After last week’s theme of ‘giving’, I suppose I should have had at least an inkling that the theme for Helen’s Song Lyric Sunday this time would be ‘taking’. Unfortunately, though, I’m not that quick on the uptake.

No matter. This is a comparatively obscure Grateful Dead song, with words by Robert Hunter and music by Jerry Garcia. To me, it has a very elegaic feel, as if it was from the darkening later years of the Dead – and, more particularly, Jerry himself. However, its first outing was actually back in 1971.

That doesn’t matter either. A good song is a good song – and that’s exactly what this is.

Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand
Says, “Don’t you see?
Gotta make it somehow on the dreams you still believe
Don’t give it up, you got an empty cup
That only love can fill, only love can fill”

Been walkin’ all mornin’, went walkin’ all night
I can’t see much difference between the dark and light
And I feel the wind and I taste the rain
Never in my mind to cause so much pain

Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand
Says, “Don’t you see?
Gotta make it somehow on the dreams you still believe
Don’t give it up, you got an empty cup
Only love can fill, only love can fill”

From day to day just letting it ride
You get so far away from how it feels inside
You can’t let go ’cause you’re afraid to fall
But the day may come when you can’t feel at all

Comes a time when the blind man takes your hand
Says, “Don’t you see?
Gotta make it somehow on the dreams you still believe
Don’t give it up, you got an empty cup
That only love can fill, only love can fill, only love can fill”

Song Lyric Sunday 4 November 2018