"If you're trying to find what's true, just take a look at all of you" roses logo for AGDL

The Annotated "You Don't Have to Ask"

An installment in The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics.
By David Dodd
1997-98 Research Associate, Music Dept., University of California, Santa Cruz
(The opinions expressed are those of the author, not of the University of California.)Copyright notice;

© 1995, 1996,1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 David Dodd


"You Don't Have to Ask"
By the Grateful Dead
Copyright Ice Nine Publishing; used by permission

If you wanna know what time it is, you don't have to ask
If you wanna know what [sermon] is, you don't have to ask
If you wanna know what's real or not, you don't have to ask
If you wanna know where to find your spot, you don't have to ask
You don't have to ask
You don't have to ask
You already know
You already know

If you wanna leave your troubles behind, you don't have to ask
If you wanna go away and lose your mind, you don't have to ask
If it's peace that you're looking for
You got the key to every door, you already know

If there's a way out you'll find out and see all and be all
You'll never wonder what spell you been under
To make you forget all this time

If you're looking for the way, you don't have to ask
You can see it plain as day, you don't have to ask
If you're trying to find what's true, just take a look at all of you
You don't have to ask
You don't have to ask
You already know
You already know

"You Don't Have to Ask"

Recorded on

First known performance: Friday, March 25, 1966, at Trouper's Club in Los Angeles, CA. The song was played a few times during 1966, then dropped. The version on the box set is from July 16, 1966, at the Fillmore in San Francisco.



Keywords:
DeadBase code: [YDHA]
First posted: January 1, 2000
Last revised: