Grateful Dead Music Forum

Today I was digging through some boxes of books in the attic, and decided to pull all the Dead-related ones out and find shelf space for them (even Rock Scully's and Carol Brightman's turds; not recommended!), and came across Grateful Dead Comix, which sets songs to pictures by various artists - and was reminded that the take on "FOTD" by Frank Gresham & Randall Berndt has a spare verse after "Got a wife in Chino...." , to wit:

"You can borrow from the devil, you can borrow from a friend
But the devil'l give you twenty when your friend got only ten"

I fail to recollect ever hearing them sing that one; have any of you?

Back in the mid 70s I saw Robert Hunter play at The Golden Bear in Huntington Beach (Southern California). He sang the “borrow from the devil” verse last, instead of repeating “got a wife in Chino” as the Dead always did. He then explained that he had written it that way but, for some unknown reason, Jerry always refused to sing the “borrow from the devil” verse. It became a humorous ongoing thing between them, with Hunter continuously lobbying Jerry to include the verse, and Jerry refusing! I always include the verse when I sing FOTD. And if we had played that when I visited, you would have heard it back then!

Same show: the venue had a hard 10p.m. cut-off for the music. Hunter didn’t want to stop and kept playing past 10. The venue cut power to the stage. Hunter came down off the stage, sat down on the floor in the middle of the room, invited everyone to join him on the floor in a big circle while he sat in the middle and kept on playing acoustically.

Bill, tgo

Robert Hunter sang that verse frequently if intermittently. I heard it this way:

"Borrowing from the Devil's better than borrowing from a friend.
The Devil'll lend you twenty bills, the friend will lend you ten."

I don't sing the song often (others I play with do), but I sing the verse when I do sing it. It makes so much more sense then repeating the Wife in Chino.

Hunter studio version from Jack O'Roses album:

Thanks, all.
I haven't "FOTD" in so long I'm gonna have to relearn it - and will do so with Hunter's verse.

Nothing Bob did in slowing down songs for Dead and Company was more extreme than how the Grateful Dead at times slowed FoTD down to dirge BPM. I prefer it bluegrassy!

Jon S. wrote: ↑Sun Feb 22, 2026 5:45 am Nothing Bob did in slowing down songs for Dead and Company was more extreme than how the Grateful Dead at times slowed FoTD down to dirge BPM. I prefer it bluegrassy!

I concur 100%. Any slowness I have ever displayed playing it has been due lack of dexterity, not artistic choice!

And I will add that I should have figured out the whole Hunter-sang-it-Garcia-didn't thing; I mean, have you ever heard Hunter's version of "Terrapin Station"?

Another Dead tune that started fast, and was later slowed down (and the bridge dropped), is “They Love Each Other”. My band plays the older version with the bridge.

Bill, tgo

I love playing and hearing They Love Each Other. Fantastic song!