Come Here, Uncle John’s Band (“Many Are Called, Few Are Chosen”)

COME HERE UNCLE JOHN’S BAND

The Grateful Dead, Uncle John
The Grateful Dead, Uncle John’s Band, on Workingman’s Dead
“Many are called, few are chosen.”

In the year of me and my twin brother’s birth,1970, when rock gods were dying all over the place, the Dead came out with two classic albums, American Beauty and Workingman’s Dead. Both albums began quite auspicioulsly with timeless pieces, the former with “Box of Rain,” the latter with “Uncle John’s Band,” and contain some of the Dead’s most enduring and endearing work. I admit it took me awhile to get into the Dead, maybe because I was into more of mainstream pop sound when I was younger, but no doubt also because I was not a little freaked out by all of those skeletons and dark songs like “Friend of the Devil” to match.

If I may digress for a moment to give you a little anecdote (not really a digression as you’ll see): When I was thirteen I attended this camp in upstate Pennsylvania, attended mainly by rich Jewish kids. They all loved music, needless to say perhaps, especially the Beatles (pronounced with a cockney accent, of course). Except for this one kid, Dan Cogan. He was the chubby intellectual loner of the bunk, who probably grew up to be a skinny intellectual loner, God love him. That dude was kind. He probably liked the Beatles, too, but he wouldn’t admit to it, preferring to play devil’s advocate and calmly inform the guys that the Grateful Dead were/are a much better band. The argument was ongoing. I tried to stay out of it, though I secretly preferred the Fab Four to those other freaks with the long-ass jams and indecipherable lyrics. Being one of the only musicians in the bunk, though (I had my recently acquired ’81 Peavey w/amp in the case there and when I was constantly playing with it, when I wasn’t playing with it), somehow I got caught in the middle of the whole debate. Alan, the one really huge Beatles fanatic in particular kept trying to get me to proclaim his band King, but whenever he did this, Dan would come over and try to get me to back the Dead. I remember he played “Uncle John’s Band” for me to show me how great they were. I don’t think I ever told Dan, but at that point I think I liked the song about as far as I could kick it. I can grok it much better now, though, and I know that if any of the guys are reading this now, it’s Dan and he understands.

If Dan were to have interpreted the song back then (the kid was a precocious genius, I tell you), this is what he might have said: “Come here, Uncle John’s Band/playing to the tide…here beside the rising tide.” Who is Uncle John and who are his band, and what are these repeated references to “tide” and “rising tide” all about? Well, ever see that famous picture of young Bobby Dylan and the Queen of Folk Ms. Joan Baez standing in front of that sign in England that reads, “Protest against the rising tide of conformity”? There you go. Don’t give in to all these guys who want you to succumb to the blandishments of pop culture and choose the Beatles over real music with a real message (this is Dan speaking now). Join the ranks of the few, the proud, the people who appreciate fine lyrics subtly rendered. We are always the minority in this world. We are Uncle John’s band, his band of merry music makers, of misfit mystics. The others haven’t gotten it yet. They are the ones who don’t really listen to the lyrics, and even if they do, they don’t understand them. They’ll be on the wheel a few more lifetimes. Let them go. Let’s you and me talk about some things, here beside the rising tide of these close-minded conformists, and let‘s let Uncle John lead us home.

But Dan, I would say, are you being fair? Isn’t the point of the song that kindness is the most important thing?

Sure, but these guys are for the most part probably going to grow up into sell-outs to conspicuous consumption and cannonball conservatism. As the song goes, “God damn well I declare, have you seen the like? Their walls are built of cannonballs; Their motto is: ‘Don’t tread on me.’” Now is that very nice? I’m just being intolerant of these intolerant swine, who covet the oyster of worldliness, but not the pearls of wisdom.

That’s interesting, I always thought it was, “Have you seen the light?”

Well, that’s what I mean, they’re subtle.

Well, “Norwegian Wood” is pretty subtle, too.

Yeah, but once you realize that the guy burns down the chick’s digs, what are you left with? A clever little joke, nothing more.

Whatever. By the way, who is Uncle John? Is there any connection with John the Baptist? Wasn’t Jesus the one who came to lead his children home?

Jesus said that unless you become like a little child, you won’t see the light of God. You have to be reborn. First by water, then by fire. John the Baptist took care of the water part, Jesus handled the fire, also known as the Holy Spirit, or ruakh ha-kodesh in the original Hebrew. Hence the connection with water here. Jesus also said, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” DJs play favorites, but is God some great DJ who plays favorites? No, we are all always being called, but as Aldous Huxley once put it, only a few are chosen because it is only the few who choose to hear and heed the call – they choose to be chosen.

Dan, you’re a genius.

Well, like I said, this is my revolution number nine.

Uncle John’s Band Lyrics

Well the first days are the hardest days,
Don’t you worry any more, ‘Cause when life looks like easy
Street, there is danger at your door.
Think this through with me, let me know your mind.
Woh – oh, what I want to know, is are you kind?

It’s a buck dancer’s choice my friend; better take my advice.
You know all the rules by now and the fire from ice.
Will you come with me, won’t you come with me?
Woh – oh, what I want to know, will you come with me?

Goddamn, well I declare, have you seen the like?
Their walls are built of cannonballs, their motto is
Don’t tread on me. Come hear Uncle John’s Band playing
To the tide, come with me, or go alone.

It’s the same story the crow told me;
It’s the only one he knows.
Like the morning sun you come and like the wind you go.
Ain’t no time to hate, barely time to wait,
Woh – oh, what I want to know, where does the time go?

I live in a silver mine and I call it Beggar’s Tomb;
I got me a violin and I beg you call the tune
Anybody’s choice, I can hear your voice.
Woh – oh, what I want to know, how does the song go?

Come hear the Uncle John’s Band by the riverside
Got some things to talk about, here beside the risin’ tide
Come hear Uncle John’s Band playing to the tide,
Come on along, or go alone,
He’s come to take his children home.
Woh – oh, what I want to know, how does the song go?

Come hear Uncle John’s Band by the riverside,
Got some things to talk about here beside the risin’ tide.
Come hear Uncle John’s Band playing to the tide, come on
Along or go alone, he’s come to take his children home.

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