Nothing left to do but smile, smile, smile

Rat in a drain ditch
Caught on a limb
You know better but
I know him
Like I told you
What I said
Steal your face (~):}
right off your head

Now he's gone
Lord he's gone
Like a steam locomotive
rolling down the track
He's gone
He's gone
and nothing's gonna bring him back
He's gone

Nine mile skid
on a ten mile ride
Hot as a pistol
but cool inside
  Cat on a tin roof
Dogs in a pile
Nothing left to do but
  SMILE, SMILE, SMILE

Now he's gone
Lord he's gone
Like a steam locomotive
rolling down the track
He's gone
He's gone
and nothing's gonna bring him back
He's gone

Going where the wind don't blow so strange
Maybe on some high cold mountain range
Lost one round but the price wasn't anything
Knife in a back and more of the same

Same old rat in a drain ditch
Caught on a limb
You know better but I know him
Like I told you

What I said

Steal your face right off your head

Now he's gone
Lord he's gone
Like a steam locomotive
rolling down the track
He's gone
He's gone
and nothin's gonna bring him back

He's gone....

  tt

First performance: April 17, 1972, at the Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark. "He's Gone" appeared in the first set, between "Jack Straw" and "Next Time You See Me."

---

He's gone

"He's Gone," as originally written, referred to the disappearance of Mickey Hart's father, Lenny Hart, who was acting as the band's manager, with a good deal of money.  Since then, the song has become riddled with meaning, played often quite tenderly when someone close to the band dies.

I woke up with this tune in my ear.  Maybe you did too?  Anyways people, expect more from me as I have been very busy lately but I want to form more of a consistent display...my mind inside out. 

The wheel is turning
and you can't slow down
You can't let go
and you can't hold on
You can't go back
and you can't stand still
If the thunder don't get you
then the lightning will...

JG