Interpretation of Grateful Dead Lyrics: Estimated Prophet

(originally posted to studioarcanis.com)

So I'm going to try something new here. Im curious of peoples feelings on certain songs that to me are very powerful. With my focus on necromantic traditions, people sometimes think Im a fan of death metal kind of music. This is not even slightly true. Although I would say that the music Im going to talk about here is definitely relative to the topic. One of my favorite bands of all time I grew up listening to with my hippy mother, is the Grateful Dead. The further I get along in life the more their songs mean to me, and I find that in some cases this is confirmation bias. I have had a solid interpretation in my head from listening to the song for 20+ years, and then a book or post on dead.net will come out with an interpretation from the band finally, which is nothing whatsoever like what I imagined. On the other hand there are some songs that have quite straightforward lyrics, regardless of Bob Weirs signature downplay of the meaning in his own lyrics. A few of these deal with some pretty esoteric concepts. Such as the angelic view of apotheosis presented in this first song Im going to post:

Estimated Prophet:

My time coming, anyday, don't worry about me, no
Been so long I felt this way, I'm in no hurry, no
Rainbows and down that highway where ocean breezes blow
My time coming, voices saying they tell me where to go.

Don't worry about me, nah nah nah, don't worry about me, no
And I'm in no hurry, nah nah nah, I know where to go.

California, preaching on the burning shore
California, I'll be knocking on the golden door
Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light
Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine.

My time coming, any day, don't worry about me, no
It's gonna be just like they say, them voices tell me so
Seems so long I felt this way and time sure passin' slow
Still I know I lead the way, they tell me where I go.

Don't worry about me, no no no, don't worry about me, no
And I'm in no hurry, no no no, I know where to go.

California, a prophet on the burning shore
California, I'll be knocking on the golden door
Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light
Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine.

You've all been asleep, you would not believe me
Them voices tellin' me, you will soon receive me
Standin' on the beach, the sea will part before me
Fire wheel burning in the air!

You will follow me and we will ride to glory, way up, the middle of The air!
And I'll call down thunder and speak the same and my word* fills the sky with flame
And might and glory gonna be my name and men gonna light my way.

My time coming, any day, don't worry about me, no
It's gonna be just like they say, them voices tell me so
Seems so long I felt this way and time sure passin' slow

My time coming, any day, don't worry about me, no
Don't worry about me, no no no, don't worry about me, no
And I'm in no hurry, no no no, don't worry about me, no.

*(official lyrics state "work", but the sung lyrics are "word", which clearly makes more sense, David Dodd confirms this is a typographical error that is perpetuated due to its early publication in that form)

Songwriters: John Barlow / Robert Hall Weir

So the song starts out with the claim of being directed by disincarnate voices, and then sets into a reassurance to whoever the song is addressed to not to worry that the guidance is good and the way is known. Then it gets interesting because the subject of the song directly relates themself to an angel enshrouded in the light.

I find the statement "Still I know I lead the way, they tell me where I go" very interesting. To me this is such a cryptic but true statement about the relationship with spirits. We lead our own way, but they explain the path both before us and behind us.

In the next "california, ..." section the subject specifically uses "I" & "I'm" indicating that he is claiming his own ascension AS an angel, not simply comparing himself to an angel. Very Enoch.

The next interesting statement comes after the next "california, ..." section: "You've all been asleep, you would not believe me" a fairly common sentiment from those who understand certain things towards people who do not, especially in that fervent stage when we first begin to understand and desire the ability to open others eyes. The subject then identifies themselves as a prophet with the Moses referencing claim of being able to part the waters before them. The next statement is what originally caught my attention years ago directly after reading one of the works in 'Hekate: Her Sacred Fires' which is either a reference to Hekates flaming strophalos, or the burning wheel Ixion is "tortured" on.

[click image to enlarge]

"You will follow me and we will ride up to glory, way up in the middle of the Air" ... we are all familiar with the terminology of "spirits of the middle Air" in various works on magic, mysticism, and spirits.. this needs little explaining. But I will note the choice of "ride" although a claim to rising has already been made by the subject, it is clearly implied that ascension does not happen IN the shaft of light, but is a "ride" and here i would step slightly on a limb and suggest that the nearly universal concept of solar vehicles is implied here, be it a barque, a chariot, or what have you.

Next is something I think we all recognize as well, "And I'll call down thunder and speak the same and my word* fills the sky with flame" the first part speaks for itself, if you are familiar with the Headless Ritual:

[I am the Headless One with sight in the feet!
I am the mighty one who possesseth the immortal fire!
I am the Truth that hateth that evil is wrought in the world!
I am the one who maketh the lightning flash and the thunder roll!
I am the one whose sweat is the heavy rain that falls upon the earth that it might be fertile!
I am the one whose mouth is utterly aflame!
I am the one who begetteth and destroyeth!
I am the Grace of the World!
“HEART GIRT WITH A SERPENT” is my name!]

The second part of the line even further solidifies the apotheosis concept at the core of the song: when the subject says "might and glory gonna be my name" which is also covered in the section of Akephalos above. "and men gonna' light my way" ... I see this light as the subject claiming as a god he will be worshipped with fire, but it isn't clear.

I mostly posted this out of curiosity for what other people think about the music. In general Bob Weir tends to minimalize the meaning of his songs when he speaks about them, despite very specific choice of words and despite the fact that several necromantic/apotheosic themes that run throughout their music, not least of all the obvious band name "The Grateful Dead".

In Blair Jackson's book on the Dead, Garcia is quoted as saying:
"One day we were over at Phil's house...He had a big dictionary. I opened it and there was 'Grateful Dead', those words juxtaposed. It was one of those moments, you know, like everything else went blank, diffuse, just sort of oozed away, and there was GRATEFUL DEAD in big, black letters edged all around in gold, man, blasting out at me, such a stunning combination. So I said, 'How about Grateful Dead?' And that was it." (This is quoted from an old mixtape that has interview snippets between the songs, though I do not know what, where & with who the original interview is with.)

The dictionary entry reads along these lines:

GRATEFUL DEAD: The motif of a cycle of folk tales which begin with the hero coming upon a group of people ill-treating or refusing to bury the corpse of a man who had died without paying his debts. He gives his last penny, either to pay the man's debts or to give him a decent burial. Within a few hours he meets with a travelling companion who aids him in some impossible task, gets him a fortune or saves his life. The story ends with the companion disclosing himself as the man whose corpse the hero had befriended.(Funk & Wagnall's Dictionary).

The name has also been attributed to this quote, though it's generally believed that they came across this one later:

"We now return our souls to the creator,
as we stand on the edge of eternal darkness.
Let our chant fill the void
in order that others may know.
In the land of the night
the ship of the sun
is drawn by the grateful dead."

-- Egyptian Book of the Dead


Hope to hear some interesting ideas on this all?