The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics Hardcover – October 13, 2015

When I saw that the website that this is based on is gone, I rushed to buy this.Absolutely essential resource for any fan.

My first book had a binding issue in the center. They accepted my return and sent another that is in great condition. Things go wrong sometimes. Not the companies fault. But they made good on the product. That counts for a lot with me these days.I am the GF of the guy whose account this is. I was crazy happy when he ordered it. He never listened to the Dead before we started dating. Now I am even learning lyrics I had gotten wrong over the last 39 years. Lord have mercy. Now I feel old. Hmph. Great book however.Miss you Jerry.

Great book. Happy to have it

If you are a fan of the Grateful Dead, this book is a must. If you are not that familiar with the Grateful Dead, I recommend any of the following books about them to give you some background: "This is All A Dream We Dreamed: An Oral History of the Grateful Dead" by Blair Jackson and David Gans; No Simple Highway: A Cultural History of the Grateful Dead by Peter Richardson; "A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead by Dennis McNally."The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics, 50th Anniversary Edition" is a well organized and very attractive book. All of the original songs by the Grateful Dead are presented chronologically. The complete lyrics are provided as well as commentary about the lyrics that include: references to factors influencing the lyrics and what certain words in the lyrics refer to. The foreword to this book is written by Robert Hunter who wrote the lyrics to most of their songs.If you don't know, the Grateful Dead is the most iconic of American rock bands and one of the top earning bands in our music history. They are a true American rock band and their song lyrics typically tell a story.The approach to the book that I took is this. I would read the lyrics and commentary of three to four songs each day. Then I would sit down at my work station and play the songs I just read about with the book open so I could follow the lyrics and see how the lyrics related to the music. I found this to be a very interesting and education approach to the book. When you hear the songs and follow the written lyrics, it all makes sense and demonstrates how versatile the Grateful Dead were.Five stars for this beautifully put together book. It is a real collector's piece that should be in any library of American Rock & Roll Music.

Now it's possible to sing along and get the words right.

A must have!

The exploration of the lyrics provides both more clarity and more depth and possibilty. The info doesn't spell anything out for you - Hunter said he never would - but it sends you down the right, or more adventurous, path. Plus the artwork makes it a joy to use.

I wanted the book by Robert Hunter, but it is out of print and very expensive on the used market. This book is the next best thing. The fact that it has a foreword by Robert Hunter along with the best comments concerning the songs from a Grateful Dead forum means a lot. It also has songs that weren't written by Robert so it is likely more complete (but I can't say for sure). All in all, a very good book to have after hearing these songs for so many years but not quite catching all the lyrics nor knowing the backstory to the songs. Recommended.