Brokedown Palace
Grateful Dead
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Fare you well my honey Fare you well my only true one All the birds that were singing Have flown except you alone Going to leave this broke-down palace On my hands and my knees I will roll roll roll Make myself a bed by the waterside In my time, in my time, I will roll roll roll In a bed, in a bed By the waterside I will lay my head Listen to the river sing sweet songs To rock my soul River gonna take me Sing me sweet and sleepy Sing me sweet and sleepy All the way back back home It's a far gone lullaby Sung many years ago Mama, Mama, many worlds I've come Since I first left home Going home, going home By the waterside I will rest my bones Listen to the river sing sweet songs To rock my soul Going to plant a weeping willow On the banks green edge it will grow grow grow Sing a lullaby beside the water Lovers come and go, the river roll roll roll Fare you well, fare you well I love you more than words can tell Listen to the river sing sweet songs To rock my soul
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Written by: Robert Hunter, Jerry Garcia
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
General Information"Brokedown Palace" is a song by the American rock band Grateful Dead, which was first released in 1970 on their album "American Beauty."
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Album InformationThe "American Beauty" album is considered one of the Dead's best works, making "Brokedown Palace" a key track on a very successful project.
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Composition Analysis"Brokedown Palace" begins in the key of G and the song is composed in a double meter, which is not very common in rock music.
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Song InspirationLyricist Robert Hunter claimed that the lyrics for "Brokedown Palace" came to him in a single afternoon in London, along with the lyrics for "Ripple" and "To Lay Me Down."
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Album Trilogies"Brokedown Palace," along with "Ripple" and "Truckin'," is part of what the band's fans refer to as the 'American Beauty' triptych - three transitioning songs on the album.
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Connection to Fare Thee WellThe song was played as the encore of the last "Fare Thee Well" concert marking the 50th anniversary of the Grateful Dead in 2015, making it the last song the four surviving original members played together under the Grateful Dead name.
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Romantic InfluenceThe song's lyrics have drawn comparisons to a traditional American song called "Farewell, Darling," indicating a love ballad influence.
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Critical InterpretationSome critics interpret "Brokedown Palace" as an elegy or a song of mourning, due to its melancholic melody and lyrics.
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Live PerformancesDespite its popularity, "Brokedown Palace" was not played frequently live by the Grateful Dead. The band only performed the song 216 times in their 30-year career.
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Song DurationThe recorded studio version of "Brookedown Palace" has a duration of 4 minutes and 9 seconds. This is relatively short compared to many other Grateful Dead songs, which often stretch beyond 10 minutes.
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Similarity with Gospel SongsSome fans and critics have mentioned the song's similarity to American gospel music, due to its use of harmonies and emotive, spiritual lyrics.
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Cover VersionsSeveral artists have covered "Brokedown Palace," including Joan Osborne and Richard Shindell, attesting to its enduring popularity and influence.
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"Brokedown Palace Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 13 May 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/2008956/Grateful+Dead/Brokedown+Palace>.
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