Eyes Of The World

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia

Right outside this lazy summer home (note 1)
You ain't got time to call your soul a critic, no
Right outside the lazy gate
Of winter's summer home
Wondering where the nuthatch winter's
Wings a mile long
Just carried the bird away

Chorus
Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world
But the heart has its beaches, its homeland and thoughts of its own
Wake now discover that you are the song that the morning brings
But the heart has its seasons, its evenings and songs of its own

There comes a redeemer and he slowly, too, fades away
And there follows his wagon behind him that's loaded with clay
And the seeds that were silent all burst into bloom and decay
And night comes so quiet, its close on the heels of the day

[chorus]

Sometimes we live no particular way but our own
And sometimes we visit your country and live in your home
Sometimes we ride on your horses, sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear are just songs of our own

[chorus]
Notes
(1) in at least one early performance of the song (28 Feb 1973, on Dick's Picks Vol 28), Jerry sings "Right outside this lazy country home"

Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     studio 1973 Wake Of The Flood   (note 1)
     26 Feb 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 28
     28 Feb 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 28
      7 Sep 1973 Wake Of The Flood   (note 2)
     19 Oct 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 19
      9 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     11 Nov 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings
     30 Nov 1973 Dick's Picks Vol 14
      4 Dec 1973 Winterland 1973 - The Complete Recordings (bonus disc)
     10 Dec 1973 Download Series Vol 8
     26 Jun 1974 Dick's Picks Vol 12
      6 Aug 1974 Dick's Picks Vol 31
     19 Oct 1974 So Many Roads (1965-1995)   (note 3)
     13 Aug 1975 One From The Vault
     18 Jun 1976 Download Series Vol 4
     28 Sep 1976 Dick's Picks Vol 20
     31 Dec 1976 Live At The Cow Palace
     22 May 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 3
      3 Sep 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 15
      5 Nov 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 34
     30 Dec 1977 Dick's Picks Vol 10
      3 Feb 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 18
     10 May 1978 Dick's Picks Vol 25
      4 Sep 1980 Download Series Vol 7
     14 Oct 1983 Dick's Picks Vol 6
     27 Mar 1988 Download Series Vol 5
     29 Mar 1990 Without A Net   (note 4)
      8 Jul 1990 View From The Vault (video, DVD & CD soundtrack)
     31 Mar 1991 Dick's Picks Vol 17

Recordings from dead.net Tapers Section

"The Dead" Concert Recordings

Ratdog Live CD Series
 
Phil Lesh and Friends Recordings
     19 May 2006 Live At The Warfield

Phil Lesh and Friends Digital Download Series
 
Other Recordings
     Date Album Recorded By
      1989 Doorway To The Angels Juggling Suns
      1996 Fire On The Mountain Reggae Celebrates The Grateful Dead (Freddie McGregor)
      1998 Live Vol 2 Joe Gallant & Illuminati
      1999 Laughing Water Jazz Is Dead   (note 5)
      1999 Tie-Die Yippie Ki Yay Jonathan McEuen & Phil Salazar
      1999 Swingin' To The Grateful Dead Steve Marsh et al
      2000 Pickin' On The Grateful Dead Vol 2 David West et al
      2002 Where Is Your Art? Joe Waslousky
      2003 Grateful Guitar David Cullen
      2005 Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares Juggling Suns
      2005 Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares Laurie Cagno
      2005 Too Many Years Various Artists (Dark Star Orchestra) (note 6)
      8 Feb 2006 Live At The Fillmore Grateful Grass

Notes
(1) also on the compilation The Very Best Of The Grateful Dead
(2) issued as a bonus track on the version in the box set Beyond Description (1973-1990)
(3) also on the video & DVD The Grateful Dead Movie. This is a cut-down version, missing the first guitar solo and the second verse. (thanks to Olav Årskog for pointing this out)
(4) also on the compilation The Arista Years
(5) also on Furthur Most
(6) benefit CD for Clear Path International


Futher Information
For an online discussion of the lyrics to this song see the deadsongs.vue conference on The Well.
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For information on references in the lyrics see David Dodd's Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For sheet music, see:
          Grateful Dead Anthology Volume 1 (piano arrangement)
          Grateful Dead Songbook Volume 2 (piano arrangement)
          Without A Net Songbook (piano arrangement)
          Very Best Of The Grateful Dead (guitar TAB)
          Garcia/Hunter Songbook (vocal line and chords/TAB)

 


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