Funiculi Finicula

Composed in 1880 by Luigi Denza to lyrics by Peppino Turco to commemorate the opening of the first funicular railway on Mt. Vesuvius, this song wound up being performed 19 times by the Grateful Dead between 1977 and 1988:

https://www.herbibot.com/?song=Funiculì+funiculà

I saw the versions at the Halloween, 1985 show in Columbia, South Carolina, and in Roanoke, Virginia in 1987.  
 

I'm curious who brought it into the Dead's repertoire?  I'd guess it was Jerry, but maybe Phil.  They usually appeared to be in good spirits when they performed it.  
 

I don't think the Grateful Dead ever sang the words, but it exists in both the original Italian, and the latter and perhaps better known revised English lyrics:

Some think the world is made for fun and frolic
And so do I, and so do I
Some think it well to be all melancholic
To pine and sigh, to pine and sigh

But I, I love to spend my time in singing
Some joyous song, some joyous song
To set the air with music bravely ringing
Is far from wrong, is far from wrong

Harken, harken, music sounds afar
Tralala, Joy is everywhere, funiculì funiculà
Ah me! 'Tis strange that some should take to sighing
And like it well, and like it well

For me, I have not thought it worth the trying
So cannot tell, so cannot tell
With laugh and dance and song the day soon passes
Full soon is gone, full soon is gone

Today, I came across this 1950's 7" EP with this version by Tony Romano:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1f8hPnd0ZVk

This version from 12/31/77 at Winterland is about the best Grateful Dead version I've heard:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0uHaRJzBYY8