The Grateful Dead?

[itspronoucedHAY_ZEUS]

Would the song "Saint Stephan", by The Grateful Dead, qualify as a chrsitan song?

[sopranette]

No.

love,

Sopranette

[itspronoucedHAY_ZEUS]

Have you listened to the song, which is quite nice, or are you just saying no on the pretense that it is composed by the grateful dead?

[sopranette]

Yes, I know the song.  It was composed and played by someone who was obviously high.

love,

Sopranette

[itspronoucedHAY_ZEUS]

well now you say "someone" wich obviously proves you do not know of which you speak.  the song was written by two people, not "someone"

and here if you will are some christian connotations

Saint Stephen, written by Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia, is a song by the Grateful Dead which first appeared on record on 1968's Aoxomoxoa, and has remained a major part of The Dead's live repertoire ever since. Saint Stephen is  about the St. Stephen, and partly about (pardon the pun) "soul-searching" in general. According to the Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics site, Robert Hunter confirmed that the song is about St. Stephen.

St. Stephen was an early martyr of Christianity, as outlined in the New Testament Book of Acts, specifically Chapters 6 and 7. He was a deacon in the early church in Israel, one of seven ordained by the twelve apostles to serve the needy and preach to the masses. He was an inspiring preacher, and worked many miracles and converted many to Christianity. As a consequence, he had many enemies among the Jews who did not believe that Christ was the messiah. Eventually, he was falsely accused of blasphemy, but during his trial he gave a stirring defense of the idea of Jesus as Lord and Savior, and at the end Stephen had a vision of Heaven with Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55). His enemies closed their ears, removed him from the court and had him stoned to death. Upon his death, he prayed that God would not punish those who had murdered him.


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Saint Stephen, with a rose
In and out of the garden he goes
Country garden in the wind and the rain
Wherever he goes, the people all complain


Stephen prosper in his time
Well he may and he may decline
Did it matter? Does it now?
Stephen would answer if he only knew how


Wishing well with a golden bell
Bucket hanging clear to Hell
Hell halfway 'twixt now and then
Stephen fill it up and lower down
and lower down again



Bridge:
Lady finger dipped in moonlight
Writing "what for?" across the morning sky
Sunlight splatters dawn with answers
Darkness shrugs and bids the day good-bye
Speeding arrow, sharp and narrow
What a lot of fleeting matters you have spurned
Several seasons, with their treasons
Wrap the babe in scarlet covers, call it your own


Did he doubt or did he try?
Answers aplenty in the bye and bye
Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills
One man gathers what another man spills


Saint Stephen will remain
All he lost he shall regain
Seashore washed in the suds and the foam
Been there so long he's got to calling it home


Fortune comes a crawlin', Calliope woman
Spinning that curious sense of your own
Can you answer? Yes I can,
but what would be the answer to the answer man?



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The song starts off with "Saint Stephen with a rose," and red roses are symbolic of martyrdom. One could perhaps take the line "In and out of the garden he goes" as suggestive of his work with the needy, and the world being a garden where the converted might grow. But the last line of the first verse is also indicative of Stephen, specifically the complaints about him by his enemies. The third ("Wishing well...") verse could be a metaphor for rescuing souls from damnation. The sixth ("Did he doubt...") is suggestive of Stephen's ascension to heaven, but ambiguous about whether it could be achieved through faith or through good works. The last line "One man gathers what another man spills" is possibly a reference to Stephen's successful proselytizing among the poor and disenfranchised.

Going back to St. Stephen himself, his feast day is December 26, and he is the patron saint of Stonemasons.

Sources: AGDL, saints.catholic.org, and my copy of Two From the Vault.

Lyrics by Robert Hunter, music by Jerry Garcia, copyright Ice Nine Publishing Company, Inc.

[sopranette]

And how is this in any way, shape, or form scriptural? Yep, like I said....stoned out of his gourd.

love,

Sopranette

[itspronoucedHAY_ZEUS]

how offending, this man (a recognized saint) was visously murdered in the name of his christian beliefs and you mock him by referring to him as being "stoned out of his gourd".   and the song is such to comemorate this dear man. he was a true believer, much more noble than you or even I, and you insult him. how do you sleep with yourself or even call yourself christian!

[sopranette]

The Grateful Dead were all stoners and drunks.  I sleep fine.   
Get over yourself.

love,

Sopranette