Golden Wisdom from the Grateful Dead Life Lessons in Their Songs

Music still matters. Today, I find music to be a source of wisdom and inspiration. The music of the Grateful Dead has resonated with me like no other. I believe the collaboration of Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia produced the greatest and most dynamic songbook of any American rock band. Many of their songs will eventually enter the timeless Great American Songbook. Much has been made about the intentional ambiguities built into the lyrics written for the Grateful Dead. With open-ended interpretation, Dead Heads can frequently find a lyric that is appropriate for many of life's circumstances. Accordingly, this book examines a wide variety of Dead tunes, with messages that have been relevant to my life in positive ways. I've found important lessons about the nature of life and death in their words. As a first generation Dead Head, insights from their songs have illuminated my own "long strange trip" ("Truckin'"). This brilliance is often in agreement with great spiritual traditions and plain old common sense. I consider the lessons learned from these songs to be valuable like gold. Similar to the precious metal, this wisdom continues to enrich my life. Its value has increased with time. It is my privilege to share these treasured insights with readers. I hope you too will listen to the music of the Grateful Dead and hear words that "glow with the gold of sunshine" ("Ripple").