Robert Hunter ( lyricist ) - wikipedia Robert Hunter ( lyricist ) For other people with the same name, see Robert Hunter ( disambiguation ). Robert Hunter Robert Hunter, 2013 Background information Birth name Robert Burns ( 1941 - 06 - 23 ) June 23, 1941 ( age 76 ) San Luis Obispo, California, United States Genres Folk rock, bluegrass, country rock, rock and roll, psychedelic rock, blues - rock Occupation ( s ) Musician, singer - songwriter, poet, translator Instruments Guitar, harmonica, mandolin, upright bass Years active 1962 -- present Labels Relix Records, Dark Star Records, Round Records Associated acts Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan Website www.dead.net/band/robert-hunter Robert C. Hunter ( born June 23, 1941 ) is an American lyricist, singer - songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his work with the Grateful Dead and for collaborating with singer - songwriter Bob Dylan. Contents 1 Biography 2 Translations and poetry 3 Notable songs 4 Discography 5 Books 6 Footnotes 7 References 8 External links Biography Hunter was born Robert Burns in Oceano, California. In a 1973 Rolling Stone profile of the Grateful Dead, Charles Perry reported that he is a great - great grandson of noted Romantic poet Robert Burns. An early friend of Jerry Garcia, they played together in bluegrass bands ( such as the Tub Thumpers ) in the early sixties, with Hunter on mandolin and upright bass. Around 1962, Hunter was an early volunteer test subject ( along with Ken Kesey ) for psychedelic chemicals at Stanford University 's research covertly sponsored by the CIA in their MKULTRA program. ( McNally 42 ) He was paid to take LSD, psilocybin, and mescaline and report on his experiences, which were creatively formative for him : `` Sit back picture yourself swooping up a shell of purple with foam crests of crystal drops soft nigh they fall unto the sea of morning creep - very - softly mist... and then sort of cascade tinkley - bell like ( must I take you by the hand, every so slowly type ) and then conglomerate suddenly into a peal of silver vibrant uncomprehendingly, blood singingly, joyously resoundingbells... By my faith if this be insanity, then for the love of God permit me to remain insane. '' ( McNally 42 -- 43 ) The first lyrics he wrote for the Grateful Dead were composed while on LSD, and mailed to the band from Arizona : a suite that would later become `` China Cat Sunflower '' / `` The Eleven '' ( these were performed together for a short time ). `` China Cat Sunflower '' would later find a partner in `` I Know You Rider ''. After battling moderate drug addiction, he joined the Grateful Dead on the first weekend in September 1967, at four gigs in Rio Nido, California. That weekend he wrote the first verse of `` Dark Star ''. Hunter 's relationship with the band grew until he was officially a non-performing band member. When the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, Hunter was included as a band member, the only non-performer ever so honored. The majority of the Grateful Dead 's original songs are Hunter / Garcia collaborations, where Garcia composed the music and Hunter wrote the lyrics. Garcia once described Hunter as `` the band member who does n't come out on stage with us. '' Hunter also collaborated as a lyricist with the other members of the Dead, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, and Ron `` Pigpen '' McKernan, although over time Weir, the other principal songwriter besides Garcia, switched to using John Perry Barlow as a lyricist. Hunter called 1970 's `` Friend of the Devil '' the closest he and Garcia came to writing a classic song. Hunter 's best - known line is probably What a long, strange trip it 's been, from that year 's `` Truckin ' ''. In 1974, Hunter released the solo album Tales of the Great Rum Runners featuring himself as a singer songwriter. It was followed the next year by Tiger Rose. Neither attracted a large audience. Another of his solo efforts is the extremely rare recording Jack O ' Roses, containing