The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a rigorous touring schedule that draws a famously dedicated fan base. Their music blends elements of a wide variety of genres, including funk, progressive rock, psychedelic rock, folk, country, jazz, blues, bluegrass, and pop. Phish were part of a movement of improvisational rock groups, inspired by the Grateful Dead and colloquially known as "jam bands", which gained considerable popularity as touring concert acts in the 1990s.
After 15 years of performing together, Phish went on hiatus in 2000. They resumed touring in December 2002, but disbanded in 2004 after a farewell performance at their Coventry Festival in Vermont. They reunited in March 2009 for a series of three consecutive concerts played in the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia, and have since resumed performing regularly.
Although the group received little radio play or MTV exposure, Phish developed a large following by word of mouth during the 1990s, particularly through fan-record tapes of their concerts, which circulated for free online with the band's permission. While often compared to the Grateful Dead, Phish finds their roots in styles such as jazz, funk and alternative rock as opposed to the Dead, who were more influenced by folk, country and blues.
Each Phish concert is different in terms of the songs included and the order in which they appeared, and (for many songs) in the way in which they were performed. Also unique to Phish are their large summer festivals which draw upwards of 70K people to remote areas in Maine and New York State as well as close to 100K for their epic Millennium Show in the Everglades of South Florida.
Along with Bob Dylan and The Beatles, Phish were one of the first bands to have an Internet newsgroup - rec.music.phish - launched in 1991.
In regards to Phish, Rolling Stone magazine proclaimed "Given their sense of community, their ambition and their challenging, generous performances, Phish have become the most important band of the Nineties."
Brother
Phish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somebody's jumping in the tub with your brother (2x)
Whoa!Whoa!Whoa!
Somebody's definitely jumping in the tub with your brother (2x)
Somebody's definitely jumping in the tub with your brother
Jumping in the tub with your cousin
Somebody's definitely jumping in the tub with your brother
Uncle!
Somebody's jumping in the tub with your brother!
Somebody's jumping in the tub with your mother!
Whoa!Whoa!Whoa!
The song "Brother" by Phish is a strange and humorous tune about someone warning the listener that someone is jumping in the tub with their family members. The repetition of the phrase "Somebody's jumping in the tub with your brother" has led to many interpretations, such as someone intruding on the listener's personal life, or someone being part of a larger community where everyone is welcomed into each other's homes.
The absurdity of the situation is emphasized through the inclusion of the listener's mother and cousin as potential targets of the intruder. The sudden interjection of "Uncle!" adds to the confusion and absurdity of the situation. The repeated refrain of "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" further emphasizes the absurdity and emphasizes the urgency of the situation.
The meaning of the song is left open to interpretation, but one possible meaning is that the intruder represents a fear of outsiders or fear of losing control of one's personal life. The song is a humorous and bizarre take on these fears and encourages the listener to not take themselves too seriously.
Line by Line Meaning
Whoa!Whoa!Whoa!
Indicates surprise and/or shock
Somebody's definitely jumping in the tub with your brother (2x)
There is no doubt that someone is getting into the bathtub with your brother
Jumping in the tub with your cousin
This person is also getting into the bathtub with your cousin
Uncle!
An exclamation, possibly indicating that the situation has escalated or become more serious
Somebody's jumping in the tub with your brother!
Repeating the previous line to emphasize the seriousness of the situation
Somebody's jumping in the tub with your mother!
This person is also getting into the bathtub with your mother, further escalating the situation
Whoa!Whoa!Whoa!
Repeating the first line to convey continued surprise or shock
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STUART PRICE, STUART PKA LES RHYTHMES DIGIT PRICE, STUART DAVID PRICE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Snow the Jam Man
Such a great performance, Trey's rhythm is fantastic and his leads are out of this world, the clifford ball is one of Phish's peaks, amazing shows from both nights
KhalDrogo76
Trey at 5:12 is one of the dopest things ever played on guitar
Kato Produktions
KhalDrogo76 like...that reach is fucking incredible.
Wyatt Crowley
You beat me to it...
Owen Cooke
More of a 5:30 kinda guy myself
ifolkinrock
Mike is always 20 years ahead of every trend. Kids in Brooklyn are all about HiVizCore now.
wheelin98tj
Love this version of Brother. Trey was on fire. 5:10 and again at 5:39 is some amazing work
Chillz
The best
05 Ford F-150 XL
The Ben and Jerry part at 2:27 is absolutely hilarious
Mindful Mike
Damn I thought I had my playback speed increased still. Such a perfect performance, if only I could’ve been there to experience the lateb90’s phish :-(