Grateful Dead Family Discography: China Cat Sunflower

China Cat Sunflower

Composer: Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter

China Cat Sunflower was one of the first two lyrics provided by Robert Hunter for the Dead. He spoke about sending the lyrics to the group in an interview:

I moved out to New Mexico to be an artist about the time the Dead really started. I wrote Alligator and China Cat Sunflower, and I knew they had a rock 'n' roll band so I mailed them up.

In an interview, with Blair Jackson, Hunter commented on the writing of the song;

I wrote it in different settings and added this and that to it. It was originally inspired by Dame Edith Sitwell, who had a way with words. I liked the idea of quick, clicky assonance and alliteration like 'See me dance the polka, said My Wag, like a bear, with my top hat and my whiskers, that tra-la-la trapped affair.' I just liked the way she put things together. I'd have to admit that - before you could trace it back.

In his book of lyrics, Box Of Rain Hunter's comment for China Cat Sunflower is;

Nobody ever asked me the meaning of this song. People seem to know exactly what I'm talking about. It's good that a few things in this world are clear to all of us.

China Cat Sunflower was first performed by the Grateful Dead in January 1968. From then on it was played regularly through to October 1974. After the group hiatus in 1975 China Cat did not return to the repertoire until December 1977 for a single outing. It then disappeared again until February 1979 when it returned to a regular position in the repertoire. The final Grateful Dead performance of the song was in July 1995. From October 1969 onward China Cat Sunflower was nearly always performed in tandem with I Know You Rider.

Grateful Dead recordings

Aoxomoxoa, 1969
Europe '72, 1972
Without A Net, 1990
Hundred Year Hall, 1995
Dick's Picks, Vol. 4, 1996
Terrapin Station (Limited Edition), 1997
Downhill from Here (video), 1997
Dick's Picks, Vol. 10, 1998
Dick's Picks, Vol. 11, 1998
Dick's Picks, Vol. 12, 1998
So Many Roads (1965-1995), 1999
Dick's Picks, Vol. 16, 2000
Dick's Picks, Vol. 19, 2000
Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Grateful Dead, 2000
Dick's Picks, Vol. 22, 2001
The Golden Road (1965-1973), 2001
Dick's Picks, Vol. 23, 2001
Dick's Picks, Vol. 24, 2002
Steppin' Out with the Grateful Dead: England '72, July 2002
View From The Vault III, 2002
View From The Vault III (DVD), 2002
Go To Nassau, 2002
Dick's Picks, Vol. 26, 2002
Dick's Picks, Vol. 28, 2003
Dick's Picks, Vol. 30, 2003
Dick's Picks, Vol. 31, 2004
Rockin' The Rhein, 2004
Dick's Picks, Vol. 32, 2004
Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack, 2004
The Grateful Dead Movie (extended DVD), 2004
Dick's Picks, Vol. 35, 2005
Dick's Picks, Vol. 36, 2005
Fillmore West 1969 Bonus Disc, 2005
Grateful Dead Download Vol. 2: 1/18/70, 2005
Grateful Dead Download Vol. 6: 3/17/68, 2005
Grateful Dead Download Vol. 8: 12/10/73, 2005
Grateful Dead Download A Night At The Family Dog 2/4/70, 2005
Grateful Dead Download Vol. 10: 7/21/72, 2006
Three From The Vault, 2007
A Night At The Family Dog (DVD), Various Artists, 2007
Eternally Grateful, Grateful Dead, 2007
Road Trips: Vol 1, Number 1: Fall 1979 Bonus CD, Grateful Dead, 2007

The Dead

Saratoga Springs, NY, June 20, 2003
Camden, NJ, June 27, 2003
Austin, TX, July 4, 2003
Morrison, CO, July 11, 2003
Atlanta, GA, July 31, 2003
Mountain View, CA, September 19, 2003
Oakland, CA, December 31, 2004
Morrison, CO, June 15, 2004, 2004
Morrison, CO, June 20, 2004, 2004
Boise, ID, July 1 , 2004, 2004
East Troy, WI, July 24, 2004, 2004
Boston, MA, July 30, 2004, 2004
Camden, NJ, August 7, 2004, 2004
Wantagh, NY, August 14, 2004, 2004
Atlanta, GA, August 19, 2004, 2004

The Other Ones

The Strange Remain, The Other Ones, 1999

Ratdog

Philadelphia PA: October 16, 2003, 2003
Geneva NY: October 28, 2003, 2003
Detroit MI: November 6, 2003, 2003
Des Moines IA: November 13, 2003, 2003
Little Rock AR: November 19, 2003, 2003
San Diego CA, February 27, 2004, 2004
Portland OR, March 5, 2004, 2004
Boulder CO, March 16, 2004, 2004
Worcester MA, April 2, 2004, 2004
Tulsa OK, September 15, 2004Ratdog, 2004
Cleveland OH, April 5, 2005, 2005
Providence RI, April 20, 2005, 2005
Covington, KY, June 8, 2005, 2005
South Burlington, VT, August 24, 2005, 2005
Baltimore, MD, November 2, 2005, 2005
Asheville, NC, November 14, 2005, 2005
Reno, NV, December 14, 2005, 2005
Philadelphia, PA, March 24, 2006, 2006
Atlantic City, NJ, August 18, 2006, 2006
St. Paul MN, October 22, 2006
Westbury NY, October 31, 2006, 2006
St. Petersburg FL, November 17, 2006, 2006
Vancouver BC, February 18, 2007, 2007
Greensburg PA, March 4, 2007, 2007
Jim Thorpe PA, March 16, 2007, 2007
San Francisco CA, April 22, 2007, 2007
Lincoln RI, July 11, 2007, 2007
Council Bluffs IA, July 20, 2007, 2007
Camden NJ, August 17, 2007, 2007
Lebanon, NH, October 28, 2007, 2007
Charlotte, NC, November 8, 2007, 2007

Phil Lesh & Friends

Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: June 23, 2006, Tampa, FL, 2006
Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: June 27, 2006, Asheville, NC, 2006
Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: June 30, 2006, Camden, NJ, 2006
Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: July 7, 2006, Wantagh, NY, 2006
Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: July 11, 2006, Scranton, PA, 2006
Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: July 14, 2006, Columbus, OH, 2006

Other recordings

Swingin' To The Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 1999
Spirit Trail, Bruce Hornsby, 1998
All Hat, No Cattle, Joe Goldmark , 1999
Tribute To Jerry Garcia, John McEuen and Phil Salazar, 1999
Wake the Dead, Wake The Dead, 2000
Pickin' On The Grateful Dead, Vol. 2, Various Artists, 2000
Live At Twenty North, Jake's Leg, 2001
Long Strange Trip: Swingin' and Pickin' on the Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 2001
Great Sky River, Jazz Is Dead, 2001
The 1000th Show, Dark Star Orchestra, 2005
One More Ride, Great Caesar's Ghost, 2006
On The Road: July 1, 2006, Morrison, CO, String Cheese Incident, 2006
On The Road: Travelogue Summer 2006, String Cheese Incident, 2006
Twisted Love Songs, David Gans, 2007