Now is it Rosalie McFall or Rosa Lee McFall? I’ve seen it both ways, but ultimately it doesn’t matter (although the original Monroe Brothers’ LP apparently listed the song as the latter). Same song, different spelling, but no matter how you stack it, it’s a great song. Writing credit for the song is attributed to Charlie Monroe, the older brother of bluegrass great Bill Monroe, who was a well-known hero of Jerry’s.
This recording is the only one released in an official capacity. Rosalie McFall was only played 16 times, 8 performances in 1970 and another 8 in 1980 during the Radio City/Warfield runs. This particular version comes from the latter run, obviously.
Reading through the lyrics of Rosa Lee McFall I’m reminded a bit of Wayne Cochran’s “Last Kiss” (most famously covered by Pearl Jam). Maybe it’s just me, but the story arch, broadly speaking, seems similar. Nevertheless, they’re both good songs, in my opinion.
Complete Setlist 9/26/90
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LunchB,
Had to post seeing seeing no one’s added a chirp yet I’m finally got an off day after a ton of work. Hope all’s well with you and the whole family. We actually hit the upper 60’s in Mass. today which was awesome.
Love this release, still have it on record, which I bought in college and revisit when I’m feeling like mellow Dead or want a non- dead fan to venture into a world about the dead they never knew existed. Rosie is a great one, along with the whole release. Feel like I’m finally getting my wife to like the Dead after all these years. She’s still not asking for stuff for the vehicle, but seems to enjoy a lot that I pop in as long as it has decent singing and melody and not a lot of long jams. Still a work in process.
Joe, I get the impression that Reckoning is like Workingman’s and Beauty in that it’s almost universally liked by Deadheads. The Bird Song in quite choice, among other cuts.
Good luck with your work in progress. My wife doesn’t mind the songs, but isn’t a fan of the jams either. There’s still hope for my kids though!
Had to laugh about the kids comment, as my 24 year old daughter is starting to more and more get my music. She is very eclectic in that she likes the new stuff, but is more and more understanding the bands like the Dead, Allman Brothers etc. and their contributions to music. Looking forward to catching Bob and RatDog along with the Allman Bros with her in 53 days (not that I’m counting at Mt jam). I’m a lucky one.
Again, let me note that these songs are packed in just a bit too tightly for comfort [the editing cuts the time between songs unnaturally]. This one follows the last before we can even sigh, but once we are here, a nice, slightly more wooden Garcia guitar tone greets us. That is good, because this is another folk song that deserves the vibrations in the air surrounding an acoustic instrument. Jerry sings it enthusiastically and rips into simple interludes between each verse. It is a fine addition to this album for lots of reasons.