Jack Straw - Grateful Dead - MP3 instrumental karaoke

The Grateful Dead emerged in 1965 in Palo Alto, California and spent the rest of the decade spreading their lysergic gospel across albums like 1968's era-defining Anthem of the Sun, which added lyricist Robert Hunter to the lineup and delivered a kaleidoscopic sound collage that took the band's sound to new heights. By 1970, they were an unstoppable force in psychedelic rock, regularly performing live and for free, much to the delight of their community of fans, known affectionately as "Deadheads." With its typically laid-back groove and lyrics that tap into recurring Grateful Dead themes like rail travel, "Jack Straw” formed part of the band's live repertoire in 1971 and was later included on the 1972 Grateful Dead album Europe '72. One of the few tracks written by Robert Hunter with rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, "Jack Straw" was partly inspired by John Steinbeck's Great Depression-era masterwork Of Mice and Men and paints a portrait of two wanderers called Shannon and Jack Straw.