Clementine
Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Phil Lesh
Reprinted with permissions
copyright: Ice Nine Publishing
Chocolate sandwiches,
roses {of}
wine
Red ripe
persimmons,
my sweet Clementine
I go on, I go on, I can't fill my cup
There's a hole in the bottom, the well has dried up
I run through the forest, I cut past the vine
Head through the thickets, many a time
Octave of voices, sweet voices belie
I live for the comfort of cold Clementine
This was one of the tunes written around 1969. It was only performed a handful of times and never appeared on any records in either studio or live version. It's a shame because the lyric is eloquently romantic and spare yet hauntingly beautiful. I have heard 3 versions of the song and all of them were quite extended and jammed out.
The lyrics are not in Robert Hunter's book "Box Of Rain", but the sleeve notes to "So Many Roads" credit him with writing it.
Recordings -
So Many Roads (1965-1995)