Song

  • He's Gone
    Lyrics By:
    Music By:

    Rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limb
    You know better, but I know him

    Like I told you, like I said
    Steal your face right off your head

    And now he's gone
    Now he's gone, Lord he's gone
    He's gone
    Like a steam locomotive rolling down the track
    He's gone, gone, and nothing's gonna bring him back
    He's gone

    Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride
    Hot as a pistol but cool inside

    Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile
    Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

    Going where the wind don't blow so strange
    Maybe off on some high cold mountain range (note 1)
    Lost one round but the price wasn't anything
    A knife in the back and more of the same

    Same old
    Rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limb
    You know better, but I know him

    Like I told you, like I said
    Steal your face right off your head

    Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back
    Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back
    Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back

    (1) the Hunter lyrics are "... mountain range" but it certainly sounds as if the Dead sing "... mountain chain." For what it's worth, it's "chain" in the sheet music in the Grateful Dead Anthology Vol 1.

    (2) Hunter's manuscript includes some verses that never made it into the final version:

    So long baby, rip it up today Write me a letter when you mend your ways

    Hanging on a meat hook, coolin' my heels Sign no papers and make no deals

    Take me to the kickshop, hang me up for poor Just try to see you don't shame me no more

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(1) the Hunter lyrics are "... mountain range" but it certainly sounds as if the Dead sing "... mountain chain." For what it's worth, it's "chain" in the sheet music in the Grateful Dead Anthology Vol 1.

(2) Hunter's manuscript includes some verses that never made it into the final version:

So long baby, rip it up today Write me a letter when you mend your ways

Hanging on a meat hook, coolin' my heels Sign no papers and make no deals

Take me to the kickshop, hang me up for poor Just try to see you don't shame me no more

Lyrics By
Robert Hunter
Music By
Jerry Garcia
Lyrics

Rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limb
You know better, but I know him

Like I told you, like I said
Steal your face right off your head

And now he's gone
Now he's gone, Lord he's gone
He's gone
Like a steam locomotive rolling down the track
He's gone, gone, and nothing's gonna bring him back
He's gone

Nine mile skid on a ten mile ride
Hot as a pistol but cool inside

Cat on a tin roof, dogs in a pile
Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

Going where the wind don't blow so strange
Maybe off on some high cold mountain range (note 1)
Lost one round but the price wasn't anything
A knife in the back and more of the same

Same old
Rat in a drain ditch, caught on a limb
You know better, but I know him

Like I told you, like I said
Steal your face right off your head

Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back
Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back
Ooh, nothing's gonna bring him back