The Annotated "Mason's Children"

Lyrics omitted. The annotations below are reproduced by permission of David Dodd; the song lyrics themselves are copyrighted and are not reproduced here. Read them at the official source: dead.net/songs.

"Mason's Children"

• Dick's Picks, vol. 4

Covers:

• Living Earth on Living Earth: Relix 2300
• Henry Kaiser on
  • Eternity Blue, and
  • Those Who Know History Are Doomed to Repeat It

First known performance: December 19, 1969, at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. "Mason's Children" opened the show, and was followed by "China Cat Sunflower." There are fifteen known live performances, all in 1969-1970, after which it was dropped from the repertoire.

Hunter's note in the Box of Rain anthology says:

"An unrecorded GD song dealing obliquely with Altamont."

This note from a reader:

-----Original Message----- From: John Edward Philips [mailto:philips@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp]
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 3:06 AM
Subject: Mason's children

I've just found your annotated Dead lyrics page and love it. I'll try to link it at my next update. I don't have much to contribute, but thought you might like to know that "Mason's Apron" is an old traditional fiddle tune. "Mason's Children" has a title that almost immediately reminded me of it.
Thanks for a great site.

-- 
  JOHN EDWARD PHILIPS 
http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/catalog/data/071030/0710306601.HTM
   "Homo sum, humani nihil alienum a me puto." -TERENTIUS AFER
	(There is no such thing as foreign studies.)

Mason

bricked him in the wall

Reaper Man

But a reader writes:

Date: Tue, 16 Jan 1996 13:29:35 GMT-5
From: PUBBLAN@amber.indstate.edu

david,

i think the line deals with the "reefer man" (check Cab Calloway on this) and not the "reaper man" at least that is how i heard it

Marty

And I say, hurray for variant hearings!