My Brother Esau (Live at Hampton Coliseum, Hampton, VA, 4/14/1984)

My Brother Esau (Live at The Centrum Worchester MA 10/21/83) - Grateful Dead

My brother Esau killed a hunter

Back in 1969

And before the killing was done

His inheritance was mine

But his birthright was a wand to wave

Before a weary band

Esau gave me sleeplessness

And a piece of moral land

My father favored Esau

Who was eager to obey

All the bloody wild commandments

The Old Man shot his way

But all this favor ended

When my brother failed at war

He staggered home

And found me in the door

Esau he's on rollerskates today

And he make a statement to someone in L A

Sometimes at night I dream he's still that hairy man

Shadow boxing the apocalypse wandering the land

Esau holds the blessing Esau holds the curse

I was thinking that the blame was mine

But suspected something worse

The more my brother looks like me the less I understand

The silent war it bloodied both our hands

Well sometimes at night I think I understand

Shadowboxing the Apocalypse

And wandering the land

Shadowboxing the Apocalypse

And wandering the land

Shadowboxing the Apocalypse

And wandering the land