Talk:China Cat Sunflower

What does the phrase "China Cat Sunflower" mean?[edit]

I think that info would be a useful addition to the page. In his Box of Rain, Hunter writes, "Nobody ever asked me the meaning of this song. People seem to know exactly what I'm talking about. It's good that a few things in this world are clear to all of us."

However, I appear to not be one of "all of us". It isn't clear to me, and may not be to other readers. Gnuish (talk) 20:16, 11 February 2013 (UTC)[reply]

It is well beyond the purview of Wikipedia to ascribe meaning to this song. However, I will take this opportunity to change the wording "The song is typically sung by Jerry Garcia," from 'is' to 'was'. Considering that he no longer is involved with the band, this seems appropriate.

For the record, I would suggest that 'China Cat Sunflower' is but one facet of Aoxomoxoa. Coming after 'Doin that Rag' and 'Mountains of the Moon,' it is an upbeat, mischievous bridge - before the depressingly confounding 'What's Become of the Baby', and the reconciliatory 'Cosmic Charlie.' Without taking the whole album into context, it is impossible to pin down this track with any kind of label.

Basically, IMO, it is impossible to explain the meaning of the song outside of the context of Aoxomoxoa. And I would challenge anyone to find a reliable source for this subject. <> Alt lys er svunnet hen (talk) 10:27, 8 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I'm with Gnuish ; I'd like to hear the meaning behind the song. The UCSC Grateful Dead Archive seems to list some clues: http://artsites.ucsc.edu/GDead/agdl/china.html Iokevins (talk) 01:50, 11 May 2016 (UTC)[reply]