Jupiter

Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Grahame Lesh

A new song with "uncovered" Hunter lyrics recorded by Midnight North. See below for an explanation of the title.

At a crossroads see the sky
Slowly twisting as the world rolls by
I wish I may, I wish I might
Had my fill of wishing tonight

Wanderer tell me why
Brave men blush and young girls cry
Rich men push and poor men pull
Buried promises from their souls

I want to do what I think I should
Carve my coffin out of juniper wood and
Build my house of sticks and sand
When it falls I won't give a damn

All the ocean in a broken cup
Pour and pour, still it don't fill up
Wind on the water could mean rain
Thunderbolts ripping up the plain

Wind in the firmament wild and free
Bring down justice in the seventh degree
Roll you thunder, blow you horn
Bright full tones from the thunder born

I want to do what I think I should
Carve my coffin out of juniper wood and
Build my house of sticks and sand
When it falls I won't give a damn

It's said and done, the moment passed
Recall in darkness how it went so fast
Had no time to rescue my dreams
From the confluence of swollen streams
That meet the sea in joyous shower
And mingle their waters as the tide rolls out

Wanderer shine on high
Brightest star in the midnight sky
Swing down low, the night so black
Ace of diamonds in the zodiac

Recordings
	Date	Album	Recorded By
	2024	Diamonds In The Zodiac	Midnight North

I had wondered why the song was titled "Jupiter". It turns out that it's one of a set of lyrics Hunter wrote for songs to follow a series of "planet jams" written by Phil Lesh. These were composed in 2001 and each played once by the Phil Lesh Quintet. The intention was that these would lead into songs with Hunter's lyrics set to music. But that project was never completed. Grahame Lesh found the lyrics and set "Jupiter" to music. Alex Koford, also from the Terrapin Family Band, has set the lyric Mercury to music.

Before that was clear to me, Geoff Gronlund, a professional astrologer and teacher of astronomy to astrologers, had earlier pointed out some interesting reasons why Hunter may have written this as the lyrics to "Jupiter":

"This verse indicates a couple of reasons why it may be called Jupiter. First of all, the word planet is derived from the Greek "planëtës", which means "wanderer". Jupiter being the second brightest object in the night sky, and arguably the most powerful visible "wanderer", may explain him referring to it as the "Ace of diamonds in the zodiac". If it was known when he wrote the song, it would be easy to tell if Jupiter was especially visible and prominent at that time.
Wanderer shine all night
Ride a storm in the midnight sky
Swing down low, the night so black
Ace of diamonds in the zodiac

"Furthermore, in the following verse, he mentions the wind in the firmament being wild and free. These are very apropos keywords to describe the influence of Jupiter in both ancient and modern astrology. It is also often known for bringing justice, though "the seventh degree" I presume is classic cryptic Hunter. Finally, Jupiter is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Zeus, who is referred to throughout the Odyssey as he who "drives the stormcloud". Seeing as how Hunter references both a storm in the above verse and thunder in the below verse, he may indeed be referring to Jupiter in these cases.
Wind in the firmament wild and free
Bring down justice in the seventh degree
Roll you thunder, blow you horn
Bright full tones from the thunder born