Big River
Lyrics: Johnny Cash
Music: Johnny Cash
Chorus
Well I taught that weepin' willow how to cry, cry, cry
Taught the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky
Tears I cried for that woman gonna flood you, big river
I'm gonna sit right here until I die
Well I met her accidentally in St Paul, Minnesota
And it tore me up every time I heard her drawl that southern drawl
Then I heard my dream went back downstream cavorting in Davenport
And I followed you big river when you called
[chorus]
Well I followed her to St Louis later on down the river
A freighter says she's been here, but she's gone, boy, she's gone
Well I found her trail in Memphis but she just walked up the bluff
Raised a few eyebrows and then she went on down alone
[chorus]
Now won't you bat it down by Baton Rouge, river queen rolling on
Take that woman down to New Orleans, New Orleans
Go on I've had enough, dump my blues down in the Gulf
She loves you, big river, more than me
[chorus]
+/-
Variations (0)
+/-
Live Performances (144)
3/3/81 Music
Hall, Cleveland, Ohio
3/7/81 Cole
Field House, College Park, Maryland
3/14/81
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
3/21/81
Rainbow Theatre, London, England
3/24/81 Rainbow
Theatre, London, England
5/1/81 Hampton
Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia
5/8/81 Nassau
Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
5/12/81 New Haven
Coliseum, New Haven, Connecticut
5/16/81 Barton Hall,
Ithaca, New York
7/4/81 Manor
Downs, Manor, Texas
7/8/81 Kiel
Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri
7/11/81 Alpine
Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisconsin
8/15/81 Memorial
Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
8/28/81 Long Beach
Arena, Long Beach, California
9/13/81 Greek
Theatre, Berkeley, California
9/30/81 Playhouse
Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland
10/3/81 Rainbow
Theatre, London, England
10/10/81 Stadthalle
Bremen, Bremen, West Germany
10/17/81 Hippodrome De
Pantin, Paris, France
2/16/82 Warfield Theatre,
San Francisco, California
2/21/82
Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
4/3/82 Norfolk
Scope, Norfolk, Virginia
4/8/82 Onondaga
County War Memorial, Syracuse, New York
4/14/82 Glens Falls
Civic Center, Glens Falls, New York
5/21/82 Greek
Theatre, Berkeley, California
7/17/82 Ventura
County Fairgrounds, Ventura, California
7/27/82 Red Rocks
Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado
8/1/82 Zoo
Amphitheatre, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
8/7/82
Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, Wisconsin
8/28/82 Oregon
Country Fairgrounds, Veneta, Oregon
9/11/82 West Palm
Beach Auditorium, West Palm Beach, Florida
9/17/82
Cumberland County Civic Center, Portland, Maine
9/21/82
Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
10/9/82 Frost
Amphitheatre, Stanford, California
12/27/82 Oakland
Auditorium, Oakland, California
3/25/83 Compton
Terrace, Tempe, Arizona
3/31/83 Warfield
Theatre, San Francisco, California
4/19/83
Alfond Arena, Orono, Maine
6/18/83 Saratoga
Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, New York
8/21/83 Frost
Amphitheatre, Stanford, California
8/26/83 Memorial
Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
9/2/83 Boise
State University Pavilion, Boise, Idaho
9/8/83 Red
Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado
10/14/83 Hartford Civic
Center, Hartford, Connecticut
12/30/83 San Francisco
Civic Auditorium, San Francisco, California
4/27/84 Providence
Civic Center, Providence, Rhode Island
5/7/84 Hult
Center For The Performing Arts, Eugene, Oregon
7/1/84 Pine
Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, Michigan
10/11/84 Augusta Civic
Center, Augusta, Maine
10/31/84 Berkeley
Community Theatre, Berkeley, California
2/20/85 Henry J.
Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, California
3/12/85 Berkeley
Community Theatre, Berkeley, California
3/27/85 Nassau
Coliseum, Uniondale, New York
4/6/85 The
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
6/15/85 Greek
Theatre, Berkeley, California
6/25/85 Blossom
Music Center, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
7/13/85 Ventura
County Fairgrounds, Ventura, California
8/31/85 Manor Downs,
Manor, Texas
9/5/85 Red
Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado
9/15/85 DeVore
Stadium, Chula Vista, California
10/26/85 USF Sun Dome,
Tampa, Florida
11/1/85 Richmond
Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia
11/11/85 Meadowlands
Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
2/14/86 Henry J.
Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, California
3/23/86 The
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4/22/86 Berkeley
Community Theatre, Berkeley, California
6/22/86 Greek
Theatre, Berkeley, California
6/30/86 Riverbend
Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
7/6/86 RFK
Stadium, Washington, D.C.
12/16/86 Oakland Coliseum
Arena, Oakland, California
3/23/87
Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia
3/31/87 The
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4/7/87
Meadowlands Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
6/12/87 Ventura
County Fairgrounds, Ventura, California
6/19/87 Greek
Theatre, Berkeley, California
6/30/87 Kingswood
Music Theatre, Maple, Canada
7/6/87
Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7/24/87 Oakland
Coliseum Stadium, Oakland, California
8/15/87 Town Park,
Telluride, Colorado
9/12/87 Capital
Centre, Landover, Maryland
9/19/87
Madison Square Garden, New York, New York
9/24/87
The Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
11/8/87 Henry J.
Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, California
12/27/87 Oakland Coliseum
Arena, Oakland, California
2/13/88 Henry J.
Kaiser Convention Center, Oakland, California
3/26/88 Hampton
Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia
4/14/88 Rosemont
Horizon, Rosemont, Illinois
4/23/88 Irvine
Meadows Amphitheatre, Irvine, California
6/26/88 Pittsburgh
Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7/17/88 Greek
Theatre, Berkeley, California
7/31/88 Laguna Seca
Recreation Area, Monterey, California
9/3/88 Capital
Centre, Landover, Maryland
9/9/88 The
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
9/20/88 Madison
Square Garden, New York, New York
9/30/88 Shoreline
Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California
12/10/88 Long Beach
Arena, Long Beach, California
2/11/89 Great
Western Forum, Inglewood, California
3/31/89 Greensboro
Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
4/9/89 Freedom
Hall, Louisville, Kentucky
10/8/89 Hampton
Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia
10/26/89 Miami Arena,
Miami, Florida
12/27/89 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
3/14/90 Capital
Centre, Landover, Maryland
4/1/90 The
Omni, Atlanta, Georgia
6/16/90 Shoreline
Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California
7/10/90
Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina
9/7/90
Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
9/12/90 The
Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
9/19/90 Madison
Square Garden, New York, New York
10/24/90 Sporthalle,
Hamburg, Germany
10/31/90 Wembley Arena,
London, England
12/4/90
Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
12/13/90 McNichols Arena,
Denver, Colorado
12/31/90 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
3/21/91 Capital
Centre, Landover, Maryland
4/28/91 Sam Boyd
Silver Bowl, Las Vegas, Nevada
6/14/91 RFK Stadium,
Washington, D.C.
6/24/91 Sandstone
Amphitheatre, Bonner Springs, Kansas
8/12/91 Cal Expo
Amphitheatre, Sacramento, California
9/8/91 Madison
Square Garden, New York, New York
9/13/91 Madison
Square Garden, New York, New York
12/30/91 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
3/9/92 Capital
Centre, Landover, Maryland
3/24/92 The Palace Of Auburn Hills,
Auburn Hills, Michigan
5/25/92 Shoreline
Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California
6/9/92
Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
6/17/92 Charlotte
Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina
6/25/92 Soldier
Field, Chicago, Illinois
3/25/93 Dean Smith
Centre, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
5/21/93 Shoreline
Amphitheatre, Mountain View, California
3/4/94
Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion, Phoenix, Arizona
3/20/94 Richfield
Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
6/8/94 Cal Expo
Amphitheatre, Sacramento, California
7/19/94 Deer Creek
Music Center, Noblesville, Indiana
7/31/94 The Palace Of Auburn Hills,
Auburn Hills, Michigan
