"Ripple" by The Grateful Dead (1970)
Dad's Song of the Day #136, Jan. 12, 2026
Brilliant Friend But Hasn’t Subscribed Yet Phil contacted me on Saturday with the sad news that Bob Weir from The Grateful Dead had died.
The Dead were never fully my bag, despite my repeated efforts to get into their meandering jams. But they did have a couple of lovely albums that mean a lot to me, “American Beauty” and “Workingman’s Blues.”
And today’s song, “Ripple,” is simply heavenly.
Jerry Garcia’s gentle, friendly voice is backed only by an acoustic guitar, a bass, a softly brushed snare drum…and then a bright, shimmering mandolin in the “ripple in still water” sections of the song.
It’s a warm musical hug, wrapped around Robert Hunter’s lyrics that seem both profound and inscrutable. Whatever interpretation you take, he seems to be hinting at an unseen hand that touches our world, both in the chorus:
Ripple in still water
When there is no pebble tossed
Nor wind to blow
…and within the verses:
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
Existential seeking? Spiritual awakening? Psycheldelic insight?… Maybe it’s just “hippy bullshit but it’s true” (see DSOTD #34, “100% Endurance” by Yard Act)
…But “Ripple” affects me every time I hear it.
Spotify:
YouTube:
This series is for my two 19-year-olds, who moved off to school with the misguided belief they’d escaped their dad’s relentless nostalgia and monopolization of the car stereo. I’m very happy for anyone else to come along for the ride.
The Spotify playlist for Dad’s Song of the Day is located here: