Released November 10, 1969 Label Warner Bros. | Genre Psychedelic rock, jam Writer(s) Robert Hunter | |
Recorded 13th August 1968;
Pacific Recording studio,
San Mateo CA Length 9:18
15:08 (Live/Dead version) | ||
"The Eleven" is a song by American rock band The Grateful Dead. It was written by long-time lyricist Robert Hunter and bassist Phil Lesh. The title of the song is a direct reference to its time signature, 11/8.
The song was first released into the general public via the Grateful Dead's seminal live album, Live/Dead; however, it was performed live various times before as evidenced by the collection So Many Roads (1965-1995). It was noted among deadheads for being capable of producing exceptional jamming with its eponymous musical meter. It would often achieve its jam potential by being segued together with songs like "Dark Star" (another song famous for its spontaneity and being the Grateful Dead's signature song) and "Saint Stephen".
Lyrics
The lyrics to the song were recurrently sung out of place or changed grammatically, and some of them were in fact missing from performances. Bob Weir and Phil Lesh would often sing from the two uppermost stanzas, while Jerry Garcia sang fragments from the bottom stanza. Some of the lyrics allude to biblical stories such as Jonah. Other lyrics echo passages from other songs in the Grateful Dead lineup.