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Black‐Throated Wind

At a glance: Black‐Throated Wind and The Grateful Dead

Written automatically from setlist data

Fans have heard The Grateful Dead play Black‐Throated Wind live 160 times, from 1972 to 1995. It turns up about once every 10 shows. It appeared in 5 of The Grateful Dead's last 25 shows. That is up from 3 in the 25 shows before. Its longest break was 15 years, 5 months, between October 1974 and March 1990. The song is in its longest break yet right now.

It has been played at 100 different venues in 83 cities across 7 countries. Its most frequent stop is Winterland Arena (8 times). It has been played on October 23 twice, most recently in 1973.

It usually lands in the first set (159 of 160 performances with a known set). Across the 102 performances with a recorded time, it averages 6:56. The longest known version ran 9:34 (Jun 26, 1974), and the shortest 5:13 (Apr 7, 1972). It most often follows Loser (14 times) and leads into Tennessee Jed (20 times).

Fans heard it live 1 month before it was released on Ace (1972).

At a glance: Black‐Throated Wind and all bands

Written automatically from setlist data

Across all 11 bands on the site, Black‐Throated Wind has been played live 483 times, from 1972 to 2026. It turns up about once every 15 shows. Other bands account for 323 plays beyond The Grateful Dead, led by Dark Star Orchestra with 185. At its hottest it showed up at 21 shows in a row, from May 1972 to August 1972.

It has been played at 330 different venues in 203 cities across 10 countries. Its most frequent stop is Capitol Theatre (11 times).

Across the 102 performances with a recorded time, it averages 6:56. The longest known version ran 9:34 (Jun 26, 1974), and the shortest 5:13 (Apr 7, 1972).

Latest performances

Lyrics

Youre bringing me down, Im running aground,

Blind in the lights of the interstate cars,

Passing me by, the busses and the semis,

Plugging like stones from a slingshot from mars.

But Im here on the road, bound to the load,

That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars.

Alone with the rush of the drivers that wont pick me up,

The highway, the moon, and clouds and the stars.

Black throated wind, keeps on pourin in,

With its words of a life where nothing is new,

Ah, mother american night, I pass from the light,

Ah, Im drownin in you.

I left st. louie, city of blues,

In the midst of a storm Id rather forget.

I tried to pretend it came to an end,

Cause you werent the women I once thought Id met.

But I cant deny, times have gone by,

Well I never had doubts or thoughts of regret,

And I was a man when all this began,

Who wouldnt think twice about being there yet.

Black throated wind, whisper in sin,

And speaking on life that passes like dew.

Its forced me to see youve done better by me,

Better by me that Ive done by you.

Now whats to be found by racing around,

You carry your pain wherever you go,

Full of blues, and tryin to lose,

You aint gonna learn what you dont wanna know.

So I give you my eyes and all of their lies,

Please help them to learn as well as to see.

Capture a glance, and make it dance,

But looking at you is looking at me.

Black throated wind, keeps on pourin in,

With its words of a life that could almost be true,

Ah, mother american night, here comes a light.

Im turning around, thats what Im gonna do.

Going back home thats what Im gonna do.

Im turning around, thats what Im gonna do.

Going back home thats what Im gonna do.

Cause youve done better by me than Ive done by you,

Im drowning in you.

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