Song of the Day: Beat It On Down The Line

Beat It On Down The Line by the Grateful Dead. Released in 1967 on the band’s debut album, The Grateful Dead. Beat It On Down The Line was originally written by country-blues musician Jesse Fuller in 1961. The song talks about the hardships of working in Joe Brown’s coal mine, who was governor of Georgia in the 1860’s and owned coal mines throughout the state. While it’s not one of the more well-known Grateful Dead songs, Beat It On Down The Line was still a prominent feature by the band during live performances. The song was performed live 323 times between 1966 and 1994, with 1976 and 1995 being the only two years where the song did not make a setlist.

Thanny