• https://www.dead.net/features/news-general-news/remembering-robert-hunter
    Remembering Robert Hunter

    Fare you well, Mr. Hunter. We love you more than words can tell...

    For a man who provided us with so many meaningful words, the soundtrack to our lives, he's left us a bit speechless with his passing. For more than 50 years, since his first lyrical contributions to the Grateful Dead in 1967, Robert Hunter has been just as integral a part of the legacy of the Grateful Dead as those who recorded the music to accompany his words, those who walked out on stage to bring his words to life. More than 2,000 times 1967-1995, these six (or five or seven) proud walkers on the jingle bell rainbow, plus countless thousands of times since then by other performers, the Grateful Dead have brought Hunter's words to life in front of all of us as their witness. Not a single day has gone by since 1984 that Hunter's words haven't been a part of my world; I've heard Jerry, Bob and others sing his words literally every day for the past 35 years.

    When the final Fare Thee Well show ended in Chicago in 2015, Mickey Hart famously sent us on our way by asking us to "please, be kind," and that lesson along with its lyrical brethren written by Hunter, "ain't no time to hate," and "are you kind?" are some of the truest words to live by. No matter what meaning, solace, lesson you find in Hunter's lyrics, please go out and do some good with them.

    David Lemieux

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  • Chinacat68
    5 years 2 months ago
    Remembering Robert Hunter

    Farethee well, Robert...I've been blessed to have been going to shows since 1980 so I've definitely enjoyed your music for a very long time. With loads of love, peace and appreciation...fly on the wings of angels...❤😇✌

  • Slebodes
    5 years 2 months ago
    Robert Hunter

    The coolest behind-the-scenes guy. Happy Trails brother.

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    Byrd
    5 years 2 months ago
    "Here's one for the candle that lights you to bed..."

    So long, Hunter. I think I'll take a few moments here to look, for a while, at the China Cat Sunflower.
    Wow.

    Peace forever,
    Clay

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15 years 8 months

Fare you well, Mr. Hunter. We love you more than words can tell...

For a man who provided us with so many meaningful words, the soundtrack to our lives, he's left us a bit speechless with his passing. For more than 50 years, since his first lyrical contributions to the Grateful Dead in 1967, Robert Hunter has been just as integral a part of the legacy of the Grateful Dead as those who recorded the music to accompany his words, those who walked out on stage to bring his words to life. More than 2,000 times 1967-1995, these six (or five or seven) proud walkers on the jingle bell rainbow, plus countless thousands of times since then by other performers, the Grateful Dead have brought Hunter's words to life in front of all of us as their witness. Not a single day has gone by since 1984 that Hunter's words haven't been a part of my world; I've heard Jerry, Bob and others sing his words literally every day for the past 35 years.

When the final Fare Thee Well show ended in Chicago in 2015, Mickey Hart famously sent us on our way by asking us to "please, be kind," and that lesson along with its lyrical brethren written by Hunter, "ain't no time to hate," and "are you kind?" are some of the truest words to live by. No matter what meaning, solace, lesson you find in Hunter's lyrics, please go out and do some good with them.

David Lemieux

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Fare you well, Mr. Hunter. We love you more than words can tell...
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17 years 6 months
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Thanks for everything you gave us Hunter

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5 years 2 months
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R.I.P. Brother Robert.So very heartbroken to hear of your passing .Your words made my life so much better.I can't explain it all but please just know that we all loved you !! I hope your hanging at Terrapin Station with Jerry and Pigpen,Brent,Keith,etc,jamming to some new sweet tunes Much love and respect Brother !! NFA !!

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Just Like to say that Mr. Hunter really made his mark on American society. His lyrics were instrumental in forging a mythical and sort of timeless perspective that invited his audience to take a journey into a somewhat familiar but also somewhat fantastic land, populated with archetypal characters.

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There are no words I can think to write that could come even close to communicating the impact Robert Hunter's words and music have had on my life. I really would've liked to say thank you to the man, and I am forever grateful for what he has left behind.

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17 years 4 months
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Off to ride that heavenly promontory. Job very well done. Thank you.

