Throwing Stones
Grateful Dead
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Picture a bright blue ball Just spinning, spinning free Dizzy with eternity Paint it with a skin of sky Brush in some clouds and sea Call it home for you and me A peaceful place or so it looks from space A closer look reveals the human race Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face But afraid, we may lay our home to waste There's a fear down here we can't forget Hasn't got a name just yet Always awake, always around Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes all fall down Now watch as the ball revolves and the nighttime falls And again the hunt begins and again the blood wind calls By and by again, the morning sun will rise But the darkness never goes from some men's eyes It strolls the sidewalks and it rolls the streets Staking turf, dividing up meat Nightmare spook, piece of heat It's you and me, you and me Click, flash blade in ghetto night Rudie's looking for a fight Rat cat alley roll them bones Need that cash to feed that jones And the politician's throwing stones Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes all fall down Commissars and pin-striped bosses role the dice Any way they fall guess who gets to pay the price Money green or proletarian gray Selling guns instead of food today So the kids they dance, and shake their bones And the politician's throwing stones Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes all fall down Heartless powers try to tell us what to think If the spirit's sleeping, then the flesh is ink, yeah History's page, it is thusly carved in stone The future's here, we are it, we are on our own On our own. On our own. On our own. If the game is lost then we're all the same No one left to place or take the blame We will leave this place an empty stone Or that shinning ball of blue we can call our home So the kids they dance, they shake their bones And the politicians, throwing stones Singing ashes to ashes all fall down Ashes to ashes, all fall down Shipping powders back and forth Singing "black goes south and white comes north" And the whole world full of petty wars Singing "I got mine and you got yours" And the current fashions set the pace Lose your step, fall out of grace And the radical he rant and rage Singing "someone got to turn the page" And the rich man in his summer home, Singing "Just leave well enough alone" But his pants are down, his cover's blown And the politicians throwing stones So the kids they dance they shake their bones Cause its all too clear we're on our own Sing ashes to ashes, all fall down Ashes to ashes, all fall down Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free It's dizzying, the possibilities Ashes to Ashes, all fall down (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down) [Repeat: x4] Wo, fall down, (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down) Wo, fall down (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down) Ashes, Ashes all fall down (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down) Wo, fall down, (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down) Wo, fall down (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down) Ashes, Ashes all fall down (Ashes to Ashes, all fall down) [Repeat: x3]
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Written by: John Barlow, Robert Hall Weir
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
11 facts about this song
Song Background"Throwing Stones" was composed by Grateful Dead's principal lyricist Robert Hunter and vocalist/rhythm guitarist Bob Weir. It was first released in the band's 1987 studio album, "In the Dark."
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Debut PerformanceThe live debut of "Throwing Stones" occurred on September 17, 1982, at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, Maine.
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Fan ReceptionDespite performing well live and featuring prominently in their sets, some Grateful Dead fans did not initially embrace "Throwing Stones," considering it overly political compared to the band's other works.
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Live PerformancesThe Grateful Dead performed "Throwing Stones" over 250 times before they disbanded in 1995, following the death of Jerry Garcia, their lead guitarist, and vocalist.
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MessageThe song's lyrics contain strong political commentary, expressing frustration with the state of the world and cynicism towards politicians. The chorus ("ashes, ashes all fall down") alludes to the nursery rhyme "Ring Around the Rosie," which has royalist/political undertones.
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Album Success"In the Dark," the album in which "Throwing Stones" was featured, became one of the band's most commercially successful releases and the only one to be certified double platinum.
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Song Structure"Throwing Stones" has a verse-chorus structure with a distinct bridge, differing from many other Grateful Dead songs known for long improvised instrumentals.
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Pairing SongThe band often performed "Throwing Stones" in tandem with another song, "Not Fade Away," as part of a two-song set.
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Cover VersionsOther music artists such as Bruce Hornsby and Joe Russo's Almost Dead have performed cover versions of "Throwing Stones."
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Notable Concert"Throwing Stones" was one of the final songs performed by the Grateful Dead in their final concert before Jerry Garcia's death at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois on July 9, 1995.
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Cultural ImpactThe song has been cited for its relevant social commentary, even inspiring the title and theme of a 1991 book about the Grateful Dead's relationship with their fans, written by Steve Silberman and David Shenk.
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Citation
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