Touch of Grey
"Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is from the album In the Dark. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive." It combines dark lyrics in the verses with upbeat pop instrumentation. A simple pronoun change in the final chorus (“We will get by/ We will survive”) transformed the song into an anthem, especially for the band's most ardent followers.
| "Touch of Grey" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Grateful Dead | ||||
| from the album In the Dark | ||||
| B-side | "My Brother Esau" | |||
| Released | 1987 | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 5:50 (album version) 4:35 (single version) | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter | |||
| Producer(s) | John Cutler | |||
| Grateful Dead singles chronology | ||||
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The music was composed by Jerry Garcia, and the lyrics were written by Robert Hunter. It was also released as a music video, the first one by the Grateful Dead.
The song was performed as an encore on September 15, 1982, at the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland, and was finally released on In the Dark in 1987. The song reached the top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 9, and reached number 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, the only song by the band ever to do so on both charts. It was released as a single with "My Brother Esau" and later "Throwing Stones", and has appeared on a number of albums and collections.