Deadhead Sticker on a Pickup Truck

The Grateful Dead have a strange way of popping up in random places throughout pop culture. They get mentions in movies, television shows, and other artists' songs. ("Deadhead stick on a cadillac" i'm looking in your direction.)

Enter Cross Canadian Ragweed, a country rock / southern rock / Americana / alt-country band that gained popularity in Stillwater, Oklahoma in the late 90s through the Red Dirt music scene, a scene that receives virtually no coverage here on the east cost. I have become a fan of many of the bands that exist in this genre, based out of both Oklahoma and Texas, including Chris Knight, Stoney LaRue, Jimmy LaFave, and the aforementioned Cross Canadian Ragweed. Their founding fathers and main influences include Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Merle Haggard, and even Woodie Guthrie. Anyone who respects this group is OK by me.

Given the Oklahoma background of Cross Canadian Ragweed, I was very surprised, pleasantly so, to hear a song of theirs called Brooklyn Kid. The track not only name checks the Grateful Dead, but also Friend of the Devil, Uncle John's Band, and Jerry Garcia. This is hardly a passing reference to the Dead. I'd been meaning to post this song here for quite some time, and tonight it popped into my head again.

The last two verses of Brooklyn Kid read:

Reflecting on the Viet-Cong,
Uncle John's Band and a Dylan song,
Smellin' like it's supper time.
You know, it brought a tear to his eye,
The day that Jerry Garcia died.
He said he was the genius of his time.
Yeah, A Friend of the Devil is a Friend of Mine.

Don't try to find it, make the time,
A couple of joints and a bottle of wine.
You'll be glad that you did.
With the Grateful Dead spinnin' round,
Kick your feet back and be astounded,
By the life of the Brooklyn kid.

Enjoy this track and I hope to introduce you to some more Red Dirt music soon.

Cross Canadian Ragweed

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