We Asked AI to Write a Duet for Jam Icons Jerry Garcia and Phish’s Trey Anastasio – See What We Got

Updated:

August 18, 2023 9:28 am

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When it comes to jam bands today, two names ring out most of all. Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead and Trey Anastasio of Phish. The two songwriters, guitarists, and singers have come to be synonymous with the extended live song.

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But what if the two men got up on stage together in 2023, what would they sound like? Hard to say, but that’s why we reached out to our old friends at ChatGPT for some answers. Since Garcia has long since passed away, we asked the A.I. technology for its perspective.

That’s right, below is what the bot had to say regarding a possible duet between the two psychedelic music icons. Let’s dive in.

“Groovin’ Through the Changes”

(Verse 1 – Jerry Garcia Style)
Well, the sun’s been shining down on this old town,
Guitar in my hand, gonna lay it all down.
The road’s been winding, like a river’s gentle flow,
I’ll play these strings, let the music’s current grow.

(Chorus – Trey Anastasio Style)
Colors dance and blend, like notes that never end,
Jammin’ with my friends, our spirits on the mend.
Guitar’s my ship, sailing through the sound,
In this cosmic sea, we’re all heaven-bound.

(Verse 2 – Jerry Garcia Style)
Stars above twinkle like diamonds in the night,
Guiding us through melodies, taking flight.
Through the Grateful Dead’s tales, we find our way,
Lost in the music, we’ve got nothin’ to say.

(Chorus – Trey Anastasio Style)
Groovin’ through the changes, in harmonies we dive,
The music’s like a journey, in which we all arrive.
With each strum, a story, with each chord, a door,
To a world where all our worries we can ignore.

(Bridge – Jerry Garcia and Trey Anastasio Blend)
Garcia:
Oh, that ripple in the water, it’s a ripple in my soul,
An endless stream of music, making me feel whole.

Anastasio:
Electric energy coursing through our veins,
As we explore new landscapes, break through all the chains.

(Verse 3 – Jerry Garcia Style)
The audience becomes one with the sound,
In this never-ending jam, we’re all unbound.
The notes, like raindrops, fall upon the crowd,
A gentle storm of melodies, where we’re all allowed.

(Chorus – Trey Anastasio Style)
Flying on the wings of a song yet to be,
Together in this moment, forever wild and free.
Guitar strings vibrate, connecting heart to heart,
In this eternal groove, we’ll never drift apart.

(Outro – Jerry Garcia and Trey Anastasio Blend)
Garcia:
So let the music play, let it carry us away,
Through the night into the day, let the magic sway.

Anastasio:
With gratitude we strum, and love we send,
The journey never ends, as the music bends.

(Together)
Garcia & Anastasio:
In the spirit of the jam, we find our home,
Through each note we play, together we roam.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to The Grateful Dead and Phish, so much of their appeal is the feel of the music, which is obviously not something we can glean from the page. But ChatGPT did get a sense of the vibe of the two artists, their observance of nature, their free-flowing, meandering, but plucky senses in song.

When Garcia “sings,” Through the night into the day, let the magic sway, that’s on point, if not in word choice then by aura. As such, it’s nice to dive into their collective worlds again, even if it’s via this fictitious thought experiment.

Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images