Does anybody else like this song as much as me? Got one this summer when the boys played McCoy stadium in Pawtucket, R.I. And it's the encore to what I consider one of the best live performances of all time. Jerry Garcia and John Kah at Oregon State Prison. Just want to know your thoughts.

its one of those happy go lucky dark stories

Gotta' say though the Orlando 91' takes the cake!

The song has been one of my favorites since I first heard it.

I think Jerry played it best solo or with John.
I think I've heard Phil sing it as well.

It's the tits if you didn't already know.

Saw around 10 I bet when JGB ruled the planet- one of my favorite songs of all time. It would be the sickest cover for Phish to bust, I can hear Trey wailing this one

^^ yes @BajaPhish, this one is clearly a JGB> GD...and it's about as Jerry Garcia as a song gets.

Great tune. There are a lot of words

Cherise was brushing her long hair gently down
It was the afternoon of carnival as she brushes it gently down
Rubin was strumming his painted mandolin
It was inlaid with a pretty face in jade played in the carnival parade
Cherise was dressing as Pirouette in white
When a fatal vision gripped her tight Cherise beware tonight
Rubin, Rubin tell me truly true
I feel afraid and I don't know why I do, Is there another girl for you?
If you could see my heart you would know it's true
There's none Cherise, except for you, except for you
I'd swear to it on my very soul, If I lie, say I fall down cold
When Rubin played on his painted mandolin
The breeze would pause to listen in before going on its way again
Masquerade began when nightfall finally woke
Like waves against the bandstand, dancers broke to the painted mandolin
Looking out to the crowd who is standing there
Sweet Ruby Claire at Rubin stared, at Rubin stared
She was dressed as Pirouette in red
And her hair hung gently down
The crowd pressed round, Ruby stood as though alone
Rubin's song took on a different tone and he played it just for her
The song he played was the carnival parade
Each note cut a thread of Cherise's fate it cut through like a blade
Rubin was playing his painted mandolin
When Ruby froze and turned to stone for the strings played all alone
The voice of Cherise from the face of the mandolin
Singing Rubin, Rubin tell me true for I have no one but you
If you could see my heart you would know it true
There's none Cherise, except for you, except for you
I'd swear to it on my very soul, If I lie, say I fall down cold
The truth of love an unsung song must tell
The course of love must follow blind without a look behind
Rubin walked the streets of New Orleans till dawn
Cherise so lightly in his arms and her hair hung gently down

One of my top Jerry songs of all time. The Dead played it 4 times in 1991, and I consider myself VERY lucky to catch the last one (6-9-91 Buckeye Lake).

Anyone who likes that 5-5-82 Oregon State Prison performance with John Kahn needs to check this one out.

This is Jerry all by himself. The Dead had a day off on the '82 Spring Tour that was unscheduled. They played 4-9-82 in Rochester, NY, and 4-11-82 at Nassau. I believe 4-10-82 Syracuse got cancelled because of a freak snow storm. Jerry grabbed his Alvarez and headed over to the Capitol Theater in Passaic, NJ to kick out 2 solo acoustic performances. An Early Show and a late show. I believe this is the early show.

One of my favorite Jerry performances of all time.

4-10-82 Jerry solo (acoustic) Capitol Theater, Passaic, N.J.

mp3 (all one file): http://www.mediafire.com/?nga4yz27xofngwu

This and Cats Under the Stars are my two favorite JGB tunes.