Beat It On Down the Line

Beat It Down the Line is a country-blues song written by Jesse Fuller and first recorded in 1961. The lyrics mention "Joe Brown's Coal Mine", which refer to Joseph E. Brown, four times governor of Georgia and president of the Dale Coal Company who ran numerous coal mines in the state.

The song was covered by The Grateful Dead and was one of the first songs the band played live and appeared on their first album. It remained in the band's set for years, still being occasionally performed in the 1980s.