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"Morning Dew", also known as "(Walk Me Out in the) Morning Dew", is a contemporary folk song by Canadian singer-songwriter Bonnie Dobson. The lyrics relate a fictional conversation in a post-nuclear holocaust world. Originally recorded as a solo performance, Dobson's vocal is accompanied by her finger-picked acoustic guitar playing.

In 1962, "Morning Dew" was included on the album Bonnie Dobson at Folk City. Subsequently, the song was recorded by other contemporary folk and rock musicians, including the Grateful Dead, who adapted it using an electric rock-ensemble arrangement for their debut album. Tim Rose recorded a version in 1967, and he claimed lyrics-writing credits with no evidence to support his claim; legal action in 1998 resulted in full credit returning to Dobson.

Background and lyrics

The song is a dialogue between the last man and woman left alive following an apocalyptic catastrophe. Dobson stated that the inspiration for "Morning Dew" was the film On the Beach, which is about the survivors of virtual global annihilation by nuclear holocaust. Dobson wrote the song while staying with a friend in Los Angeles; she recalled how the guests at her friend's apartment were speculating about a nuclear war's aftermath and "after everyone went to bed, I sat up and suddenly I just started writing this song I had never written in my life".

Renditions

Dobson first performed "Morning Dew" at the inaugural Mariposa Folk Festival in Orillia, Ontario in August 1961. She later played it at an acoustic session with Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs at Gerde's Folk City in New York. The song, along with Ochs's and Dylan's songs from the session, was subsequently printed in the folk music publication Broadside. Dobson lacked a music publisher at the time it appeared in Broadside, which led to problems with the rights later on. She recorded "Morning Dew" shortly after at the Folkways studio. A recording is included on her album At Folk City which was released in August 1962.

The earliest cover version of "Morning Dew" was by The Briarwood Singers on their album Well, Well, Well released in January 1964. The record fails to give credit to Dobson, and credits the song to "O. Brown". The next version is on the self-titled album by the Goldebriars, using the title "Come Walk Me Out" and also without songwriter credit to Dobson. It was followed about a month later by singer and guitarist Fred Neil with Vince Martin, for their album Tear Down The Walls. It credits Dobson for the song. Tim Rose followed with a version for his 1967 self-titled debut album, which claimed partial writing credit by Rose. Rose took advantage of a loophole in US copyright law to trick Dobson out of full composition rights for the song (Rose had previously made dubious claims of authorship to "Hey Joe"). According to Dobson, "all Tim Rose did was take Freddie Neil's changes". Dobson never met Rose, but she received 75% songwriting royalty as she retains sole writing credit for the song's music.

"Morning Dew" became part of the Grateful Dead's repertoire after frontman Jerry Garcia was introduced to the Fred Neil recording by roadie Laird Grant in 1966. The group electrified the song and first played it as their opening number at the Human Be-In in January 1967; the same month the group recorded a studio version of it for their self-titled debut album, which was released that March. (A lengthy, iconic live version was later included on their double album, Europe '72.) Morning Dew became a concert-going fan favorite, and the Grateful Dead played it live 274 times over nearly three decades, concluding with their performance on June 21, 1995, part of their East Coast summer tour, and less than two months before Jerry Garcia's death on August 9, 1995. Around the time of the Dead's version, Duane & Greg Allman recorded a demo version of "Morning Dew" that was released as a single following Duane Allman's death in 1971.

American psychedelic rock band The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band released their cover of "Morning Dew" under the title "Will You Walk With Me" in February 1967 on their album Part One. The Pozo-Seco Singers also released a single of the song in 1967, as did Episode Six in the U.K. British pop singer Lulu recorded a version of "Morning Dew" for her album Love Loves to Love Lulu, produced by John Paul Jones, in 1967, and this was released as a single in the US, Canada (#55), and Australia in 1968.

