Throughout his career, Anastasio has participated in various projects outside of Phish, furthering his reputation as a multifaceted composer, instrumentalist, and vocalist. He continues to thrill fans with powerful live performances, and is by no means close to being finished.
Host Across The Potomac
Trey Anastasio Lyrics
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Twenty years, the red lights blazing
Something's wrong, systems down the codes are broken
'Til our host across from the Potomac turned and stared
A stream of molasses
Too late and so it folds
Like a dream of a canon
Is reckless that rolls
Across a concrete floor
Lime, hunted, outward, invisible
Bleached white lift to nothing, at this end, connection dead
Iron gates and names remembered
To complement with invitations
Young girls tag along lackadaisical
In a crowd while up above the clouds
Rich and billowy
In dreams, a hundred voices
Sounding out as one
Daughters of joy all flowing past 50 years of bars
The blue and golden lines
Hungry, complex, crazy crew
White lift to nothing, at this end, connection dead
Sky rockets, alive and breathing
Mad red glare in jade staring eyes
Sky rockets alive and breathing
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
Voices inside screaming
Solemnly insure the real thing
Blue eyes and blonde hair flowing
Drunk like milk so thick and plush and sweet
But it's a set up
Poured and held for someone
More than others do
Six feet strained beyond the drop zone
Pointing human joints
The wrists and elbows
And who is with you
In this strange French curve
Swooping downwards, eyes and minds on detection
Another motive, just as deadly
White lift to nothing at this end, connection dead
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
(Sky rockets, alive and breathing)
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
(Sky rockets, alive and breathing)
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
(Sky rockets, alive and breathing)
The lyrics to Trey Anastasio's song Host Across The Potomac are cryptic and open to interpretation, but seem to convey a sense of paranoia, confusion, and impending danger. The floodlights glaring into desolate and empty rooms, systems down, codes broken, and something being wrong all paint a picture of a world in turmoil. The host across from the Potomac, possibly a reference to the White House or some other seat of power, turns and stares, as if to say that the powers that be have failed to prevent this crisis.
Line by Line Meaning
Floodlights glare into desolate and empty rooms
Bright lights shine into abandoned, lonely spaces
Twenty years, the red lights blazing
For two decades, warning lights flash
Something's wrong, systems down the codes are broken
Problems arise, systems fail, and communication breaks down
'Til our host across from the Potomac turned and stared
Until the person in charge across the Potomac River looks over and observes
A stream of molasses
A slow-moving, sticky substance
Too late and so it folds
It's too late, and the situation deteriorates
Like a dream of a canon
Like a surreal, imagined version of a military weapon
Is reckless that rolls
It's careless and chaotic
Across a concrete floor
Over a hard, flat surface
Lime, hunted, outward, invisible
A colorless, elusive, and untraceable substance
Bleached white lift to nothing, at this end, connection dead
A faded, empty space where there is no longer any link or communication
Iron gates and names remembered
Memories of metal entrances and individuals recognized
To complement with invitations
To enhance with offerings to attend
Young girls tag along lackadaisical
Girls wander aimlessly nearby
In a crowd while up above the clouds
In a throng of people, while the sky is high above
Rich and billowy
Luxurious and expansive
In dreams, a hundred voices
In a vision, many individuals speaking at once
Sounding out as one
Speaking in unison
Daughters of joy all flowing past 50 years of bars
Happy women moving beyond five decades of confinement
The blue and golden lines
The colors of authority
Hungry, complex, crazy crew
An ambitious, complicated, and insane team
White lift to nothing, at this end, connection dead
A blank space with no communication link at this point
Sky rockets, alive and breathing
Fireworks full of life and energy
Mad red glare in jade staring eyes
An angry, red light in green, piercing gazes
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
It's time to increase the status of mundane objects
Voices inside screaming
Internal screams
Solemnly insure the real thing
Seriously guarantee authenticity
Blue eyes and blonde hair flowing
Light-colored eyes and hair in movement
Drunk like milk so thick and plush and sweet
Intoxicated, like a creamy, dense, and pleasant beverage
But it's a set up
But it's an arrangement or trick
Poured and held for someone
Prepared and kept for a particular individual
More than others do
Greater than what others accomplish
Six feet strained beyond the drop zone
Six feet under intensive pressure beyond a specific area
Pointing human joints
Indicating that particular parts of the body are suffering
The wrists and elbows
The junctions connecting arms and forearms
And who is with you
And who is accompanying you
In this strange French curve
Within this unusual arch or bend
Swooping downwards, eyes and minds on detection
Quickly moving downward, with focus on observation and discovery
Another motive, just as deadly
Another reason, just as lethal
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
It's time to increase the status of mundane objects
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
It's time to increase the status of mundane objects
The time has come for desks and chairs to be elevated
It's time to increase the status of mundane objects
Contributed by Hudson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.