"Dipped my bucket in the clear blue sky" roses logo for AGDL

The Annotated "Liberty"

An installment in The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics.
By David Dodd
1997-98 Research Associate, Music Dept., University of California, Santa Cruz
(The opinions expressed are those of the author, not of the University of California.)

Copyright notice; © 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 David Dodd


"Liberty"
Words: Robert Hunter; music: Jerry Garcia
Copyright Ice Nine Publishing; used by permission

Saw a bird with a tear in his eye
Walking to New Orleans my oh my
Hey, now, Bird, wouldn't you rather die
Than walk this world when you're born to fly?

If I was the sun, I'd look for shade
If I was a bed, I would stay unmade
If I was a river I'd run uphill
If you call me you know I will
If you call me you know I will

Ooo, freedom
Ooo, liberty
Ooo, leave me alone
To find my own way home
To find my own way home

Say what I mean and I don't give a damn
I do believe and I am who I am
Hey now Mama come and take my hand
Whole lotta shakin' all over this land

If I was an eagle I'd dress like a duck
Crawl like a lizard and honk like a truck
If I get a notion I'll climb this tree
or chop it down and you can't stop me
Chop it down and you can't stop me

Ooo, freedom
Ooo, liberty
Ooo, leave me alone
To find my own way home
To find my own way home

Went to the well but the water was dry
Dipped my bucket in the clear blue sky
Looked in the bottom and what did I see?
The whole damned world looking back at me

If I was a bottle I'd spill for love
Sake of mercy I'd kill for love
If I was a liar I'd lie for love
Sake of my baby I'd die for love
Sake of my baby I'd die for love

Ooo, freedom
Ooo, liberty
Ooo, leave me alone
To find my own way home
To find my own way home
I'm gonna find my own way home

"Liberty"

Original version was the title track of Robert Hunter's 1988 album.

Eventually rewritten by Garcia for performance by the Grateful Dead.

Recorded on

First performance: Sunday, February 21, 1993, at the Oakland Coliseum Arena. "Liberty" appeared as the first song in the second set, preceding "Corinna." Also debuting at the show were "Lazy River Road," and "Eternity." The song remained in steady rotation thereafter, for a total of 56 performances.

Final performance: Riverport Amphitheater, Missouri, July 6, 1995.


Liberty

Hunter's liner to his release of Liberty carried this quote:
We must all be foolish at times
It is one of the conditions of liberty.>br> --Walt Whitman

Keywords:
DeadBase code: [LIBE]
First posted: January 1, 2000
Last revised: January 3, 2000