Level: 2/3
Tuning: Standard

This track from 1970's American Beauty album is probably the most-covered Dead song, in concert and on recordings. As in many of their tunes, words are by Robert Hunter and music by Jerry Garcia, this time aided by John Dawson of New Riders of the Purple Sage, who contributed the title line (Hunter's original line was "I set out running but I take my time, it looks like water but it tastes like wine.") This fingerpicking arrangement in G retains the descending line Jerry played on the bass guitar strings during the vocal. That line is in the instrumental solo, too, along with the melody, which makes for some interesting partial chord shapes. Other than that phrase and the D chord up at the 5th and 7th frets, it's all first-position chords, and the thumb keeps alternating bass notes, Travis style, throughout.