Dark Star

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Grateful Dead

Dark star crashes
Pouring its light into ashes
Reason tatters
The forces tear loose from the axis
Searchlight casting
For faults in the clouds of delusion

Shall we go, you and I, while we can?
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds

Mirror shatters
In formless reflections of matter
Glass hand dissolving
To ice petal flowers revolving
Lady in velvet
Recedes in the nights of goodbye

Shall we go, you and I, while we can
Through the transitive nightfall of diamonds?

Robert Hunter wrote the following ending to the lyrics. You can hear it being spoken at the end of the single version of "Dark Star" - available on the compilation CD What A Long Strange Trip It's Been and as a bonus track on The Golden Road (1965-1973) (thanks to Ben Miller for pointing this out to me). They are also spoken at the end of the Henry Kaiser version on "Those Who Know History ..."
Spinning a set the stars through which the tattered tales of axis roll
About the waxen wind of never set to motion in the unbecoming
Round about the reason hardly matters nor the wise through which
The stars were set in spin

Notes
Iin some versions (eg 16 Mar 1968 and 18 Feb 1971) Jerry sings "Dark star flashes"

The Annotated Dark Star


Also, this list differs from the list in the GD Taper's Compendium in what Ribot_for_President calls "good taste and common sense." As with the Top 100 GD shows, the Best Versions project isn't necessarily definitive, and it's not an invitation to debate. It's a list of solid versions that you all ought to hear.

And now...

The Top 10 oF Dark Star:

2-27-69 - Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA - LIVE DEAD

11-2-69 - Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA: SBD

2-13-70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY - Dick's Picks #4

9-19-70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY - SBD

4-8-72 - Wembley Empire Pool, London, England - Steppin' Out With The Grateful Dead

5-11-72 - Rotterdam Civic Hall, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - SBD

8-21-72 - Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA: SBD

9-21-72 - The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA - SBD

11-11-73 - Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA - SBD

12-6-73 - Cleveland Convention Center, Cleveland, OH - SBD

Honorable Mentions:

4-22-69 - The Ark, Boston, MA - SBD

1-2-70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY - SBD

5-15-70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY - SBD

8-24-72 - Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA - SBD

10-26-89 - Miami Arena, Miami, FL - SBD: Set 1; SBD: Set 2

Historically Significant:

12-13-67 - Shrine Exhibition Hall, Los Angeles, CA (First Time Played) - N/A

8-27-72 - Old Renaissance Faire Grounds, Veneta, OR (Springfield Creamery Benefit) - SBD

12-31-78 - Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA (last show @ Winterland Bustout) - The Closing Of Winterland

10-9-89 - Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA ("Formerly The Warlocks" Bustout) - SBD

10-31-91 - Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA (Bill Graham/Ken Kesey reading/last Halloween show) - SBD

3-30-94 - The Omni, Atlanta, GA (Last Time Played) - SBD

LISTEN TO DARK STAR FROM NOVEMBER 11th 1973