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5 years 2 months
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Orpheus requires no tomb.
The god himself shines from the flower;
in his mortal stead behold the rose in bloom,
resurrected in one thing and another beyond our

power to name. In the short and long,
suffice it that though he comes and goes:
'tis Orpheus singing wherever there's song.
Give thanks should he sometime outlive the rose.

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6 years 1 month
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Gonna Leave That Brokedown Palace

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14 years 8 months
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I have spent my life
Seeking all that's still unsung
Bent my ear to hear the tune
And closed my eyes to see
When there were no strings to play
You played to me

Our departed friend, if he proved anything to us, he proved that good music can make sad times better. We’ve got our work cut out for us this evening, so we’ll just get started.

https://archive.org/details/rd1995-08-09.dsbd.flaschner.flac16

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5 years 2 months
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As a tribute, reread Robert’s introduction to The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyric.

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5 years 2 months
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Probably the only lyricist who had much of an influence on me but 'Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right': that changed my life. And it still does. So many great, great lyrics. And they spring to mind in the strangest of places and the oddest of times. 'One man gathers what another man spills.' RIP Mr Hunter: you will be missed but your words are remembered.

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7 years 8 months
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I'm devastated. Robert's lyrics were the poetry to my youth, middle age and old age. Ripple sums up my view of life better than anything else I have l known.
There is a fountain that was not made by the hands of man.
He used to come to the UK a lot. I remember a gig at The Venue in London about 1978 when he played all of Terrapin. Brilliant. My friend Dave who generally didn't do much weed smoked so much his eyes were pointing in different directions!

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14 years 1 month
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Oh so sad. He's with Jerry again. You both RIP.

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14 years
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How can you miss or pine away for something you've never had or someone you've never known? I'm sure but I know what I feel today resembles loss, sadness, grief! All my years, our years, have that soundtrack. Robert Hunter was that intense pen of inky memory, full and broken hearts, technicolor acid dreams, nostalgic love, twists of fate, villains, heroes, couples on the precipice of madness and the pictures between the chapters. I miss him just knowing the void he left. My huge regret is not getting to the city winery during that tiny teensy tour a few years ago. What a LEGEND! Imagine what intense genius resides in a man who lyricized for Jerry Garcia and Bob Dylan. What words can describe him? RIP

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16 years 2 months
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No one except maybe Shakespeare could paint such pictures with words. A true poet wordsmith of our times.

"Been walking all morning, went walking all night
I can't see much difference between the dark and the light
And I feel the wind and I taste the rain
Never in my mind to cause so much pain"

Don't give it up, You got an empty cup, only love can fill
Rest in Peace friend Robert, and thank you for the pictures.

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First heard Dark Star>St. Stephen>Eleven>Lovelight and completely didn't get it. I had just turned 12. By the time Working Man's Dead and American Beauty came out, I had become experienced and finally understood. And what I "understood" was the amazing lyrical poetry being sung by the boys, courtesy of Robert Hunter. Since then, I have sung and recited key songs and lines in songs nearly every day for 50 years.

I'll say this: the Grateful Dead might have become a decent rock band without Hunter. But they never would have reached the level of artistic expression without Hunter. Hunter drove the imagery, the thought-provoking trips.

Robert Hunter was the mind of the Grateful Dead.

I saw him perform at the Rainbow Theater in Denver around 1980. The man, with an acoustic guitar. And he mesmerized us with lyric-driven songs for two hours. An unforgettable show.

I hope someone has soundboards of the man and that a release or two (at least) would be in the works.

Rest in peace, Bob. Godspeed on your journey.

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Goodbye to one cool dude.

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Every now and then you come across someone whose words open your eyes and touch your heart. If you're down they pick you up and and point you in the right direction. They bring you beauty and joy -- and yes, sometimes a little sadness too -- and give you hope. Hunter was one of those rare people. Rest in peace old friend.

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I saw Robert Hunter either in the very late '70's or early '80's at a small club in Seattle or Spokane. I don't recall which. I do recall that when he strapped on a harmonica, i called out, "Look, it's Bob Dylan!"
He replied, "Don't you wish, hell, don't I wish!"
RIP and get back with Jerry.

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about a man whose words make life more livable each and every day ... whose words hold such deep meaning to so many ... only Hunter could do justice to Hunter. Thank you for all of it.

