“Ripple” by the Grateful Dead was written by Robert Hunter (lyrics) and Jerry Garcia (music).

Who Wrote “Ripple”?

  • Robert Hunter wrote the words to “Ripple” in 1970 while in London, during a particularly prolific stretch of lyric writing for the Grateful Dead.
  • Jerry Garcia composed the music, and the song appeared on the 1970 album American Beauty , becoming one of the band’s most beloved acoustic tunes.

Quick Scoop

  • Song: “Ripple”
  • Band: Grateful Dead
  • Lyricist: Robert Hunter
  • Composer/Vocals: Jerry Garcia
  • Album: American Beauty (1970)

Many fans and critics highlight “Ripple” as one of Hunter’s finest sets of lyrics, pairing simple folk melody with spiritual, poetic imagery that invites endless interpretation.

TL;DR: Robert Hunter wrote the lyrics to “Ripple,” with Jerry Garcia composing the music and singing it on the Grateful Dead’s 1970 album American Beauty.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.