Grateful Dead - He's Gone - 08/27/72 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds

[johnny576375]

Download this show from the blog link on my channel.

[DUDEhesh]

i always thought it was about trippin' so hard your just all smiles like someone ripped your face off...it's awesome how creative you can get with a song like this(~);}like a steam locomotive(~);}rollin' down the track(~);}he's gone nothing gonna bring him back(~);}

[TheLurchdaddy]

@DUDEhesh That's most of the Dead's songs. No matter what they were written about, you can find yourself and your life in there somewhere. and so you have a concert full of people all on the same page, but different. All grooving on their own take, but full of emotion and acceptance on the same beat. It's great.

[rockslikeabastard]

That being said, it has come to be used for many things---an elegy for a departed loved one---like Jerry. Or a person of respect. The Dead themselves once dedicated the song on stage to IRA hunger striker, Bobby Sands. But "rat in a drain ditch" and "steal your face right of your head" not to mention the bridge "going where the wind don't blow so strange" re-inforce it's original intent---a song about someone who done somebody wrong and has split, leaving the wronged to pick up the pieces.

[rockslikeabastard]

It's not about money! It's about betrayal. Hart's father robbed them blind and then took off. At that time the Dead were broke. Mickey Hart was so devastated he left the band for four years.

[JOBISBAY]

@edslides1 [your comment] made my day man

[JimmyPage97]

He's gone. Like a steam locomotive, rolling down the tracks, he's gone, gone, and nothings gonna bring him back. He's gone.

What ever the songs originally about doesn't really matter to me.

[Imspacedbro]

I always thought that someone "caught the bug" and was washed away with the grateful dead........like a crossroads to go furthur........as furthur can be many things these post garcia daze.

[TheDeadhead56]

when first written this song was about micky harts dad taking the money and running. later it did become about losing someone close to the band. this is an up beat tempo. if you listen to later versions its much slower tempo. when ever a close friend died the band would play this at a much slower tempo. listen to different versions in comparison. im not sure, but i think this started after pigpens passing

[JimmyPage97]

@TheDeadhead56 I kind of thought it was a slower tempo 

[Aryozad]

losing a friendship?

[Aryozad]

losing a friendship?

[bpolits]

yes but this version omits the "goin where the wind don't blow strange..." part and I think that the son't forget the neal casady refernceg is good but the "wind" part is what makes it special imo. don

[shakedownstreet1995]

Nothin' left to do do but smile, smile, smile.... 8 )

[blewj]

Like all art, it means what it meant to the writer, but it also means whatever it possibly can for the listener.

[burningmanheartbeat]

nothin left to do but smile smile smile!

[charfman84]

the "knife in the back" line is very telling

[Tirnipgreen]

....maybe off on some high, cold mountain chain.

[yolst]

all conflicting lore aside......

great song.. and great rendition.

thanks, Johnny

[jgray110]

What's remarkable about the Grateful Dead they could play any kind of music folk, country, rock, blues, there were a lot of times where people would take one look at you mixing it up and say He's Gone

[allen3435]

just skipping to the end and commenting... this was written about mickey leaving the band.. he came back of course but, well. enjoy the song..

[jgray110]

GONE is also an old mid to late 60s term meaning he's so wasted on something he's GONE, you're gone man, and blind faith, he's hoping he can make it back home. The remarkable thing is that Grateful Dead appeals to women and men.

[thecultof420]

Its still there. You just have to let the love flow from you, eminate it in everything you do and the Love will find its way to you. ;)

[thecultof420]

I always saw it as someone gone on some good family L. It'll steal your face right off your head, you lose your ego. You no longer have a face you are just a blank slate and at that point there's nothing left to do but "smile, smile, smile."

[rockyracoon667]

@thecultof420 man...i dont know if that was hunter's intention, but that is a good thought. where has all that shit gone anyway??

[assquark]

@thecultof420 hahaha, ive interpreted it that way before too, but there's a plethora of metaphor and allegory in here

[SteveAndIdiAmin]

Wow, never knew it was about a thief on the lam... Always assumed it was about a dead friend.

Crap. This song used to be the perfect accompaniment for reflection during mourning. But the writers (Hunter/Weir?) were lamenting lost money. Figures...

[johnny576375]

(Hunter/Garcia) Since it was written its kinda gone on to take more meaning, like what you mention, maybe a band member passing on.

[madhattery341]

@johnny576375 yeah, they've used it in the context of mourning after they wrote it, although it was about lost money originally.

[ghostwriter11]

It wasn't about the loss of money but the loss of trust.

[pbl1]

@ghostwriter11 - duh...when someone steals your money they kind of lose your trust.

[pbl1]

@SteveAndIdiAmin - not just any thief...Mickey Hart's father!

[SEKSHINATE]

Lenny Hart was their band manager for a bit, whenever thry started to suspect him of stealing he fled to mexico. Thus the reason Mickey left the band for a few years.

[grasspa]

Was this song about Pigpen?

[johnny576375]

Written about Mickey's father who did a runner with their money. Since then its become riddled with meaning.

[RayNDeere]

@johnny576375 You're right. It's become almost a memorial song for lost friends. Mickey left the group for a couple of years because of his dad, although I don't think any of the guys blamed Mickey himself

[7sevencycle]

hot as a pistol but cool inside...luvin some dead.........rip jerry

[chuckg36]

yeah duh!

[soutltank]

nice song, johnny576375!