Cold Jordan - Grateful Dead Song Review

I don't have much to say about this song other than I love it. I've only ever heard it from various Grateful Dead acoustic sets but it really caught my attention when Jerry Garcia sang it in the film Festival Express.

This song is a really beautiful traditional song that was probably a gospel song originally. It is always a little strange to hear the Dead or Jerry sing a song with blatant religious overtones but I kind of like it for some reason. There are a few great songs from the GD repertoire that fall into this category like And We Bid You Goodnight and My Sisters and Brothers. The Dead and Jerry were always pretty "non denominational" but hey they were also lovers of great songs and no doubt some good songs came from various religious traditions.

This song struck a chord with me when I saw Festival Express, and then it did again when I rented the DVD and fast forwarded straight to that scene and watched it about 15 times in a row. I still love this tune and the next time I am feeling down or hopeless I hope I can remember to play Cold Jordan because I know it will cheer me up and give me hope.

Cold Jordan Song Rating on a Scale of 1-10: 8.5

Disclaimer: This is part of my review of every Grateful Dead song from A-Z. Music is a beautiful thing because it is so personal and subjective, so keep in mind that this is one man's opinion (and be sure to read my blog manifesto to understand a little more about where I'm coming from).