Grateful Dead Music Forum

by **Trystine** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 3:45 pm

Is anybody familiar with Taj Mahal's version of this same story. I can't be quite sure but the last time I saw Hunter play "Stagger Lee" live I sware he was melding the two songs together; both lyrically and musically. Any other takes on this or verification?

by **tigerstrat** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:02 pm

If it's the same one Taj recorded on De Ol' Folks At Home, then it's a fairly faithful interpetation of the traditional Stagger Lee (or Stack O Lee).

The Garcia/Hunter version is musically very different, as are the words, although they re-tell basically the same story with some added "color".

by **Trystine** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:10 pm

Yes, for sure, but when Hunter played it live (2 yrs ago) he finger picked it. It sounded very similar to what Taj does. I think I heard him say "cruel old stagger lee", too. I hope it wasn't just a delusion or I just embarrased myself. I think I might try to find a live recording of Hunter playing stagger and get to the bottom of this. It's been bugging me since the show and I thought maybe someone might know one way or the other

by **tigerstrat** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 4:58 pm

Hunter always fingerpicks doesn't he?

He's always playing around with his songs, changing them, and he's always had kinda his own versions and arrangements of the songs he wrote with Garcia.

HUNTER FOR PRESIDENT!

by **Trystine** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 5:07 pm

He's got my vote! :cool:

by **Cosmic Jimmy** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:45 am

I am a huge Dead/Taj fan... does anyone have the Tab for Taj's Stagger lee, the fingerpicking version where it sounds like he's alternating the baseline in dropped D???

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