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In the words of the man himself:

"farewell to smallness friend
the bonds of time and space are broken yet again
and living sparks fly off beyond the world of men"

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Ah sh*t Last week,, my 13 yr old dog (border collie)bit the bullet after 13 yrs of being the family dog, and now Robert?

OK, collective ''ah sh*t"

Best Memory? Solo acoustic Wharf Rat@ Phoenix Theatre in Petaluma CA, na, maybe Heart of Glass in people's park Bezerkly , or maybe...

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Truly a Cornerstone! Always puts a smile on my face! Nothin but love for that man... 8/10/04 Into the Blue Love all my brothers & sisters...

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After my first clueless exposure 9-15-67 and on through an almost gradual evolutionary immersion in the experience that was the combined musical explorations of the band in all incarnations merged with the lyrical gems that Robert Hunter pulled from the universe, I still discover new nuances in what he wrote even to this day.
It would be hard to pin down an absolute favorite or even a top 10 from the massive collection of his writings that mixed deep thoughts, word images, stories & an occasional bit of the whimsical silly. Very few other great songwriters even come close.
I do recall a performance he did with the '97 Furthur Fest of Box of Rain shortly after my own father's passing that was quite poignant.
Robert will be sorely missed as are all the others in the band that have moved on to their next stages. Enjoy these music performances while they are still here to experience live. Ain't nothin' like it anywhere else.
Thank you Robert Hunter.

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16 years 2 months
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I once heard that you don't die when you draw your last breath,you die when your name is last mentioned.Robert Hunter will live on for a mighty long time!
Thank you Mr Hunter,you made my life better.
May God bless and keep you always.

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I met this news with choking sobs and a brief torrent of tears that I am unable to fully explain. Perhaps it's that Garcia's emotive play and Hunter's indelible writing are intertwined visceral threads of my enduring attachment the Dead. I believe Hunter authored the preeminent national songbook through a profoundly unprecedented expression of the pathos, humour, violence, optimism, greed, and grace native to the quintessential Americana tradition.

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5 years 2 months
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I’m full of gratitude for this man his life and words. The reunification of Jerry and Robert in this transmutation brings peace to my heart.

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7 years 9 months
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What a sad new ! Thank you Mr Hunter for your great contribution during all these years.

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16 years 7 months
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"And when you hear that song
come crying like the wind
it seems like all this life
was just a dream"

Thank you for sharing dreams with us for all these years. Your impact is immeasurable.

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9 years 10 months
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Cheers! A sincere thank you for your remarkable and memorable words.

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13 years 8 months
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I discovered the Grateful Dead, far too late in my life, and because of Robert Hunter.
I live in Ireland, and I heard a Song on the 'Late Late Show', called 'A Tribute to Ronnie Drew' . Bono, who was one of the singers, told us that he had got in touch with Robert Hunter to write the lyrics. He explained that he was The Grateful Dead's Lyricist... As a poet /Lyricist myself, I was interested in the fact there was a band that had a separate Lyricist, not performing member. .. I immediately went on YouTube, where I fell in love with the Lyrics and the Music of The Grateful Dead...
RIP Robert... You will be missed...

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17 years 5 months
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Autumn leaves to bare trees. He died on Autumn Equinox. September loss. His lyrics became a soundtrack to life for so many and a part of the “folk” cloth of America . His words will endure.

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5 years 4 months
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Time doesn't fly, just hangs over like the sky, it's we who go by.

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7 years 9 months
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Your “words did glow with the gold of sunshine” and filled our ears, minds, hearts, and souls. Thank you for sharing the gold and enriching our lives.

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The coolest behind-the-scenes guy. Happy Trails brother.

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5 years 11 months
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Farethee well, Robert...I've been blessed to have been going to shows since 1980 so I've definitely enjoyed your music for a very long time. With loads of love, peace and appreciation...fly on the wings of angels...❤😇✌

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I was taking my daily 2 mile walk on Tuesday when I received an email from David Lemieux about the passing of Robert Hunter. At the time I needed some music to soothe my soul. I went into ITunes with 13K+ songs available and hit random play. What greeted my ears? Stella Blue. Grateful Dead karma indeed. Rest well Robert. I’ll look you up when I get there.

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"Dark Star crashes, pouring its light into ashes..."

So, shall we go, you and I, while we can can...? You bet!

