• Touch Of Grey
    Lyrics By:
    Music By:

    It must be getting early
    Clocks are running late
    Paint by numbers morning sky
    Looks so phony

    Dawn is breaking everywhere
    Light a candle, curse the glare
    Draw the curtains, I don't care
    'Cause it's alright

    I will get by
    I will get by
    I will get by
    I will survive

    I see you got your list out
    Say your piece and get out (note 1)
    Yes I got the gist of it
    But it's alright

    Sorry that you feel that way
    The only thing there is to say
    Every silver lining's got a
    Touch of grey

    It's a lesson to me
    The Ables and the Bakers and the C's
    The A B C's
    We all must face
    And try to keep a little grace

    I know the rent is in arrears
    The dog has not been fed in years
    It's even worse than it appears
    But it's alright

    Cows are giving kerosene
    The kid can't read at seventeen
    The words he knows are all obscene
    But it's alright

    I will get by
    I will get by
    I will get by
    I will survive

    It's a lesson to me
    The Deltas and the East and the Freeze
    The A B C's
    We all think of
    And try to keep a little love

    The shoe is on the hand it fits
    There's really nothing much to it
    Whistle through your teeth and split
    'Cause it's alright

    Oh well a touch of grey
    Kind of suits you anyway
    That was all I had to say
    And it's alright

    I will get by
    I will get by
    I will get by
    I will survive

    We will get by
    We will get by
    We will get by
    We will survive

    (1) the original lyrics were "Say your piece and piss off" but Hunter said that Jerry wanted him to change "piss off" to "get out" to give it a better chance at airplay (quoted by Bob Clinton in 'The Deadhead's Taping Companion Vol 2'). But it seems Jerry sang the original lyrics anyway on at least one occasion (eg 18 March 1992 - thanks to Doug Reddick for this).

user picture
Default Avatar

Member for

17 years 7 months

(1) the original lyrics were "Say your piece and piss off" but Hunter said that Jerry wanted him to change "piss off" to "get out" to give it a better chance at airplay (quoted by Bob Clinton in 'The Deadhead's Taping Companion Vol 2'). But it seems Jerry sang the original lyrics anyway on at least one occasion (eg 18 March 1992 - thanks to Doug Reddick for this).

Lyrics By
Robert Hunter
Music By
Jerry Garcia
Lyrics

It must be getting early
Clocks are running late
Paint by numbers morning sky
Looks so phony

Dawn is breaking everywhere
Light a candle, curse the glare
Draw the curtains, I don't care
'Cause it's alright

I will get by
I will get by
I will get by
I will survive

I see you got your list out
Say your piece and get out (note 1)
Yes I got the gist of it
But it's alright

Sorry that you feel that way
The only thing there is to say
Every silver lining's got a
Touch of grey

It's a lesson to me
The Ables and the Bakers and the C's
The A B C's
We all must face
And try to keep a little grace

I know the rent is in arrears
The dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears
But it's alright

Cows are giving kerosene
The kid can't read at seventeen
The words he knows are all obscene
But it's alright

I will get by
I will get by
I will get by
I will survive

It's a lesson to me
The Deltas and the East and the Freeze
The A B C's
We all think of
And try to keep a little love

The shoe is on the hand it fits
There's really nothing much to it
Whistle through your teeth and split
'Cause it's alright

Oh well a touch of grey
Kind of suits you anyway
That was all I had to say
And it's alright

I will get by
I will get by
I will get by
I will survive

We will get by
We will get by
We will get by
We will survive