It took me some years to understand what’s the meaning of “I saw a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac” (“Boys of summer” by Don Henley). I had to become a Dead Head first I guess…
It did take me a while to digest this iconic band. At first I really didn’t fully connect to the Country/Folk sounds and rhythms. The switch occurred at some evening listening to Dark Star (LIVE DEAD, 1968) with my buddy who was in it deep. I immediately connected and the rest is history – I then became an official Dead Head.
What is “Unbroken Chain” about?
So, what does the song of the “sawhet owl” sound like? What is a Dark Star? Was Saint Stephen a troublemaker? What is “Unbroken Chain” about? The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics (512 pages) contains just about all the answers – full lyrics, detailed annotations, and black-and-white drawings for the dead head. It’s a great book to have around. It’s not really a story, so you can read a bit here and there and discover new things over time.