the extended version of `` Terrapin Station Suite '' ( sans the non-Hunter `` At A Siding '' ) and a solo rendition of `` Friend of the Devil ''. In 1983, Hunter convinced Relix magazine founder, Les Kippel, to start a record company. Hunter wanted an American outlet for his new project Jack O'Roses. Robert Hunter performing in the early 1980s. Hunter has collaborated with Bob Dylan on several occasions ; he co-wrote two songs on Dylan 's 1988 album Down in the Groove, all but one of the songs on Dylan 's 2009 album Together Through Life, and `` Duquesne Whistle '' from Dylan 's 2012 album Tempest. Since the dissolution of the Grateful Dead in 1995 Hunter has successfully continued his writing career, working on new songs with Jim Lauderdale, Greg Anton, Steve Kimock, David Nelson, Pete Sears, and Rob Barraco, among others. He also is seen occasionally playing solo acoustic guitar and performing his classic works, as well as newer songs. In 2004 he opened most of the Dead 's summer tour. He also co-wrote, with Nelson, many of the songs on the 2009 New Riders of the Purple Sage album Where I Come From. Hunter wrote `` Cyclone '' for Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers ' Levitate album, released in 2009. Bruce Hornsby said about `` Cyclone '' in a recent interview : Mike Ragogna : `` Cyclone '' gets more philosophical, especially with lines like, `` I 've got no answers of my own, and none have been provided. '' Bruce Hornsby : You know those are Robert Hunter 's lyrics with a couple of additions from me. Bruce Hornsby commented on his work for Levitate ( `` Cyclone '' ) at Express Night Out website ( a Washington Post Company ) : `` Well, I 've always loved ( Robert Hunter 's ) writing. I 've loved so many of the Garcia / Hunter songs. They 're just timeless sounding to me, could have been written hundreds of years ago. I had this song that had the same feeling as, say, ' Brokedown Palace '. '' In 2010 Hunter co-wrote Patchwork River with Jim Lauderdale. The album was released on the Thirty Tigers Label. Also in 2010 Robert Hunter co-wrote the song `` All My Bridges Burning '' with Cesar Rosas for Los Lobos ' album Tin Can Trust. In 2010, Hunter also wrote lyrics for 7 Walkers ' debut album including `` Louisiana Rain, '' `` Chingo, '' and `` Sue From Bogalusa. '' In 2012 Hunter co-wrote lyics for the Mickey Hart Band 's albums, Mysterium Tremendum and the follow - up, Superorganism. In an interview with American Songwriter, Hart categorizes Hunter 's lyrics compared to other great lyricists saying, `` When you 're in a situation in the future and you ca n't explain it, very often a Hunter line or two or three will explain something that 's unexplainable. '' Also in 2012, Hunter co-wrote four songs on Little Feat 's album Rooster Rag. In 2013, Hunter announced a tour to commence in the fall. Also in 2013, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association. He then proceeded to perform `` Ripple ''. The award was presented by Jim Lauderdale. In 2015, Hunter and Garcia were inducted into the Songwriter 's Hall of Fame. Hunter accepted the award along with Garcia 's daughter, Trixie Garcia, accepting on behalf of her father. Hunter then performed `` Ripple '' from the Grateful Dead 's album American Beauty. Hunter was once a member of the Church of Scientology, but no longer belongs to the organization. Translations and poetry Hunter published translations of Rainer Maria Rilke 's Duino Elegies and the Sonnets to Orpheus and has published several volumes of his own poetry. Notable songs `` Uncle John 's Band '' `` Friend of the Devil '' `` Brokedown Palace '' `` Truckin ' '' `` Casey Jones '' `` Box of Rain '' `` Sugar Magnolia '' `` Playing in the Band '' `` Greatest Story Ever Told '' `` Ripple '' `` Dire Wolf '' `` Easy Wind '' `` Dark Star '' `` China Cat Sunflower '' `` Scarlet Begonias '' `` Fire On The Mountain '' `` St. Stephen '' `` Sugaree '' `` Touch of Grey '' `` Terrapin Station '' `` Eyes of the World '' `` He 's Gone '' `` China Doll '' `` Mission In The Rain '' `` Mississippi Half - Step Uptown Toodleloo '' `` Rubin and Cherise '' `` Ramble on Rose '' `` Tennessee Jed '' `` Rooster Rag '' `` Salome '' `` Silvio '' `` Rag Top Down '' `` Way Down Under '' `` Althea '' `` Loser '' `` Jack Straw '' Discography Tales of the Great Rum Runners ( 1974 -- Round Records, RX - 101 ) Tiger Rose ( 1975 -- Round Records, RX - 105 ) Alligator Moon ( recorded but unreleased -- 1978 ) Jack O'Roses ( 1980 -- Dark Star Records, DSLP8001 ) Promontory Rider : A Retrospective Collection ( 1982 -- Relix Records, RRLP2002 ) Amagamalin St. ( 1984 -- Relix Records ) Live ' 85 ( 1985 -- Relix Records ) Flight Of The Marie Helena ( 1985 -- Relix Records ) Rock Columbia ( 1986 -- Relix Records ) Liberty ( 1987 -- Relix Records ) A Box of Rain ( 1991 -- Ryko Disc ) Sentinel ( spoken word ) ( 1993 - Ryko Disc ) Books Duino Elegies by Rainer Maria Rilke, translator ( 1987 ). ISBN 0 - 938493 - 04 - 3 A Box of Rain ( 1990 ). ISBN 978 - 0 - 670 - 83412 - 9 Night Cadre ( 1991 ). ISBN 0 - 670 - 83413 - 0 Idiot 's Delight ( 1992 ). ISBN 0 - 937815 - 49 - 7 Sentinel ( 1993 ). ISBN 0 - 14 - 058698 - 9 Duino Elegies ; The Sonnets to Orpheus by Rainer Marie Rilke, translator ( 1993 ). ISBN 0 - 938493 - 21 - 3 Dog Moon ( 1996 ). ISBN 1 - 56389 - 237 - 5 Glass Lunch ( 1997 ). ISBN 0 - 14 - 058777 - 2 The Complete Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics ( 2005 ) ; foreword by Robert Hunter. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7432 - 7747 - 1 Footnotes Jump up ^ Browne, David ( March 9, 2015 ). `` Robert Hunter on Grateful Dead 's Early Days, Wild Tours, ' Sacred ' Songs '', Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 11, 2015. Jump up ^ Browne, David ( March 11, 2015 ). `` Grateful Dead 's Robert Hunter on Jerry 's Final Days : ' We Were Brothers ' '', Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 11, 2015. Jump up ^ Perry, Charles ( November 22, 1973 ). `` A New Life for the Dead : Grateful Dead Handle Their Business ''. Rolling Stone. Jump up ^ `` Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ''. Rockhall.com. Retrieved September 19, 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Annotated `` Friend of the Devil '' ``. Artsites.ucsc.edu. Retrieved September 19, 2014. Jump up ^ Greene, Andy ( April 15, 2009 ). `` Bob Dylan Rep Confirms Robert Hunter Co-Wrote ' Together Through Life ' Lyrics ''. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2009 - 04 - 15. Jump up ^ Ragogna, Mike ( November 14, 2009 ). `` HuffPost Exclusives : R.E.M. and Cory Chisel, Plus Bruce Hornsby Interview, Big Star Box, Paolo Nutini Live, This Week 's New Albums, and more... '' The Huffington Post. Retrieved June 25, 2011. Jump up ^ `` Liner Notes : Bruce Hornsby, Levitate 9 / 14 / 2009 ''. Express Night Out website ( a Washington Post Company ). Retrieved June 25, 2011. Jump up ^ Verity, Michael ( May 18, 2012 ). `` Good Vibrations : A Q&A with Mickey Hart ''. American Songwriter. Retrieved May 31, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Robert Hunter Announces Fall Tour ''. JamBase. June 18, 2013. Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDw5LFiwoK4 Jump up ^ `` Robert Hunter Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award ''. dead.net. Jump up ^ McNally, Dennis ( June 18, 2015 ). `` Songwriters Hall of Fame Honors Hunter and Garcia, Tuneful Wizards of the Grateful Dead ''. The Daily Beast. Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z83NzROCsCA Jump up ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jev7jgjb4sc Jump up ^ Jackson, Blair ( 1999 ). Garcia : An American Life. Viking Adult. pp. 62, 179. ISBN 0 - 670 - 88660 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Standing in the Soul -- Robert Hunter Interview ''. University of California Santa Cruz. Archived from the original on February 28, 2009. Retrieved 2009 - 04 - 13. Jump up ^ https://americansongwriter.com/2016/05/jerry-garcia-band-ruben-cherise/ References Hunter, Robert. A Box of Rain. Penguin Books, 1993. ISBN 