Friend of the Devil

The music is by Garcia and John Dawson and the words by Hunter. The song follows an unnamed man on the run from his wives, a sheriff, twenty hounds and the Devil, from Reno through the California towns of Chino and Cherokee to a night in a cave in Utah, and his fate is left open. Garcia opens it with a descending G major scale in the bass register. David Grisman plays mandolin. Pitchfork noted that on the record each player follows their own melodic path through the changes.

It was first played on 20 March 1970 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York. Hunter recorded his own version for the album Jack O'Roses, adding a verse. New Riders of the Purple Sage, the band Dawson played in, recorded it in 1989. Chris Smither released it in 1972, and Tony Rice, Larry Rice, Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen recorded it in 1999. Tom Petty played it in concert in 1997, and Bob Dylan and John Mayer have also covered it live.