10/1/94 Boston
Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
10/9/94 USAir Arena,
Landover, Maryland
11/30/94 McNichols Arena,
Denver, Colorado
2/19/95 Delta
Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
3/26/95 The Omni,
Atlanta, Georgia
5/24/95 Memorial
Stadium, Seattle, Washington
6/19/95 Giants
Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
7/6/95
Riverport Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, Missouri
+/-
Official Recordings (87)
9/21/72
Dick's Picks Volume Thirty-Six
9/24/72
30 Trips Around The Sun
9/27/72
Dick's Picks Volume Eleven
10/17/72
Listen To The River: St. Louis '71 '72 '73
10/18/72
Listen To The River: St. Louis '71 '72 '73
10/19/72
Listen To The River: St. Louis '71 '72 '73
11/17/72
Dave's Picks Volume Eleven
2/26/73
Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-Eight
2/28/73
Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-Eight
3/24/73
Dave's Picks Volume
Thirty-Two
3/28/73
Dave's Picks Volume
Sixteen
4/2/73
Dave's Picks Volume
Twenty-One
6/22/73
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
6/24/73
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
6/26/73
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
9/8/73
Dave's Picks
Volume Thirty-Eight
10/19/73
Dick's Picks Volume Nineteen
10/29/73
Listen To The River: St. Louis '71 '72 '73
10/30/73
Listen To The River: St. Louis '71 '72 '73
11/9/73 Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings
11/10/73 Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings
11/11/73 Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings
11/14/73
30 Trips Around The Sun
11/17/73
Dave's Picks Volume Five
11/21/73
Road Trips Volume Four, Number Three: Denver '73
12/2/73
Dick's Picks Volume Fourteen
12/10/73
Grateful Dead Download Series Volume Eight
12/19/73 Dick's Picks Volume One
2/23/74
Dave's Picks Volume
Forty-Two
2/24/74
Dave's Picks Volume Thirteen
3/23/74
Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-Four
5/14/74
Dave's Picks Volume Nine
5/17/74
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
5/19/74
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
5/21/74
Pacific Northwest '73-'74: The Complete Recordings
6/16/74
Road Trips Volume Two, Number Three: Wall Of
Sound
6/23/74
Dave's Picks
Volume Thirty-Four
6/28/74
Dick's Picks Volume Twelve
7/31/74
Dave's Picks Volume Two
8/5/74
Dick's Picks Volume Thirty-One
9/11/74
Dick's Picks Volume Seven
9/18/74
30 Trips Around The Sun
10/19/74 Steal Your Face
8/13/75 One From The Vault
9/28/75
30 Trips Around The Sun
6/9/76
Road Trips Volume Four, Number Five: Boston
6-9-76
6/10/76 June 1976
6/11/76 June 1976
6/14/76 June 1976
6/17/76
Dave's Picks
Volume Twenty-Eight
6/18/76
Grateful Dead Download Series Volume Four
7/16/76
Dave's Picks Volume
Eighteen
7/17/76
Dave's Picks Volume
Eighteen
9/24/76
Dave's Picks Volume Four
9/28/76
Dick's Picks Volume Twenty
5/7/77
May 1977: Get Shown The Light
5/9/77
May 1977: Get Shown The Light
5/11/77 May 1977
5/17/77 May 1977
5/26/77
Dave's Picks Volume
Forty-One
11/2/77
Dave's Picks Volume Twelve
11/5/77
Dick's Picks Volume Thirty-Four
4/24/78
Dave's Picks Volume Seven
5/10/78
Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-Five
5/14/78
30 Trips Around The Sun
7/1/78 July
1978: The Complete Recordings
7/7/78 July
1978: The Complete Recordings
12/31/78
The Closing Of Winterland
10/27/79
30 Trips Around The Sun
12/26/79
Dick's Picks Volume Five
5/6/80
Road Trips Volume Three, Number Four: Penn
State-Cornell '80
11/30/80
Dave's Picks Volume Eight
5/16/81
30 Trips Around The Sun
8/7/82
Dick's Picks Volume Thirty-Two
9/21/82
In And Out Of The Garden: Madison Square Garden '81, '82, '83
9/2/83
Dave's Picks
Volume Twenty-Seven
10/14/83 Dick's Picks Volume Six
11/1/85
Dick's Picks Volume Twenty-One
7/24/87
View From The Vault IV
Soundtrack
10/8/89
Formerly The Warlocks
10/26/89
30 Trips Around The Sun
3/14/90
Spring 1990 (The Other One)
4/1/90
Spring 1990 (The Other One)
6/16/90
View From The Vault III
Soundtrack
6/14/91
View From The Vault II
Soundtrack
10/1/94
30 Trips Around The Sun