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Althea (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81) Lyrics by The Grateful Dead

Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81 (Live)

2022

[Verse 1]
I told Althea I was feeling lost
Lacking in some direction
Althea told me upon scrutiny
That my back might need protection
I told Althea that treachery
Was tearing me limb from limb
Althea told me, "Now, cool down, boy
Settle down easy, Jim"
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 2]
You may be Saturday's child all grown
And moving with a pinch of grace
You may be a clown in the burying ground
Or just another pretty face
You may be the fate of Ophelia
Sleeping and perchance to dream
Honest to the point of recklessness
Self-centered to the extreme
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 3]
Ain't nobody messing with you but you
Your friends are getting most concerned
Loose with the truth, maybe it's your fire
Baby, I hope you don't get burned
When the smoke has cleared, she said
That's what she said to me
You're gonna want a bed to lay your head
And a little sympathy
[Instrumental Break]
[Bridge]
There are things you can replace
And others you cannot
The time has come to weigh those things
This space is getting hot
You know this space is getting hot
[Instrumental Break]
[Verse 4]
I told Althea I'm a roving sign
I was born to be a bachelor
Althea told me: "Okay, that's fine"
Now I'm trying to catch her
Can't talk to you without talking to me
We're guilty of the same old thing
Thinking a lot about less and less
And forgetting the love we bring
[Instrumental]
Credits
The Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead

About “Althea (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81)” by The Grateful Dead

Read the complete lyrics to "Althea (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81)" by The Grateful Dead from the album "Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81 (Live)" in 2022. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under In English, Live, American Folk.

"Althea (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81)" is performed by The Grateful Dead. from the album "Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81 (Live)" in 2022 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Althea (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81)", explore more songs by The Grateful Dead using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Althea (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81)" is credited to The Grateful Dead. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Althea (Live at Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81)" appears on "Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81 (Live)" in 2022.

Visit the The Grateful Dead artist page at /artist/the-grateful-dead for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.