Grateful Dead Columbia Revolt 1968-05-03

Most of the Columbia University Class of '68 walked out of graduation on a prearranged signal -- students carried radios under their gowns and walked out when WKCR played "The Times They Are A'Changin'" -- to a countercommencement on Low Plaza, rockin' out with the Grateful Dead, who were smuggled past the barricades in a bread truck to the steps of the student plaza and from there to Morningside Park for a big picnic.

What the band actually played was not recorded, so the song we've filled in the time frame with works as well as any, and fits like a glove at slightly over 2 minutes, a rare live performance of Golden Road To Unlimited Devotion.

Creative Commons license: Public Domain film

Category:

Music

Tags:

• 1968
• Student
• Strike
• Grateful
• Dead
• Columbia
• Revolution

[ambush77]

Morons... The song is "golden road" to unlimited devotion... From the first record.... Some fans you are...

[usedMTVpromos]

@ambush77

either tune plays, try a different browser or playback .

[caseyjones67]

god i love sitting on top of the world

[usedMTVpromos]

Lucky Sync Drum > 1:42 > Sittin' on ToP transition.

Are any lip-readers out there who could inform us what song or words the band is expressing?

Any transcription at all would be of great service!

[caseyjones67]

well i dont know but its one of there songs from the first or second album and it could also be something like i know you rider or one of those old singles they released in like 66 im not sure wat song it is just listen to some of the songs with really fast upbeat drums and youll find it

[usedMTVpromos]

well that narrows it down considerably.

note the jaw dropping gal at 1:03.

the general crowd reaction of intense attention to detail (and this is not a Dead Head crowd mind you) indicates the song (lyrics) are simpatico with the students.

Maybe it is Cold Rain And Snow - "and I don't want to be treated this a way..." which would explain why the students used (the studio version) for the audio of the band's performance which for whatever reason couldn't be used.

[albinosp4cemonky]

The funny thing is that the "right-wing" was founded on a conservative small government that would avoid war and persecuting things like drug use.

[folkrockm14]

really groovy dead stuff man.ill always hate the war and ill always love the dead.

[phatstax2011]

@deadheadwookie17 -It is the Golden Road, sorry dude!

[zbgb68]

@12347771 I can't believe your the only one who knew that! I fell in love with this song on my uncle's 8-track as a kid in the early '70's! And it would be "wicked" to hear Wilson Pickett cover it!

[12347771]

@caseyjones67

This is "The Golden Road (to unlimited devotion) the first track on their first lp.

Very tinny record despite the fact it was engineered by Dave Hassinger who conjured the great depth heard on The Stones 'Aftermath" and The Airplane's "Surrealistic Pillow"......I would have loved to have heard Wilson Pickett cover this song!

[steed3902]

damn that was cool!

[JBLegally1]

They are playing Golden Road. Hey, Hey

[deadheadwookie17]

This is Cold Rain and Snow, not Golden Road.

[rpdbluevideo]

uh the tune is Cold Rain and Snow..played while the Dead was onstage when Janis died..

[wbfree]

Awesome footage, thanks.