Help me out folks! Long time hip forum reader here, needing some insight. What is the deal with "Deadheads" thinking that you cannot be a hippie unless you are a "deadhead"????? Why can't someone groove with the hippie spirit if they haven't seen Jerry or gone on tour? What if you enjoy the dead and the whole happening but haven't seen Jerry live before he left this realm?? I don't get the heirarchy put in place by deadheads..... Help me out here friends pleeeaaase! Namaste, DhariniMama
fuck that. hippies existed before the grateful dead. i personally love the band. i never got to see them in concert or even was interested until after jerry garcia was dead. i grew up with deadhead parents. but my point is that its just a band. it does not define the hippie movement, nor do the beatles or jimi hendrix. music enhanced the movement, it didnt cause it. so to those people, just say whatever you say, and be happy that you're not so closed-minded. by the way, the terms closed-minded and hippie soo do not mix.
My first hippies I met were dead-heads who criticized me for not being able to go on tour with them. I eventully would go on a few dead tours, but in Detoit, someone saying that only deadheads were true hippies get laughed at, and we've had our share. We had this hippie house the Forrer House that was a real hippie church, and had 'services' ever Sunday in the form of a potluck and party with a rainbow circle. We would get invaded at times by these kids with lots of hard liquor who were into the Dead, and some of them laughed at me when I didn't know that "Alligator" was a dead-head song. I said to him, "We're not all Dead Heads." besides, we couldn't grow our garden or maintain our house if we were on the road all the time. In Michigan, we also get it with the Rainbow family. I'm just not into the gathering. I was raped at my first one (brought a weapon to the second one so it was much better) and my best friend eventually got falsley accused of masturbating in public and the elders strung him to a tree, threatened to castrate him and searched all of our tents. so no, I don't like the rainbow gatherings but in Michigan, that was where they said if you didn't go, they questioned you. (Of course, they all got sick of hearing about the rape from me and me striking at any male who tried to touch me, so they stopped bringing it up. They also didn't like my sharp pointy weapons I kept carrying). so, I'm not into the dead, and I'm not a part of the rainbow family, and I am still a hippie.
some can't afford and don't have the desire to follow some band around. besides, who says everyone has to have the same taste in music. and i've known some deadheads that were anything but hippie. just there for the drugs, that's all.
there are many understanding of the word hippy, and also beliefs, and my opinion is it doesnt matter what you look like on the out side, more of a counter culture, form the deluided branwashed sociaty of todays main stream race, peace and one love is what i beleave in, ur no better than the person beside you, were all humans trying to live and coinside, just do ur thing, every one getts critasized by there belifes, might have gotton of subject, sore, peace and good fortune jojo
On behalf of Deadheads, you must understand the unsurmountable love and connectivity we feel for/with the Dead. A Dead show is a magical experience. I guess this gets to some people's heads. A real hippie is a free-thinker, a spiritualist and a social anarchist.
As an older hippie, I can honestly say that I think the Grateful Dead were one of the least talented groups of the time - I always thought their music was rather boring. Those who follow any group with radical allegiance are actually more "groupy" than "hippy". And when that person's group becomes their own identity then that is what they should call themselves - in other words, either be a "deadhead" or be a hippie. A "deadhead" is a narrow definition of a few people who had a limited experience with one group of musicians. A hippie is a type of person who has ideals and values not associated with any one band or group. Anyway, I'd say to folks like that who think that they are the only true hippies in the world; "Hmmm, that's an interesting perspective...gotta go now, maybe catch ya later..."
I'm not a deadhead, but I like some of their music (loike the one about a silver lining having shades of grey, or something like that).
Kind of like saying you can't like be a hippie if you like Frank Zappa, who criticized hippies a lot in his music. Who are the music police?
When the GD were out doing their thing I was into Beach Boys and the Beatles. It wasn't till years later while camping at Barter Faires that I heard a shitload of GD music. The deadheads got their thing and I got my thing. It's all good and I don't worry about it. The best song they ever did was Truckin'. Least ways that's my opinion.:sunny:
Deadheads and Hippy's arent the same thing. Dead concerts were a great place for hippy reunions and everything that goes with it. That and the music made the Deadhead culture.imo And it was awesome. I think if the remaining Grateful Dead members made a new album and a full blown tour we'd there would be deadhead and hippy reuinions again.
Logan 5 --- its "Touch of Grey" I'm a fan of "Box of Rain" myself. The thing is if someone wants to tell you you aren't a hippie because you didn't do this or go there or meet so and so, then isn't it a lot like those high society snobs we all don't want to be?? Think of them the same way, with some pity for their closed minds and walk on in your own way. Live in peace and love and let it be. (don't sweat it)
The Dead are very much an American thing, while hippies are an international thing. In the UK, there are deadheads, but nowhere near on the same level as in the States. I know no hippies over here who listen to the Dead at all. Perhaps over here, Hawkwind may have, during the 60's and 70's, filled the slot the Dead fit into in the States. My argument is that to say you can't be a hippie if you're not a Deadhead discounts all the hippies all over the world who aren't American. I lived in California during the 60's and I wasn't a great Dead fan. I was really into Quicksilver and Janis Joplin.
So your taste in tunes makes you a hippie or not? I thought it was your mind.. Who knew? Thank God, I love the dead then..