0 - 14 - 013451 - 4. The complete lyrics of Robert Hunter to date. McNally, Dennis. A Long Strange Trip : The Inside History of the Grateful Dead. Broadway Books, 2002. ISBN 0 - 7679 - 1186 - 5. The Grateful Dead Family Discography ( Located at http://www.deaddisc.com/GDFD_RHPerformer.htm ). External links Robert Hunter collection at the Internet Archive 's live music archive Robert Hunter page on the Dead 's Official Site Media related to Robert Hunter ( lyricist ) at Wikimedia Commons Grateful Dead Tom Constanten Jerry Garcia Donna Jean Godchaux Keith Godchaux Mickey Hart Robert Hunter Bill Kreutzmann Phil Lesh Ron `` Pigpen '' McKernan Brent Mydland Bob Weir Vince Welnick Studio albums The Grateful Dead Anthem of the Sun Aoxomoxoa Workingman 's Dead American Beauty Wake of the Flood From the Mars Hotel Blues for Allah Terrapin Station Shakedown Street Go to Heaven In the Dark Built to Last Live albums Live / Dead Vintage Dead Historic Dead Grateful Dead Europe ' 72 History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One ( Bear 's Choice ) Steal Your Face Reckoning Dead Set Dylan & the Dead Without a Net One from the Vault Infrared Roses Two from the Vault Grayfolded Hundred Year Hall Dozin ' at the Knick Fallout from the Phil Zone Terrapin Station ( Limited Edition ) Live at the Fillmore East 2 - 11 - 69 Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead Nightfall of Diamonds Postcards of the Hanging Steppin ' Out with the Grateful Dead : England ' 72 Go to Nassau Birth of the Dead The Closing of Winterland Rockin ' the Rhein with the Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966 Truckin ' Up to Buffalo Fillmore West 1969 : The Complete Recordings Fillmore West 1969 Live at the Cow Palace Three from the Vault Winterland 1973 : The Complete Recordings Rocking the Cradle : Egypt 1978 To Terrapin : Hartford ' 77 Winterland June 1977 : The Complete Recordings Crimson White & Indigo Formerly the Warlocks Europe ' 72 : The Complete Recordings Europe ' 72 Volume 2 Dark Star Spring 1990 Spring 1990 : So Glad You Made It Winterland : May 30th 1971 May 1977 Sunshine Daydream Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA 4 / 18 / 70 Live at Hampton Coliseum Spring 1990 ( The Other One ) Wake Up to Find Out Houston, Texas 11 - 18 - 1972 30 Trips Around the Sun : The Definitive Live Story 1965 -- 1995 30 Trips Around the Sun Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, CA 11 / 10 / 1967 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, 4 / 25 / 77 July 1978 : The Complete Recordings Red Rocks : 7 / 8 / 78 July 29 1966, P.N.E. Garden Aud., Vancouver Canada May 1977 : Get Shown the Light Cornell 5 / 8 / 77 Robert F. Kennedy Stadium, Washington, D.C., July 12 & 13, 1989 View from the Vault Dick 's Picks 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Road Trips Vol 1 No 1 Vol 1 No 2 Vol 1 No 3 Vol 1 No 4 Vol 2 No 1 Vol 2 No 2 Vol 2 No 3 Vol 2 No 4 Vol 3 No 1 Vol 3 No 2 Vol 3 No 3 Vol 3 No 4 Vol 4 No 1 Vol 4 No 2 Vol 4 No 3 Vol 4 No 4 Vol 4 No 5 Dave 's Picks 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Digital Download Series 5 6 7 8 Family Dog at the Great Highway 9 10 11 12 Spectrum 11 / 5 / 79 Spectrum 11 / 6 / 79 Compilations Skeletons from the Closet : The Best of Grateful Dead What a Long Strange Trip It 's Been The Arista Years Selections from the Arista Years The Very Best of Grateful Dead Flashback with the Grateful Dead The Best of the Grateful Dead Long Strange Trip Box sets Dead Zone : The Grateful Dead CD Collection ( 1977 -- 1987 ) So Many Roads ( 1965 -- 1995 ) The Golden Road ( 1965 -- 1973 ) Beyond Description ( 1973 -- 1989 ) The Warner Bros. Studio Albums All the Years Combine : The DVD Collection Videography The Grateful Dead Movie Dead Ahead So Far Dead Ringers : The Making of Touch of Grey Backstage Pass Infrared Sightings Ticket to New Year 's Downhill from Here Anthem to Beauty Sunshine Daydream Long Strange Trip Side projects and spin - off bands The Other Ones The Dead Furthur Dead & Company 2015 tour Summer 2016 