After teasing a new video release over the last few days, the Grateful Dead have shared a new animated music video for their classic, Robert Hunter-penned song “Ripple.”
“The Grateful Dead’s “Ripple” became a kind of cosmic spiritual after its debut 50 years ago,” read a press release. “Since then, the universal appeal of Robert Hunter’s serene prose and the band’s heartfelt performance have made the song a popular choice at everything from weddings to funerals. As relevant now as ever before, the enduring optimism of ‘Ripple’ is a welcome reminder of better days ahead, when songs will, once again, fill the air. In that hopeful spirit, the band has premiered the first official video for the song today.”
The video was animated by Actuality Films. It depicts a Tarot card reading come to life, telling the story of The Fools as he encounters The Muse, The Magician and The Devil. According to a press release, “the video also conceals a myriad of Easter eggs drawn from Grateful Dead lyrics and lore.”
The new video rounds out a year of celebrating the 50th anniversaries of the Dead’s vaulted LPs Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty (on which “Ripple” appears). Watch the new video below!