Grateful Dead Music Forum

Hey y'all. I came over here trying to find some info on the song "Cold Jordan", (aka "Jesus' Hand") But you seem to have nothing at all on this site.

Can anyone help me out with Lyrics? Or even more importantly with the chord structure for the song.

Other than seeing Jerry play it on the train in Festival Express, and it being played in the closing credits, I can find no clues as to where I can find info on the song. So I will thank you ahead of time for any help you can give me.

Pax Vobiscum,
KARLUS

I don't have any info about chords or anything, never really tried to figure it out. But I do have a show from 1970 where the Dead play an acoustic set, followed by NRPS then an electric set. The play Cold Jordan in the acoustic set. Can't remember the exact date...

its on dicks picks 8 featuring good ol' marmaduke, sweet version...i dont have it handy but i play it in G and its quite traditional and easy think 1 4 5 and listen, not hard


Oh sinning is a gentilized journey, take Jesus as your daily guide
Though you may feel pure and saintly without Him walking by your side
And when you come to make your crossing at the end of the pilgrim's way
If you ever will meet your savior, you will surely meet him on that day

Now look at that cold Jordan, look at its deep water
Look at that wide river Oh heavy mighty billows roll
You better take Jesus with you, he's a true companion
Oh I'm sure without him that you never will make it home

That awful day of judgment is coming in the by and by
We'll see our Lord descending in the glory from on high
Oh, let us get in touch with Jesus and in the special love of God
And maybe ever get ready when he comes on Jordan's tide
Now look at that cold Jordan, look at its deep water
Look at that wide river Oh heavy mighty billows roll
You better take Jesus with you, he's a true companion
Oh I'm sure without him that you never will make it home

Now what you gonna do, Oh what you gonna say
Oh how you gonna feel when you come to the end of the way?

The song is a traditional bluegrass song. You can find recordings online at archive.org I think both the Dead and the New Riders covered it during their combined tours.

I play the mandolin parts using the G pentatonic scale. Pretty basic stuff..

G = the peoples key

Cold Jordan
Grateful Dead
[G]Oh sinner as you tread on life's journey, t[D]ake Jesus as your daily guide[G]
[G]Though you may feel [C]pure and [G]saintly, without Him walking by your [D]side
[G]But when you come to make the crossing at t[D]he ending of his pilgrim's wa[G]y
[G]If you ever will nee[C]d your sa[G]viour, you will surely need him on that [D]day[G]

Chorus:

[G]Now look at that cold Jordan, look at its [D]deep [G]water
[G]Look at that [C]wide [G]river, [D]oh hear the mighty billows [G]roll
[G]You better take Jesus with you, he's a [D]true [G]companion
[G]Oh I'm [C]sure [G]without him [D]that you never will make it [G]home

VERSE 2:

[G]That awful day of judgement [D]is coming in the by and [G]by
[G]We'll see our Lord [C]descending [G]in glory from on [D]high
[G]Oh, let us keep in touch with Jesus and [D]in the special love of [G]God
A[G]nd may we ever be called ready when he calls us over Jordan's tide


[G]Now look at that cold Jordan, look at its [D]deep [G]water
[G]Look at that [C]wide [G]river, [D]oh hear the mighty billows [G]roll
[G]You better take Jesus with you, he's a [D]true [G]companion
[G]Oh I'm [C]sure [G]without him [D]that you never will make it [G]home


[G]Now what you gonna do, oh [D]what [G]you gonna say
[G]Oh how you gonna [C]feel [G]when you come [D]to the end [C]of the [G]way?

I have always liked this song even though it is a christian song, no offence christians I myself an a born again christian. I just never got into the whole christian music thing. I do like the church hymns though like Amazing Grace and Swing Low Sweet Chariot Which Jerry covered in his later years. Anyway back to Cold Jordan, there is some stuff on this song just check the archives there's a few intros and stuff like that.

hm...

this is helpful to an extent...but jerry is most definitely picking bass notes and mixing in little riffs while strumming. Anyone have any clue whatsoever what these little riffs may be? I've searched high and wide for a video instruction for this tune, and sadly, it is nowhere to be found...even tabs would be very helpful...I just haven't quite gotten to the point where I can decipher the notes by ear...

thanks friends

unless u have been playing only a couple months i understand...but if not i would stroooongly urge u not to ask for those tabs...theyre are standard G C and D bass runs and you can figure them out if u just start picking instead of searching for videos...

hell bass runs usualy only even use the low 3 strings so just use your ear and process of elimination and just think about it...usualy just leading from one root note to the next....very simple stuff here...keep at it

IamDocWatson wrote:G = the peoples key

Hell yeah! I love it. Long live G. I've been in love with G ever since playing alto sax in elementary school. For some reason concert Bb was a popular key, and for me that meant good ol' one sharp G.


About the bass runs, just think about it. The song is in G and doenst really have chromatics, so you have 7 notes to work with.

G A B C D E F#

Just start with the most obvious shit you can think of and fine tune from there. For example, when you have a G to C chord change try simply running up the scale G A B C. I don't even really remember the bass runs of Cold Jordan but I bet its pretty close to that.

WOW! I posted this question/string almost a year ago. And I clicked on having me notified by email if there were any replies.

Well I just got my 1st email notification about 10 minutes ago!(?)

I have read the replies and I must thank y'all.

I do realize that the song is in G. In Festival Express, Jerry most definately played the song in "G"

(The scene where he was playing by himself.)

What I am (or have been) asking more about subtlties, like other chord changes that would not come to mind immediately.
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FWIW I have been asking this (?) because I have been attending an Evangelical Church (From time to time) that has pretty much an "ALL HIPPY" congregation.

The 1st time I went there I told the Preacher that I felt like I was at a Grateful Dead concert. He, and other members took gr8 offence to my suggestion that their church was like a Grateful Dead concert. A lot of people took offence to that.

Later the same year I met up with the main preacher at an outdoor music festival here in town. I was standing by the soundboard, (<--- The best place to look for me at any concert.) and he walked up to me from behind.

He and I talked about philosophical (sp) things for an hour or so. And then when we parted I looked at him and asked, "Do you remember when I said that your church was like a Grateful Dead concert?"

He replied "Yes."

I turned back to the acts that were playing and said, "This concert is gr8! But it is nothing close to a Grateful Dead concert."
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To keep my message shorter than It might need to be. (?) I would love to learn "Jesus' Hand" so I can play it in the church. Just maybe the people would catch on to what I have been trying to get at.
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FWIW I think that the GD have had several songs that I think belong in Church Hymnals. (Ripple, The Wheel, etc.) Although I wouldn't ever want to push my own religious beleifs on anyone.
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What I am trying to get at is that I have always seen the GD as a deeply spiritual band. And I am sure there are others that agree with that idea.
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There are plenty of people that can tell you about the moment they became "Born Again Christians". I mice elf remember my own moment clearly. It was my 1st GD concert and I bought a BUtiful Tie Dye from one of the official GD vendors.

As I put it on, I felt waves of energy go through me. And I knew that my "spiritual" self had taken on a whole new form. My old self was gone, and another one had taken it's place.

I knew then that I would never turn back. IMHO the GD was (and is!!!!) a spiritual thing that involves all of us. It is far more than "Just Another Band" I see it as a way of life where we all make up the rules as they fit any new situation.

We "Deadheads" may possibly be the only force that has ever forced a WAR (Militaristic Action!) to stop. And I think it's time that we stood up and had ourselves counted.
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Pax Vobiscum,
KARLUS