Released on the band's second studio album Anthem of the Sun, it is made up of four sections—"Cryptical Envelopment", "Quadlibet for Tenderfeet", "The Faster We Go, the Rounder We Get", and "We Leave the Castle".
While the "We Leave the Castle" portion of the song was never performed live by the band, the first three sections were all featured in concert to differing extents.
[2] Additionally, the line "the heat came 'round and busted me for smilin' on a cloudy day" refers to a time Weir was arrested for throwing a water balloon at a cop.
The only Grateful Dead composition written by Tom Constanten, "We Leave the Castle" is an avant-garde piece featuring prepared piano and other studio trickery.
[5] "The Other One" topped Far Out's list of the 10 best Grateful Dead songs written and sung by Weir, calling it a "legendary psychedelic tale".