The Grateful Dead was a band, most definitely, but more than that, they were an experience. Take any random Dead show, examine the range and array of songs, and you'll find that the band creates not just a show, but an adventure for the audience, taking listeners on a trip through time and space into the land of music, mayhem, and mystery.
Over the past several weeks, we've taken a philosophical look at the possible meaning behind some of the Grateful Dead's most iconic symbols, examining the dancing skeletons, the bears, the steal your face symbol, and the terrapin. For the last stop on our journey, let's consider one of the Grateful Dead's lesser-known symbols: the rose.
For the next leg of our journey on our search for the meanings behind the Grateful Dead's iconic symbols, let's take a look at one of my personal favorites: the skull and lightning bolt, or “Steal your Face” logo.
We've examined the symbolism of the dancing bears and skeletons in parts one and two of this series; this time, we'll take a closer look at the terrapin.