[ugly rumor]

moaning low is a common phrase in folk and bluegrass music and probably used more commonly in areas associated with that kind of music...its good for everyone to expand outside of the grateful deads catalog, u will learn more than you can imagine.

NO!!! NO!!! Nothing but Good Old Grateful Dead!!!

[zambiland]

OK, I did some more research on this, listening to shows all the way through the 90s into Furthur shows and never once heard prayin', although braggin' is sometimes pretty slurred. Even with the slurred ones, I never heard a long "a" sound as in pray. However, in the first time that verse comes around, I did hear a "laughin'" in this show: http://www.archive.org/details/gd1990-1 ... sbeok.shnf

Edwin

[jdsmodulus]

Good work Edwin, I didnt get around to listen to that many. I would only consider Jerry versions ones to compare. I must have been mistaken. On a side note, for me I would try to sing the "common" lyrics anyways. 2 cents.

[Emoto]

Having bought a Garcia song book in the 1970s (the brown one with the hand print) the published lyric is "moaning low".

[Pete B.]

OK, I did some more research on this, listening to shows all the way through the 90s into Furthur shows and never once heard prayin', although braggin' is sometimes pretty slurred. Even with the slurred ones, I never heard a long "a" sound as in pray. However, in the first time that verse comes around, I did hear a "laughin'" in this show: http://www.archive.org/details/gd1990-1 ... sbeok.shnf

Edwin

For some reason I have always thought it was Laughin'.
In context, the vision of card table with players either laughin', or braggin' (in maybe a "can you top this" manner"), with wine bottles on the table, works for me... prayin' for a good hand seems like a natural fit also.
I'll have to give the studio version another spin.

[ImJerryToo]

I would be pretty firm in my views that the questioned lyrics are

"moanin' low", "love" and "braggin"

(Actually I don't really see how these are questionable, but I guess that's just me because apparently there are plenty of people with the questions)

I do also agree though that Jerry did slip "laughing" in place of "braggin" at times.

"Put your gold money where your love is, baby" is a phenomenal line, exquisite Robert Hunter! Substituting "luck" there makes it pedestrian and totally un-Hunterish (to me).

[ebick]

"braggin"

It's been so long since I looked, I just went back and checked what I have on the site. I have "prayin'", which I believe is wrong. I've been singing "braggin'" for I don't know how long.

[pablomago]

"Everybody's _________ and drinking that wine..."

Is it "bragging" or "praying?"

I always thought it was "bragging," but I've heard some covers where they sang "praying" and then in Chicago, Bruce sang "praying" and on at least one show from Europe '72 tour Jerry sang "praying." But the sheet music says "bragging" so that's what I hear on the "Garcia
album and what I'm sticking with. But I was curious about when it changed and why. I don't think of gamblers as people who pray, but I've sure known gamblers who bragged.

[Emoto]

"Wake up to find out that you are disguised as a squirrel"

Oh, sorry. wrong song. My bad.

[rugger]

"Wake up to find out that you are disguised as a squirrel"

Oh, sorry. wrong song. My bad.

You win!

john in san diego

[aiq]

Box of Rain has moaning low and love.

Also bragging.

[williamsaut]

Funny, I've always sang "on a loan" at that spot maybe because that's why he's asking for ten gold dollars but "holdin' low" would fit for the card game reference. I also sing "love" and "braggin'". Jerry had a really nice California or mid west accent most recognizable when he says words like "Dragon" and "wagon" as "Draygon" and "waygon". Some folks really try to copy his accent when they sing his stuff.

[pablomago]

Oops. I didn't see the other two pages when I posted. On the Europe '72 tour disk "Rockin' the Rhein" Jerry clearly says "praying." First time I ever heard that. He could do what ever he wanted, it was his song. I'll sing "bragging."

[old man down]

I would be pretty firm in my views that the questioned lyrics are

"moanin' low", "love" and "braggin"

(Actually I don't really see how these are questionable, but I guess that's just me because apparently there are plenty of people with the questions)

I do also agree though that Jerry did slip "laughing" in place of "braggin" at times.

"Put your gold money where your love is, baby" is a phenomenal line, exquisite Robert Hunter! Substituting "luck" there makes it pedestrian and totally un-Hunterish (to me).

Agree.

Been trying to expand my repertoire, and using YouTube, brought this into the fold, again, and have been working on it constantly, of late. (Lowden custom nylon string; to die for guitar)

These are wonderful chromatic cowboy runs to be found on this song, and no one on YouTube has fleshed them out. Some of the YouTube vids are difficult to watch because no one knows how to learn songs anymore, they just know how to learn many songs, and leave the fine detail to languish for Eternity. But they do present the basics, and then they are leaving it to the next generation… to perfect it.

What the vids lack is the presentation of launching with pace into the beginning of the song. That comes with practice. You have to be completely fluent with it, to master it. That means learning almost nothing else for a while as you bring it up to speed. Then you have to push on to take it to the next level. Once you nail it (still working on it for myself, but some parts are getting there), then you can take it to the nether world freeform, where this song blooms like no other.

To get some of the finer lines, for example: one chromatic down followed by an immediate chromatic up thereafter, and then a resolve… 75% speed can render it beautifully, but you may need 50% to be sure, when you learn it.

This is such a wonderful song, and should be a lifetime effort for every true Jerry devotee.

To learn this song really well… probably requires 1000 hours. This means learn it, drop it, relearn it, drop it, relearn it, drop it… ad absurdum.

To really get in the mood, watch YouTube The Sting poker scene and the poker scene from Cincinnati Kid can also be a well of resource.

Never give up on this song. Even Jerry revered it, as he knew it was easy to dilute its import, so he left it alone — almost never live performing it — as a golden nugget for generations to come.

[TI4-1009]

Not to mention that the entire solo is done with pinch harmonics.

The guy was GOOD.