Analysis

Matt Slusser

Mr. Dilbeck

Composition I

October 6, 13

Fare You Well

Broke-down Palace, originally written by Robert Hunter, and re-worked by Jerry Garcia, is a song by the Grateful Dead that is listened to as a lullaby about death, beauty, and God’s universe. This song is one of the most beautiful, sad and peaceful songs I have ever heard. The mellow harmonics combined with Jerry’s voice make for an interesting song to try to find meaning to. The song represents death, but also beauty in life and God’s universe. 

The song itself has one main purpose, but can be interpreted in so many different ways. Depending on who the listener is, can depend on how this song is heard. People that are younger listen to this song and see the beauty in the things they have the privileges to every day. Older folks on the other hand may listen to it and reminisce on those days they had as kids. “River gonna take me, Sing me sweet and sleepy, Sing me sweet and sleepy, all the way back back home. It's a far gone lullaby, sung many years ago. Mama, Mama, many worlds I've come since I first left home.” (Garcia, Hunter). This quote from the song depicts a man moving on in his life, away from what he knew before, whether that is death or something like moving out of your parents’ house to live on your own. 

        The song is started off with a rather depressing introduction, which is what tells me the song is about death separating two people. “Fare you well my honey, Fare you well my only true one. All the birds that were singing have flown except you alone.” (Garcia, Hunter). I really do love thinking about this intro because it has so much meaning packed into four lines. The birds singing represent angels after the death has happened, and Mr. Garcia tries to make a point that the angels have accepted what’s happened, but his dearest wife has not. She is the bird that didn’t sing, nor flew away. Being stuck with a death is tough, but the song unfolds beautifully as if Jerry is trying to ease the pain of the person at loss. 

“Going home, going home, by the waterside I will rest my bones. Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul.” (Garcia, Hunter). Here he talks about resting in his coffin by the river. His soul is on its way to its new home, and his bones rest peacefully by the river, where he always wanted to be buried, because God’s river will rock his soul. This is one of the quotes in the song that isn’t strictly focused on death, as much as it may seem that it is. He focuses on the beauty of the earth and God’s creation, because Jerry always had a strong passion for the people and things that existed in the world around him. He looked at everything so positively, and that spirit still lives on today within his thousands of followers and fans.

The part of the song that means the most to me, is the end of the song. “Fare you well, fare you well, I love you more than words can tell. Listen to the river sing sweet songs to rock my soul.” (Garcia, Hunter) This is his final goodbye. Where he expresses his love for the other person, but at the same time accepts what has happened. 

So as much as this song may seem to be just about death, it is not. It is about accepting or not accepting death, and the beauty that lies around the world. Broke-down Palace, originally written by Robert Hunter, and re-worked by Jerry Garcia, is a song by the Grateful Dead that is listened to as a lullaby about death, beauty, and God’s universe.