How a 1930s Prison Blues Song Became a Grateful Dead Anthem
“I Know You Rider” started as an anonymous prison blues from the 1930s. The Grateful Dead turned it into the second half of their most beloved song pairing.
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How Bob Marley’s Rejection Led to “Scarlet Begonias” — and the Greatest Grateful Dead Segue
The Grateful Dead wrote “Scarlet Begonias” after failing to land a Bob Marley collaboration — and it became half of their most iconic song pairing.
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Truckin’: How a New Orleans Drug Bust Became the Grateful Dead’s National Anthem
“Truckin'” was born from a real drug bust in New Orleans, became the Dead’s only charting single, and was declared a national treasure by the Library of Congress.
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Box of Rain: The Inside Story of the Grateful Dead’s Last Words Together
“Box of Rain” was the first song Phil Lesh ever sang — written while his father was dying. It became the last song the Grateful Dead ever played.
