| "Ripple" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Grateful Dead | ||||
| from the album American Beauty | ||||
| A-side | Truckin' | |||
| Released | November 1, 1970 | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Recorded | September 1970 | |||
| Genre | Folk Rock | |||
| Length | 2:55[1] | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Writer(s) | Jerry Garcia Robert Hunter[1] |
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| Producer | Grateful Dead Steve Barncard |
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| Grateful Dead singles chronology | ||||
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Ripple is the sixth song on the Grateful Dead album American Beauty. It was released as the B-side to the single "Truckin'".[2]
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Robert Hunter, wrote this song in 1970 in London in the same afternoon he wrote "Brokedown Palace" and "To Lay Me Down" (reputedly also drinking an entire bottle of retsina in the process). The song debuted August 18, 1970 at Fillmore West in San Francisco. Jerry Garcia wrote the music to this song.[3]
Several lines throughout the song echo the 23rd Psalm of the Bible.
The signature lines in this song were played by mandolin player David Grisman.
Cover versions have been recorded by the following artists: Chris Hillman, Jane's Addiction (on Deadicated), Perry Farrell, The New Riders of the Purple Sage, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Rick Danko, Dar Williams, Built to Spill
A number of essays have been written analyzing and annotating this song.[3]
The song is featured at the end of the last episode of the TV show Freaks and Geeks, entitled "Discos and Dragons".
The 1985 drama film "Mask" starring Cher and Eric Stoltz featured this song.[4]
The song is mentioned in the Stephen King and Peter Straub novel Black House
Ripple is featured in the episode of My Name Is Earl entitled "Creative Writing"