With Rod Stewart on vocals, the Jeff Beck Group recorded a version on their 1968 album Truth that carried over some aspects of the Fred Neil version, including the bass part. Scottish rockers Nazareth covered the song on their 1971 debut in a version with an extended arrangement similar to the Jeff Beck Group's, and released a single version the following year. Long John Baldry did "Morning Dew" on his self-titled 1980 release and released it as a single the same year. The German band Einstürzende Neubauten included a version of "Morning Dew" on their album Fünf auf der nach oben offenen Richterskala of 1987. Devo covered the song on Smooth Noodle Maps released in 1990. American band Blackfoot also covered it to open their 1984 album Vertical Smiles. Irish band Clannad included a rendition on their self-titled debut album. Cleveland, Ohio, rock band Damnation of Adam Blessing covered "Morning Dew" on their 1969 self-titled debut. "Morning Dew" was also performed by Duane and Greg Allman on their album released by Bold Records. Robert Plant covered the song on his 2002 album Dreamland, and performed it live with Dobson herself in 2013. The Grateful Dead performed the song during their farewell run of shows in 2015. The following year, The National recorded a version for Grateful Dead tribute compilation album. Skating Polly also did a rendition of the song on their 2016 album, The Big Fit.

As of 2024, "Morning Dew" has been performed live by Dead & Company 45 times.

References

1. ^ Morris, Charles (12 April 2021). "Morning Dew – How Bonnie Dobson Reclaimed Her Anti-war Song". Financial Times. London. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
2. ^ Unterberger, Richie. "Bonnie Dobson: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
3. ^ Schneider, Jason (2009). Whispering Pines: The Northern Roots of American Music. Toronto: ECW Press. p. un-numbered. ISBN 978-155-0228748.
4. ^ Bell, Max (13 August 2014). "The Story Behind The Songs: Bonnie Dobson - Morning Dew". Classic Rock. Bath: Future Publishing Ltd. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021.
5. "The Early Years: 1961-64". Mariposa Folk Festival. Orillia: Mariposa Folk Foundation.
6. Ostrow, Marty; Howard, Ira, eds. (11 August 1962). "August Album Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. New York: The Cashbox Publishing Co. p. 173. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 April 2024.
7. Zhito, Lee; Ackerman, Paul, eds. (11 January 1964). "'Winter Magic' UA Message". Billboard. Cincinnati: The Billboard Publishing Co. p. 3.
8. United Artists Records (11 January 1964). Zhito, Lee; Ackerman, Paul (eds.). "Winter Wonderland Sales Magic". Billboard. Cincinnati: The Billboard Publishing Co. p. 13.
10. Well, Well, Well (Record label). United Artists. 1964. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
11. ^ "A Complete History of Morning Dew on Vinyl". Thirsty Vinyl. 26 April 2021. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022.
12. Fitzpatrick, Rob (23 January 2013). "The 101 strangest records on Spotify: The Goldebriars". The Guardian. London: Guardian News & Media Limited. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2020. Come Walk Me Out – Previously 'Morning Dew'
13. The Goldebriars (Record label). CBS. 1964. Archived from the original on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
15. Ruhlmann, William. "Vince Martin & Fred Neil: Tear Down the Walls – Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
16. McNally, Dennis (2002). A Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead. New York: Broadway Books. p. 539. ISBN 0-7679-1186-5.
17. "Morning Dew performed by Grateful Dead". SetlistFM. Setlist.FM. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
18. "Relisten to the Grateful Dead". Relisten.net. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
19. "Part One – The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band: Songs, Reviews, Credits", AllMusic, retrieved 5 September 2021
20. "Episode Six: Morning Dew (9 June 1967)". 45cat.com. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
21. "Lulu: Morning Dew (5 July 1968)". 45cat.com. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
22. "RPM Top 100 Singles - September 16, 1968" (PDF).

External links

• Dobson, Bonnie (2013). "The Story of Bonnie Dobson's 'Morning Dew'". Inside the Music. CBC Radio – via BonnieDobson.net. – Hour long interview

• 1962 songs
• Contemporary folk songs
• Songs about nuclear war and weapons
• Grateful Dead songs
• Jeff Beck songs