"Scarlet Begonias" is a song by the Grateful Dead. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and the music by Jerry Garcia.

Background

The song begins in Grosvenor Square in London and also references "Tea for Two" from No, No, Nanette by Irving Caesar and Vincent Youmans. The third stanza uses gambling/loss imagery that occurs in many Grateful Dead songs. The line "As I picked up my matches and was closing the door" uses the symbolism of playing poker with matchsticks to indicate a very low stakes gamble that was made for fun. The line "Everybody's playing in the Heart of Gold Band" was used by Keith and Donna Godchaux to name their new group Heart of Gold Band when they left Grateful Dead in 1979. The recording first appears on the 1974 release From the Mars Hotel. The group first performed the song live on March 23, 1974, at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California. When "Fire on the Mountain" was incorporated into the band's repertoire in 1977, "Scarlet Begonias" would often be paired with it when played live, resulting in what would be nicknamed "Scarlet > Fire" with the first iteration of this iconic pairing on Friday, March 18th, 1977.

Covers