Lyrics: Robert Hunter
Music: Jerry Garcia
Recorded on Aoxomoxoa.
Reprinted with permissions
copyright: Ice Nine Publishing
This song appears on the Aoxomoxoa album released in 1968. It was a heavily layered and overdubbed studio piece. Jerry's voice is muted and mutated so as to appear to be underwater or something. The song is not a rock song. Rosemary is something more like a lullaby. It is often considered a throw away piece but the lyric is quite mature and well developed. Rosemary shows Robert Hunter's growing confidence and depening journey into classical imagery and renissance like verse.
For a long time it was thought that the song was never played live. But I have heard of a tape with it dated:December 7, 1968 at Bellarmine College in Louisville.
Swath of
heaven, a breath of
cologne
From here was a window she sat quite
alone
All around her the garden grew
Scarlet and
purple and
crimson and
blue
She came and she looked and at last went away
The garden was sealed when the flowers decayed
On the wall of the garden, a legend did say
"
No one may come here, since no one may stay"