Estimated Prophet
"Estimated Prophet" is a Bob Weir and John Perry Barlow composition that debuted on February 26, 1977, at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, California, along with the first "Terrapin Station". After its debut, "Estimated" was played another six times (all in early 1977) as part of the Dead's first set. After that, it was always a second set song.
"Estimated Prophet" was played 390 times from 1977 until its last performance of June 28, 1995, at The Palace, in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The studio version is the first track of the Terrapin Station album, first released on July 27, 1977, and later released on CD (first in 1987, then again expanded and remastered as part of the Beyond Description box set). Live, "Estimated" often segued into "Eyes of the World", a pairing that was played 178 times. However, fourteen times (most of which occurred in 1990) the pairing was "Eyes of the World" into "Estimated Prophet". More often than not, "Estimated" followed "Scarlet-> Fire".
According to Weir, he and Barlow wrote the song from the perspective of a crazy, messianic zealot, a type which one invariably encounters in Deadhead crowds now and again. As Weir explains to David Gans in 1977: "Essentially, the basis of it is this guy I see at nearly every backstage door. There's always some guy who's taken a lot of dope and he's really bug-eyed, and he's having some kind vision. Somehow I work into his vision, or the band works into his vision, or something like that. He's got some rave that he's got to deliver. So I just decided I was gonna beat him to the punch and do it myself."
Lyrics
Lyrics: John Barlow
Music: Bob Weir
My time coming any day, don't worry 'bout me, no
Been so long I felt this way, I'm in no hurry no
Rainbows end down that highway where ocean breezes blow
My time coming, voices saying, they tell me where to go (note 1)
Don't you worry 'bout me--oh no no, don't worry 'bout me, no
And I'm in no hurry--oh no no no, I know where to go
California, preaching on the burning shore
California, I'll be knocking on the golden door
Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light
Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine
My time coming any day, don't worry 'bout me, no
It's gonna be just like they say, them voices tell me so
Seems so long I felt this way and time sure passing slow (note 2)
Still I know I lead the way, they tell me where I go
Don't you worry 'bout me--oh, no, no, don't worry 'bout me, no
And I'm in no hurry--oh, no, no, no, I know where to go
California, a prophet on the burning shore
California, I'll be knocking on the golden door
Like an angel, standing in a shaft of light
Rising up to paradise, I know I'm gonna shine
You've all been asleep, you would not believe me
Them voices telling me, you will soon receive me
We're standing on the beach, the sea will part before me (note 3)
Fire wheel burning in the air
You will follow me and we will ride to glory (note 4)
Way up in the middle of the air
And I'll call down thunder and speak the same
And my words fills the sky with flame
And might and glory gonna be my name
And men gonna light my way
My time coming any day, don't worry 'bout me, no
It's gonna be just like they say, them voices tell me so
Seems so long I felt this way and time sure passing slow (note 5)
My time coming any day, don't worry 'bout me, no
Don't you worry 'bout me--oh, no, no, don't worry 'bout me, no
And I'm in no hurry--oh, no, no, don't worry 'bout me, no
And I'm in no hurry--oh, no, no, no, I know where to go
[etc]
Notes
(1) Bob Weir often sang "... where I'll go" instead of "... where to go"
(2) Bob Weir often forget/amended this line, singing variants such as "Been so long I felt this way, but I'm in no hurry, no"
(3) Sometimes sounds as if Bob sang "Shining ..."
(4) "... ride to glory" is what Barlow has in his published lyrics, though it sounds as if Bob Weir sings "... rise to glory"
(5) Bob Weir sometimes sang "This afternoon, streets turned grey and I watched the cars below" as an alternative line (eg on Dick's Picks Vol 3)
