Knowledge (XXG)

China Cat Sunflower

Source 📝

29: 28: 299:
Wybenga described the lyrics as "acid-drenched", and said, further: "China Cat Sunflower's lyric—composed, Robert Hunter has said, in a state where contemplation of a cat served as touchstone for an interplanetary journey—is a real masterwork. It's one of the very few rock-and-roll lyrics (including
304:) that has as much impact on the page as it does sung, if not more. ... 'It's about acid' does it less justice than the observation that it's about seeing, sensing, and making connections in a sensuous world. Anyone out there remember what it was like to be three years old?" 336:". During this period it was played in the key of E. It was later changed to G in order to transition into I Know You Rider. Four instances of this arrangement have been released on official recordings, the first on the compilation album 374:. Over the next 26 years the Dead would pair these songs together over 500 times, most often as a second set opener. Only twice during this extended period was "China Cat Sunflower" played without this pairing. 574: 392: 296:
is interwoven on top of it. This second riff has been described by author Eric F. Wybenga as "that dodgy little Bobby intro that scratches your brain just behind the ears."
569: 534:
Epler, J.H. (February 2020). "A new species of Uvarus Guignot, 1939 (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae: Hydroporinae: Bidessini) from Florida, USA".
493: 338: 559: 350: 510: 419:
In 2020 entomologist J.H. Epler named a new species of diving beetle (family Dytiscidae) for the song; it is called
292:
The song begins with two distinct guitar riffs. The first is played by Jerry Garcia and then a second one played by
344: 239: 163: 511:"Grateful Dead Debut "China Cat Sunflower"/"I Know You Rider" Pairing, On This Day In 1969 [Listen]" 91: 362:
On September 30, 1969, the Grateful Dead first segued "China Cat Sunflower" into "I Know You Rider" (a
209: 135: 564: 262: 333: 277: 68: 489: 61: 324:, the song was played by itself or often in the middle of an extended jam between the songs " 404: 325: 253: 107: 84: 246:. The song was typically sung by Garcia. The first live recording of this song appeared on 267: 171: 39: 553: 470:. New York, New York: Bentam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group:Delta Books. p. 35. 371: 367: 317: 313: 257: 248: 229: 182: 43: 312:
The Grateful Dead first performed "China Cat Sunflower" on January 17, 1968, at the
243: 149: 130: 102: 452:
Dodd, David. "The Annotated 'China Cat Sunflower'", UCSC's Division of the Arts
388: 363: 95: 451: 413: 384: 301: 272: 234: 52: 329: 321: 293: 157: 143: 399: 320:. During the following year after its introduction into the band's 281: 256:". Lyrically, this song has many literary references, including 412:
is used in the part of the film showing everyone arriving at
232:, which was first recorded for their 1969 studio album 484:
Scott, John W.; Dolgushkin, Mike; Nixon, Stu (1995).
181: 169: 155: 141: 129: 113: 101: 83: 75: 59: 49: 38: 21: 328:" and "The Eleven"—a position more familiarly (to 468:Dead to the Core:An Almanack of the Grateful Dead 423:. The specific epithet can be interpreted as ( 575:Songs with lyrics by Robert Hunter (lyricist) 8: 194:"Dupree's Diamond Blues" / "Cosmic Charlie" 395:, along with 17 other Grateful Dead songs. 479: 477: 27: 18: 444: 316:(then called the Carousel Ballroom) in 48: 37: 358:China Cat Sunflower → I Know You Rider 7: 461: 459: 14: 466:Wybenga, Eric F. (August 1997). 252:, paired (as was typical) with " 509:Shackleford, Tom (2023-09-30). 408:, the version of the song from 1: 570:Songs written by Jerry Garcia 488:. Little, Brown and Company. 