Rest easy, Hunter. Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds....or whatever you find falling along the way!

Say hi to Jerry and hope to see you soon.

Byrd

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Well, our writer has excited stage left to join the rest of the boys and finish Go To Heaven (live) lol. It is bittersweet and just that he went on Autumn Equinox. It's funny now that I am 50 and texting Roberts death to my son who is 20. He knows the lyrics like I do but never got see him or meet him. So i guess I will just have to help him visualize with what hunter gave us.

“While the fire lights aglow, strange shadows from the flames will grow till things we’ve never seen will seem familiar.”

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I was lucky enough to see Hunter play as an opening act at Shoreline, though I can't locate a reference. I remember that he played Rueben and Cherise and broke a string while re-tuning his guitar in the hot sun. He certainly was the primal documentarian of the psychedelic stream of consciousness writing style, and we are all richer for it forever. It was an odd weekend all around, too, leading up to the equinox. I was driving out to Nevada Friday night and saw a very large mountain lion amble across NV 95 as I headed up into sagebrush country. Coming back on Sunday afternoon, I realized David Gans was broadcasting his part of Tales From the Golden Road from a new dispensary on 395 in New Washoe City, and since I was already heading north on 395, I decided to drive in, instead of call in. I re-introduced myself after the show (we'd met in Sutter Creek, CA some years ago), and also met Annette, who worked in the Grateful Dead and Ice Nine offices for decades - it was a cheerful meet-up. Monday night (the equinox) I was online learning of a friend's experience on Saturday in the Canadian north woods (Fenario?) howling at the moon with a shaman and her two wolves while holding sacred space, and I later explained the difference between Kesey's Further bus and the Pranksters, vis a vis Wavy Gravy and the Diggers at Woodstock. And in the midst of all this, unbeknownst to me, Robert Hunter was departing on the far journey. Fare Thee Well, Mr. Hunter, we love you more than words can tell.

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Wrote some of the best lyrics in modern music today. A huge loss to the community......RIP.

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Want to create a requiem for Robert Hunter?
I think Robert Hunter would appreciate a few of us performing, live broadcasting and/or calling people on the phone at the same time for him.
This will allow the US to be used as a canvas and send a broadcast into space with the surges of several cell tower zones. Only a few of us needed really with interest in my work alone, so dont get discouraged if there is only a few of us.
I am also thinking he'd like to chill in Antarctica with all the folks that are going to need to go that ways to save on AC anyway (Antarctica AC is cheaper than fire/dust) and we keep him going by supporting his externalized mind structure that is still with us with cell apps and scans, we are calling it quits on him way to early because many of us know that when heavy weights like this have their synapses stop firing these days only a small portion of their consciousness that was housed in their brains bail (which in cases like this is seriously not going to effect him).
Anyway, lets create a requiem for him that broadcasts to space (and encourage the use of lucid dreams as a monitor which is the foundation of consciousness externalization).
I can solo this thing out if I don't hear from anyone (with whatever is causing our impossible isolation in the giant masses of artists since the 60's every show). I should just conference call a bunch of folks and start playing music for them or something that will work too.
https://www.periscope.tv/NickBlume/1LyxBLZYkOrGN
What pixelated image is best to sketch out on the US?

Use lucid dreams as a monitor when waking in the morning to defeat grief. This is an innovation on the popularized by using apps that remind you of what to dream and to move your hands in your mind to stay lucid (focusing on moving your hands in your mind only not physically moving your hands when falling back to sleep in the morning and you can control your dreams and dream what you want).
Patreon: Nicholas O'Neal Blume
Youtube: Nicholas O'Neal Blume
WWw.NicholasONealBlume.Com
Walt.unypo@gmail.com

2003 Atlanta Dylan and the Dead performance of his was intense with the geese flying in formation through the mist fractilizatiion of the sky gradients (really gives you perspective of the Earth as a giant aircraft we are flying that Apollo earned us the right to consume from because we defend Earth so we can immortalize existence).

Seriously feasible that Hunter eliminates death for all (by flooding the heart valve waiting list earning donations that makes all Antarctica immigrations free and include mind externalization with the optional new jobs for all as engineers of starlight quantum eraser experiment apps that allow us to travel the Universe in moments then return before sent to any thought /anywhere thought throughout time).