Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)

Lyrics: Bob Dylan
Music: Bob Dylan

Everybody's building ships and boats
Some are building monuments
And some are jotting down notes
Everybody's in despair
Every girl and boy
But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
Everybody's gonna jump for joy

Chorus
Come on without, come on within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn
Come on without, come on within
You'll not see nothing like the mighty Quinn

I like to do just like the rest, I like my sugar sweet (note 1)
But jumping queues and making haste
Just ain't my cup of meat
Everybody's 'neath the trees
Feeding pigeons on a limb
But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
All the pigeons gonna run to him

[chorus]

If you do what I want you to, I can't decide in my heart (note 2)
Tell me where to put it, and I'll tell you who to call
No one can get no sleep, with someone on everyone's toes
But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
Everybody's gonna want a dose

[chorus]

[chorus]
[chorus]
Notes
(1) in the version on Dick's Picks 17, Jerry gets the lyrics muddled. He sings "I like my sugar like the rest, I like my coffee sweet. And he then sings the second half of the last verse here ("No one can get no sleep ..."), making amends by singing the second half of this verse ("Everybody's 'neath the trees ...") at the end of the last verse.

(2) this is the verse Garcia sings on "Postcards Of The Hanging." The original Dylan verse was rather different:
A cat's meow and a cow's moo, I can recite them all
Just tell me where it hurts you, honey
And I'll tell you who to call
There's someone on everyone's toes
But when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
Everybody's gonna want to doze
Grateful Dead Recordings
     Date Album
     30 Dec 1985 Postcards Of The Hanging (bonus disc)
     26 Mar 1987 Dave's Picks Volume 36
      2 Jul 1989 Jerry Garcia Plays Dylan
     25 Mar 1990 Spring 1990 (The Other One)
     25 Sep 1991 Dick's Picks Vol 17


Further Information
For more information on recordings see Matt Schofield's Grateful Dead Family Discography
For online chords and TAB see www.rukind.com
For details of every time played, see Chris Edwards Grateful Sets site

 


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