The 10 Greatest Grateful Dead Songs (Epilogue)

Some of the best songs in their shows were covers. I didn't want to leave these off the list because they're two of my favorite songs they did.

1) And We Bid You Goodnight

My favorite cover ever, it's an old folk song/spiritual that was written to be sung at funerals as they lowered the body into the ground. Early on in their career they would close their shows with an accapella version of it. A song written for closing out our Earthly existence employed at the end of rock concerts; here's an example of the band's unspoken vision. Life is short, but not as short as the best moments or the best shows; if you've got a beautiful vision look upon it until it's over, if you've got to say goodbye say it now and I can kiss you as you cry.



2) Goin' Down The Road Feeling Bad

Another ancient song, covered by, among others, Woody Guthrie. "Going where the water tastes like wine"; and it's on the journey that it turned. The Dead were always headed to that wedding party in Canaan; it's the end that's unescapable, what matters only is how you're going down the road.