I haven’t actually thought about it too much but I can’t think of a rock band more associated with having significant numbers of female fans than The Grateful Dead.

Twirlers spinning to the music.  Blowing bubbles.  Granny glasses.  Sundresses.

The fairer sex always seemed to me to be well-represented in media images of the Dead, which were always concert shots — if not parking lot “scene” pictures.

So where are all the tortured love songs?

Sure, there are a paltry few songs named after women, with Stella (Blue), Bertha (Bertha!), Rosemary and (Ramble on) Rose in their titles, but all in all, pickings for the lovelorn are pretty slim.

In my early meanderings through the songbook, Scarlet Begonias stands out to my ears as the tune most obviously and enjoyably consumed as being about a woman.

She had rings on her fingers and
bells on her shoes,
And I knew without askin’ she was
into the blues
Scarlet begonias
tucked into her curls
I knew right away
she was not like other girls–
other girls

begonias

I came across a statement from lyricist Robert Hunter that confessed his interest in layering multiple meanings into his songs.  Decades after the fact he identified his wife as the subject of the tune.

But I’m not buying it (sorry Mrs. Hunter).

Well there ain’t nothin’ wrong
with the way she moves
Or scarlet begonias or a
touch of the blues
And there’s nothing wrong with
the love that’s in her eye
I had to learn the hard way
to let her pass by–
let her pass by

My curiosity piqued, I went looking for a picture of the poppy flower.  Poppies are yellow, right?

poppies

As Mick and Keith sang, “and I won’t forget to put roses on your grave.” (from Dead Flowers)