"Sugar Magnolia" is a song by the Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead

The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...

. Written by Robert Hunter

Robert Hunter (lyricist)

Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...

 and Bob Weir

Bob Weir

Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...

, it is one of the most well-known songs by the band, alongside such hits as "Truckin'

Truckin'

"Truckin'" is a song by the Grateful Dead, which first appeared on their 1970 album American Beauty. It was recognized by the United States Library of Congress in 1997 as a national treasure....

," "Casey Jones

Casey Jones (song)

"Casey Jones" is a song by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. The music was written by Jerry Garcia, and the lyrics are by Robert Hunter. The song first appeared on the Dead's 1970 album Workingman's Dead. Subsequently it was included on a number of their live albums.The Grateful Dead...

," "Uncle John's Band

Uncle John's Band

"Uncle John's Band" is a song by the Grateful Dead that first appeared in their concert setlists in late 1969. The band recorded it for their 1970 album Workingman's Dead...

," and "Touch of Grey

Touch of Grey

"Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead, and is the band's biggest commercial hit. The song is known for its refrain "I will get by / I will survive". It combines non sequitur lyrics with a pop tempo. The music was written by Jerry Garcia, and the words are by Robert Hunter...

."

First released on the 1970 album American Beauty

American Beauty (album)

American Beauty is the fifth album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between August and September 1970 and originally released in November 1970 by Warner Bros. Records...

, "Sugar Magnolia" made its live debut on June 7, 1970 at the Fillmore West

Fillmore West

The Fillmore West was an historic music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by concert promoter Bill Graham. Named after Graham's original "Fillmore" location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard, it stood at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue and was formerly...

 in San Francisco

San Francisco, California

San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...

. When performed live, the song was often divided into two different entities: "Sugar Magnolia" proper and the "Sunshine Daydream" coda

Coda (music)

Coda is a term used in music in a number of different senses, primarily to designate a passage that brings a piece to an end. Technically, it is an expanded cadence...

. The break between the two could be a few beats, a set, or even a few concerts. On one memorable occasion, the week of long-time friend of the band Bill Graham

Bill Graham (promoter)

Bill Graham was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.-Early life:...

's death, the coda was held off for an entire week.

According to Deadbase X, "Sugar Magnolia" was the Dead's second-most played in concert song of their long career, with 596 performances, trailing only "Me & My Uncle".

It has been said that the song was written about Bob Weir's girlfriend, Frankie Weir (née Azzara), who lived with him for many years. In any case, the song's line "she don't come and I won't follow" echoes the folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 song, "Sourwood Mountain

Sourwood Mountain

"Sourwood Mountain" is a traditional American folk song. Like many folk songs, there are numerous lyrical versions extant, however there are certain commonalities. The song's theme is a lament over the narrator's true love, from whom he is separated. The title comes from the opening line, which...

", which includes the line "she won't come and I won't call 'er." Aside from obvious references to several types of plants (magnolia

Magnolia

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. It is named after French botanist Pierre Magnol....

), the line "jump like a Willys in four wheel drive" refers to the Willys

Willys

Willys was the brand name used by Willys-Overland Motors, an American automobile company best known for its design and production of military Jeeps and civilian versions during the 20th century.-Early History:In 1908, John Willys bought the Overland Automotive Division of Standard Wheel Company...

 Jeep

Jeep

Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...

, which was actually "jumped" off the ground by some drivers.

The semi-official 1972 Dead movie Sunshine Daydream

Sunshine Daydream

Sunshine Daydream is an unreleased movie shot at the Grateful Dead's 1972 Veneta, Oregon concert to benefit the Springfield Creamery in nearby Springfield, Oregon...

has its title taken from the song's coda section.

In Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt is an American writer and author of the novels The Secret History and The Little Friend . She won the WH Smith Literary Award for The Little Friend in 2003.-Early life:...

's novel, The Secret History, the hippies would only allow admission to the bunker to those who could recite the second verse of 'Sugar Magnolia'.

An interesting version with a slightly different melody line was played at Irvine Meadows on April 28, 1989.

• Key: Sugar Magnolia: A; Sunshine Daydream: B
• Time Signature: 4/4
• Chords Used: Sugar Magnolia: A, B, C#m, D, E, F#, F#m, G; Sunshine Daydream: B, F#, E

Appears on

• American Beauty
  American Beauty (album)
  American Beauty is the fifth album by the Grateful Dead. It was recorded between August and September 1970 and originally released in November 1970 by Warner Bros. Records...
  
  (1970)
• Europe '72
  Europe '72
  Europe '72 is a 1972 live triple album of performances by the Grateful Dead, recorded during their tour of Western Europe in early 1972.-History:...
  
  (1972)
• Dick's Picks, vol. 2 (1995)
• Hundred Year Hall (1995)
• Dick's Picks, vol. 6 (1996)
• Dick's Picks, vol. 10 (1998)
• Dick's Picks, vol. 20 (2000)
• The Closing of Winterland (2003)
• Winterland 1973 (2008)
• Ladies and Gentlemen... the Grateful Dead (2000)