382:The song is available in the 288:Music and lyrical composition 238:. The lyrics were written by 351:Road Trips Volume 2 Number 2 16:1969 single by Grateful Dead 33:Japanese single cover, 1969 591: 242:and the music composed by 212:" / "New Speedway Boogie" 89:Pacific Recording Studios 421:Uvarus sinofelihelianthus 339:So Many Roads (1965–1995) 189: 26: 348:, and the other two on 345:Dick's Picks Volume 22 22:"China Cat Sunflower" 393:downloadable content 560:Grateful Dead songs 263:Alice in Wonderland 228:" is a song by the 226:China Cat Sunflower 201:China Cat Sunflower 378:In popular culture 278:Dame Edith Sitwell 203:" / "St. Stephen" 185:singles chronology 308:Live performances 222: 221: 218: 217: 210:Uncle John's Band 582: 544: 543: 531: 525: 524: 522: 521: 506: 500: 499: 481: 472: 471: 463: 454: 449: 405:Taking Woodstock 342:, the second on 254:I Know You Rider 191: 190: 174: 160: 146: 125: 124: 120: 108:Psychedelic rock 64: 31: 19: 590: 589: 585: 584: 583: 581: 580: 579: 550: 549: 548: 547: 533: 532: 528: 519: 517: 508: 507: 503: 496: 483: 482: 475: 465: 464: 457: 450: 446: 441: 380: 360: 310: 290: 268:George Herriman 213: 204: 195: 170: 156: 142: 122: 118: 117: 90: 60: 50:from the album 34: 17: 12: 11: 5: 588: 586: 578: 577: 572: 567: 562: 552: 551: 546: 545: 526: 501: 494: 473: 455: 443: 442: 440: 437: 379: 376: 366:folk song) at 359: 356: 309: 306: 289: 286: 220: 219: 216: 215: 206: 197: 187: 186: 179: 178: 175: 167: 166: 161: 153: 152: 147: 139: 138: 133: 127: 126: 115: 111: 110: 105: 99: 98: 87: 81: 80: 77: 73: 72: 65: 57: 56: 47: 46: 36: 35: 32: 24: 23: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 587: 576: 573: 571: 568: 566: 563: 561: 558: 557: 555: 541: 537: 536:Insecta Mundi 530: 527: 516: 512: 505: 502: 497: 495:1-877657-19-0 491: 487: 480: 478: 474: 469: 462: 460: 456: 453: 448: 445: 438: 436: 435:) sunflower. 434: 430: 426: 422: 417: 415: 411: 407: 406: 401: 396: 394: 390: 387: 386: 377: 375: 373: 372:New York City 369: 368:Cafe Au Go Go 365: 357: 355: 353: 352: 347: 346: 341: 340: 335: 332:) filled by " 331: 327: 323: 319: 318:San Francisco 315: 314:Fillmore West 307: 305: 303: 297: 295: 287: 285: 283: 279: 275: 274: 269: 265: 264: 259: 258:Lewis Carroll 255: 251: 250: 245: 241: 240:Robert Hunter 237: 236: 231: 230:Grateful Dead 227: 211: 207: 202: 198: 193: 192: 188: 184: 183:Grateful Dead 180: 177:Grateful Dead 176: 173: 168: 165: 164:Robert Hunter 162: 159: 154: 151: 148: 145: 140: 137: 134: 132: 128: 116: 112: 109: 106: 104: 100: 97: 93: 88: 86: 82: 79:June 20, 1969 78: 74: 70: 66: 63: 58: 55: 54: 45: 44:Grateful Dead 41: 30: 25: 20: 539: 535: 529: 518:. Retrieved 514: 504: 485: 467: 447: 432: 428: 424: 420: 418: 409: 403: 398:In the 2009 397: 383: 381: 361: 349: 343: 337: 311: 298: 291: 271: 261: 247: 244:Jerry Garcia 233: 225: 223: 200: 150:Jerry Garcia 136:Warner Bros. 51: 486:Deadbase IX 364:traditional 334:St. Stephen 172:Producer(s) 158:Lyricist(s) 144:Composer(s) 69:St. Stephen 565:1969 songs 554:Categories 520:2024-02-08 439:References 433:helianthus 410:Europe '72 391:series as 389:video game 249:Europe '72 96:California 427:) China ( 416:in 1969. 414:Woodstock 385:Rock Band 330:Deadheads 326:Dark Star 273:Krazy Kat 235:Aoxomoxoa 92:San Mateo 53:Aoxomoxoa 322:set list 294:Bob Weir 76:Released 431:) cat ( 400:Ang Lee 302:Dylan's 214:(1970) 205:(1969) 196:(1969) 542:: 1-4. 492:  276:, and 114:Length 85:Studio 62:B-side 40:Single 402:film 282:Polka 131:Label 103:Genre 540:0752 515:L4LM 490:ISBN 429:feli 425:sino 280:'s " 370:in 284:". 270:'s 260:'s 42:by 556:: 538:. 513:. 476:^ 458:^ 354:. 266:, 123:40 94:, 523:. 498:. 224:" 208:" 199:" 121:: 119:3 71:" 67:"

Index

Japanese cover art for the 1969 Japanese single issue of "China Cat Sunflower", backed with "St. Stephen". A picture of the band, tinted green, is the primary design; the songs are identified in English and Japanese on top of the image. 'NEW ROCK BEST HIT SERIES' is printed upon the top banner.
Single
Grateful Dead
Aoxomoxoa
B-side
St. Stephen
Studio
San Mateo
California
Genre
Psychedelic rock
Label
Warner Bros.
Composer(s)
Jerry Garcia
Lyricist(s)
Robert Hunter
Producer(s)
Grateful Dead
Uncle John's Band
Grateful Dead
Aoxomoxoa
Robert Hunter
Jerry Garcia
Europe '72
I Know You Rider
Lewis Carroll
Alice in Wonderland
George Herriman
Krazy Kat

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.