Chinatown Shuffle

Lyrics: Ron McKernan
Music: Ron McKernan

One of Pigpen's songs played with the Dead in the early 1970s:

Take it, you can have it
What I got baby I can't hold
If you find the secret
Tell me how to build a mold

And I can't handle your problems
So don't try to handle mine
Get yourself a shotgun a pocket full of shells
And we can while away the time

Look up at the wall, do it right
If you make a mistake, you're gonna pay for it twice
But if you need it, got to have it
Get yourself a shotgun and bring it back home
Look up at the wall, you know you gotta crawl
Before you start crawling get ready to fall
And if you fall in my direction
Don't expect no help at all

Get it right, do it nice
But if you make a mistake you're gonna pay for it twice
But if you need it, gotta have it
Get yourself a shotgun and bring it back home
Look up the walls
You know you gotta crawl
But if you start calling you're ready to fall
And if you fall in my direction
Don't expect no help at all
Don't expect no help at all
Don't expect no help at all
And if you fall in my direction
Don't expect no help at all
Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     26 Mar 1972 Dave's Picks Vol 14
     28 Mar 1972 Dick's Picks Vol 30
      7 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     11 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     14 Apr 1972 Europe '72: Vol. 2 (note 1)
     16 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     17 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     24 Apr 1972 Rockin' The Rhein (note 1)
     26 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     29 Apr 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
      3 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
      4 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
      7 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     10 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     11 May 1972 So Many Roads (1965-1995) (note 1)
     13 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     16 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     18 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     23 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     24 May 1972 Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72 (note 1)
     25 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
     26 May 1972 Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings
Notes
(1) also on the box set Europe '72 - The Complete Recordings


Further 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

 


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