tour Summer 2017 tour Fall 2017 tour Jerry Garcia Band RatDog Phil Lesh and Friends Rhythm Devils Donna Jean Godchaux Band Heart of Gold Band Missing Man Formation New Riders of the Purple Sage Old and in the Way Legion of Mary Reconstruction Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band JGB Kingfish Bobby and the Midnites SerialPod BK3 7 Walkers Billy & the Kids Related Discography Band members Acid Tests Eric Andersen John Perry Barlow Bill Graham v. Dorling Kindersley Dark Star Orchestra Day of the Dead Deadhead Deadheads for Obama Deadicated : A Tribute to the Grateful Dead Bob Dylan Fare Thee Well : Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead ( album ) Festival Express Bill Graham Gerrit Graham Grateful dead ( folklore ) Grateful Dead Archive The Grateful Dead Channel The Grateful Dead Family Album Grateful Dead Meet - Up at the Movies Grateful Dead Records Rick Griffin David Grisman Lenny Hart Dan Healy Bruce Hornsby Jazz Is Dead Alton Kelley Steve Kimock Ned Lagin Dick Latvala David Lemieux Branford Marsalis Mother McCree 's Uptown Jug Champions Stanley Mouse The Music Never Stopped The Music Never Stopped : Roots of the Grateful Dead Pickin ' on the Grateful Dead : A Tribute Planet Earth Rock and Roll Orchestra Relix Reunions of the Grateful Dead Rex Foundation Merl Saunders Rock Scully Bob Seidemann Shakedown Street ( vending area ) Laurence Shurtliff Owsley Stanley Summer Jam at Watkins Glen Unfinished Grateful Dead album Howard Wales Wall of Sound Wharf Rats Categories Grateful Dead Albums Members Songs Book Portal New Riders of the Purple Sage David Nelson Buddy Cage Michael Falzarano Ronnie Penque Johnny Markowski John Dawson Jerry Garcia Mickey Hart Phil Lesh Dave Torbert Spencer Dryden Skip Battin Stephen Love Patrick Shanahan Allen Kemp Bobby Black Michael White Billy Wolf Val Fuentes Rusty Gauthier Greg Lagardo Gary Vogensen Fred Campbell Evan Morgan Bill Laymon Bob Matthews Studio albums New Riders of the Purple Sage Powerglide Gypsy Cowboy The Adventures of Panama Red Brujo Oh, What a Mighty Time New Riders Who Are Those Guys ? Marin County Line Feelin ' All Right Before Time Began Keep On Keepin ' On Midnight Moonlight Where I Come From 17 Pine Avenue Live albums Home, Home on the Road Vintage NRPS Live on Stage Live in Japan Live Worcester, MA, 4 / 4 / 73 Boston Music Hall, 12 / 5 / 72 Veneta, Oregon, 8 / 27 / 72 Armadillo World Headquarters, Austin, TX, 6 / 13 / 75 S.U.N.Y., Stonybrook, NY, 3 / 17 / 73 Wanted : Live at Turkey Trot Winterland, San Francisco, CA, 12 / 31 / 77 Glendale Train Compilation albums The Best of New Riders of the Purple Sage The Relix Bay Rock Shop, No. 1 Wasted Tasters Relix 's Best of the Early New Riders of the Purple Sage Relix 's Best of the New New Riders of the Purple Sage Ridin ' with Panama Red Cactus Juice Very Best of the Relix Years Setlist : The Very Best of New Riders of the Purple Sage Live Instant Armadillo Blues Videography Wanted : Live at Turkey Trot Related articles Robert Hunter Peter Rowan Donna Jean Godchaux Festival Express VIAF : 49406569 LCCN : no2005001234 ISNI : 0000 0001 1949 5953 GND : 142842338 SUDOC : 077719751 BNF : cb137992320 ( data ) MusicBrainz : e9b419b5 - ab8f - 425c - 8214 - a7259e6efe10 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_Hunter_(lyricist)&oldid=811798671 '' Categories : 1941 births Living people Grateful Dead members Songwriters from California American male poets American translators People from San Luis Obispo, California Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees American lyricists Former Scientologists Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from December 2014 Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2010 Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Čeština Deutsch Español Français Italiano עברית Polski Suomi Svenska Edit links This page was last edited on 24 November 2017, at 01 : 37. 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Question: who wrote the lyrics for the grateful dead
Answer: Robert C. Hunter