gave them instructions on how to properly edit it and they garbled it so completely," Garcia commented. The original album version ended up getting more air play than the revised Warner Bros. version.
In any case, the single reached only number 69 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart
. Nevertheless it had a greater impact than its chart performance indicates, it did receive good airplay on progressive rock radio
stations and others with looser playlists. At a time when the Grateful Dead were already an underground legend, "Uncle John's Band" (and to some degree its albummate "Casey Jones
") was the first time many in the general rock audience actually heard the band's music.
Moreover, the song had an impact on the mainstream because of first using the word "goddamn" in the unedited single, which many radio stations played instead of the edited version; together with the reference to cocaine
in "Casey Jones", the two songs made the band a "thorn in the side of Nixon
that became a badge of honor to the masses."
The song is available as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band
.
"Uncle John's Band" is one of the Grateful Dead's most frequently played tracks on classic rock
radio.
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
that first appeared in their concert setlists in late 1969. The band recorded it for their 1970 album Workingman's Dead
Workingman's Dead
Workingman's Dead is the fourth studio album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded in February 1970 and originally released on June 14, 1970....
. Written by guitarist Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
and lyricist Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter (lyricist)
Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
, "Uncle John's Band" presents the Dead in an acoustic and musically concise mode, with close harmony singing.
The song, one of the band's most well-known, is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. In 2001 it was named 321st (of 365) in the Songs of the Century
Songs of the Century
The "Songs of the Century" list is part of an education project by the Recording Industry Association of America , the National Endowment for the Arts, and Scholastic Inc. that aims to "promote a better understanding of America’s musical and cultural heritage" in American schools...
project list.
Music and lyrics
"Uncle John's Band" has one of the Dead's most immediately accessible and memorable melodies, set against a bluegrassBluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
-inspired folk arrangement with acoustic guitars. The song's close harmony singing was inspired in part by Crosby, Stills and Nash
Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)
Crosby, Stills & Nash is a folk rock supergroup made up of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash, also known as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young when joined by occasional fourth member Neil Young...
. Both the music and the lyrics summon up the Dead's feel for Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
, with the song making allusions to both past — Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin
Irving Berlin was an American composer and lyricist of Jewish heritage, widely considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history.His first hit song, "Alexander's Ragtime Band", became world famous...
's "Alexander's Ragtime Band
Alexander's Ragtime Band
"Alexander's Ragtime Band" is the name of a song by Irving Berlin. It was his first major hit, in 1911. There is some evidence, although inconclusive, that Berlin borrowed the melody from a draft of "A Real Slow Drag" submitted by Scott Joplin that had been submitted to a...
" — and present — the fate of the American counterculture
Counterculture
Counterculture is a sociological term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. Counterculture can also be described as a group whose behavior...
at the turn of the decade. In particular, at the end of the tumultuous sixties, when the hopes and dreams for an Age of Aquarius
Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius is either the current or new age in the cycle of astrological ages. Each astrological age is approximately 2,150 years long, on average, but there are various methods of calculating this length that may yield longer or shorter time spans depending upon the technique used...
with its Summer of Love
Summer of Love
The Summer of Love was a social phenomenon that occurred during the summer of 1967, when as many as 100,000 people converged on the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, creating a cultural and political rebellion...
became undermined with the hard edges of reality illustrated by the 1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
The 1968 Democratic National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois, from August 26 to August 29, 1968. Because Democratic President Lyndon Johnson had announced he would not seek a second term, the purpose of the convention was to...
in Chicago and the stabbing death at Altamont, the lyrics encapsulate the core concern of those who survived with the line, "Whoa-oh, what I want to know is are you kind?"
Robert Hunter's lyrics ("It's a buck dancer's choice my friend; better take my advice") may have been influenced by James Dickey
James Dickey
James Lafayette Dickey was an American poet and novelist. He was appointed the eighteenth Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress in 1966.-Early years:...
's 1965 poem/poetry collection "Buckdancer's Choice
Buckdancer's Choice
Buckdancer's Choice is a 1965 collection of poems by James Dickey. The book received the Melville Cane Award and the National Book Award for Poetry in 1966....
."
It is quite possible that "Uncle John" is referring to Mississippi John Hurt who was an influence on the band and was known by that alias. Another possibility is that Uncle John's Band refers to the New Lost City Ramblers as Uncle John was a nickname for John Cohen. Also, Uncle John may be a biblical reference to John the Baptist, who baptized in a river. Such an explanation may correlate to the lyrics "He's come to take his children home."
Part of the lyrics mention 'Don't Tread On Me'.
Single and album history
Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
released "Uncle John's Band", backed with "New Speedway Boogie", as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1970, but got limited airplay because of length issues. Garcia worked with Warners to cut it down, though he later called the mix "an atrocity." "I gave them instructions on how to properly edit it and they garbled it so completely," Garcia commented. The original album version ended up getting more air play than the revised Warner Bros. version.
In any case, the single reached only number 69 on the U.S. Pop Singles chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. Nevertheless it had a greater impact than its chart performance indicates, it did receive good airplay on progressive rock radio
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
stations and others with looser playlists. At a time when the Grateful Dead were already an underground legend, "Uncle John's Band" (and to some degree its albummate "Casey Jones
Casey Jones (song)
"Casey Jones" is a song by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The music was written by Jerry Garcia, and the lyrics are by Robert Hunter. The song first appeared on the Dead's 1970 album Workingman's Dead. Subsequently it was included on a number of their live albums.The Grateful Dead...
") was the first time many in the general rock audience actually heard the band's music.
Moreover, the song had an impact on the mainstream because of first using the word "goddamn" in the unedited single, which many radio stations played instead of the edited version; together with the reference to cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
in "Casey Jones", the two songs made the band a "thorn in the side of Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
that became a badge of honor to the masses."
The song is available as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
.
"Uncle John's Band" is one of the Grateful Dead's most frequently played tracks on classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
radio.
Cover versions
- It was covered (with lyrics intact) by Jimmy BuffettJimmy BuffettJames William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
on his 1994 album FruitcakesFruitcakes (album)Fruitcakes is the 19th studio album by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. This album was released in May 1994, coming off a five year hiatus from the recording studio since 1989's Off to See the Lizard.-Chart performance:...
.
- It was covered by the Indigo GirlsIndigo GirlsThe Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
for the Grateful Dead tribute compilation Deadicated. The recording also appeared on their album Rarities.
- Crosby, Stills & Nash covered the song live during their 2009 US concert tour.