Ripple
Grateful Dead
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
If my words did glow with the gold of sunshine And my tunes were played on the harp unstrung Would you hear my voice come through the music Would you hold it near as it were your own? It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken Perhaps they're better left unsung I don't know, don't really care Let there be songs to fill the air Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow Reach out your hand if your cup be empty If your cup is full may it be again Let it be known there is a fountain That was not made by the hands of men There is a road, no simple highway Between the dawn and the dark of night And if you go no one may follow That path is for your steps alone Ripple in still water When there is no pebble tossed Nor wind to blow You who choose to lead must follow But if you fall you fall alone If you should stand then who's to guide you? If I knew the way I would take you home
Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer
Written by: Jerome J. Garcia, Robert C. Hunter
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
7 facts about this song
Songwriting Facts"Ripple" is a song written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter.
- It first appeared on the "American Beauty" album by the Grateful Dead in 1970, and it also appears on the live album "Reckoning."
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InspirationThe song’s lyrics were penned by famed Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter. Hunter said the song was written under the influence of heart pain following a surgery.
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Music StyleThe style of "Ripple" is folk music, and it is largely acoustic.
- It features excellent musicianship, with Garcia on guitar and vocals and David Grisman on mandolin.
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Song PopularityDespite its popularity among Deadheads and its seminal place in the band's repertoire, "Ripple" was played only a few times a year during concerts.
- It did not appear in any singles charts.
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Cultural InfluenceThe song has been covered by various artists and continues to be a favorite at gatherings of Deadheads.
- "Ripple" became a meme in 2020, shared among fans as an anthem of hope and resilience during the global pandemic.
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Song InterpretationLike many of Grateful Dead's songs, "Ripple" is open to multiple interpretations, and its intent can be subjective, often seeking to evoke feelings or ideas rather than explicitly convey a tight narrative.
- Some fans interpret the lyrics of "Ripple" as a meditation on the nature of songwriting and music itself.
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In the MediaIn the final episode of the television series "Freaks and Geeks," "Ripple" was used, depicting the characters sitting around a campfire and singing the song.
- In 2015, "Ripple" was used in a commercial for the cannabis business alliance to espouse the benefits of regulating and taxing cannabis in Colorado.
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"Ripple Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 15 Mar. 2025. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/419863/Grateful+Dead/Ripple>.
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