Days Between was one of the last and also one of the strongest tunes composed by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia. Hunter’s words reflect the more than 30 years worth of experiences shared by the extended Grateful Dead family. Jerry, of course, delivered the song with all the depth and emotion of one who had lived his life on the road for 30 years. By the time the song came out in 1993, his voice had achieved a weariness that very much suited the sentiments expressed in the lyrics.
While Days Between speaks to the larger issues of life and death, for me, now, the days between are between August 1st and August 9th. Words would fail me if I tried to express the deep sense of loss that I still feel today, almost 8 years since his passing. Those of you who do know what I’m talking about, remember all the times someone would cry out during a concert: “We love you Jerry!”.
There were days
and there were days
and there were days between
…
There were days
and there were days
and there were days I know
when all we ever wanted
was to learn and love and grow
Once we grew into our shoes
we told them where to go
walked halfway around the world
on promise of the glow
stood upon a mountain top
walked barefoot in the snow
gave the best we had to give
how much we’ll never know we’ll never know
The full lyrics are available as is an interesting essay by Steve Silberman.