How to play Box of Rain

Box Of Rain – Grateful Dead

chord and lyric sheet

“Box of Rain” is a song by the Grateful Dead, from their 1970 album American Beauty. The song was composed by bassist Phil Lesh and lyricist Robert Hunter, and sung by Lesh.

• Key: G
• Time signature: 4/4 (with an occasional 2/4 measure)
• Chords used: A, Bm7/A, A4, D, Am, Em, C, G, Bm

“Box of Rain” is drawn from American folk and country musical roots. This is true of many Grateful Dead tunes, including most of the songs on American Beauty and their other 1970 release, Workingman’s Dead. As the first song on American Beauty, it was also the first Grateful Dead song released on record to feature Phil Lesh as the lead vocalist.

The song also featured two musicians who are not in the band. Dave Torbert played bass, while Lesh played acoustic guitar. David Nelson (of New Riders of the Purple Sage) plays the lead guitar with a Fender Telecaster, while Jerry Garcia plays the piano. Bob Weir sings harmony with Lesh and Garcia.

“Sight-reading is like playing. It’s a question of doing.” – Johnny Smith