Phish is a rock band which formed in 1983 in Burlington, Vermont, United St… Read Full Bio ↴Phish is a rock band which formed in 1983 in Burlington, Vermont, United States. For most of their career, the group's lineup has consisted of Trey Anastasio (guitar, vocals), Page McConnell (keyboards, vocals), Mike Gordon (bass, vocals) and Jon Fishman (drums, vocals, vacuum cleaner).

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."

Character Zero
Phish Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was taught a month ago
To bide my time and take it slow
But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day
Well, I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong
And things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet

I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey

I was taught a month ago
To bide my time and take it slow
But then I learned just yesterday
To rush and never waste the day
Now I'm convinced the whole day long
That all I learn is always wrong
And things are true that I forget
But no one taught that to me yet

I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I, Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I, Mulcahey, hey, hey

I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey

I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I ought to see the Man Mulcahey

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Phish's song "Character Zero" explore contradictory and paradoxical ideas of time, learning, and forgetfulness. The first verse highlights the singer's conflicting experiences of being taught to take things slow and then being encouraged to rush and seize the day. Despite these opposing teachings, the singer remains uncertain about what is right and wrong, true and forgotten. The repetition of the line "But no one taught that to me yet" emphasizes the singer's sense of confusion, as if they are struggling to navigate the contradictions of life on their own.

The chorus of the song is dominated by the repeated phrase "I ought to see the man Mulcahey." According to some fans, "Mulcahey" may be a reference to James Mulcahey, an Irish emigrant who worked as a railroad section boss in the late 19th century. However, it's not entirely clear what the significance of Mulcahey is in the context of the song. Some interpret the phrase as a kind of absurdist mantra or recurring image meant to evoke the singer's sense of disorientation.

Ultimately, "Character Zero" is a complex and ambiguous exploration of the ways in which we try to make sense of our experiences, even when they contradict each other.

Line by Line Meaning

I was taught a month ago
I received instruction a month ago

To bide my time and take it slow
To be patient and not rush

But then I learned just yesterday
But recently, I came to learn

To rush and never waste the day
To move quickly and make the most of the day

Well, I'm convinced the whole day long
I believe this all day long

That all I learn is always wrong
That everything I learn turns out to be incorrect

And things are true that I forget
I forget things that turn out to be true

But no one taught that to me yet
No one has taught me that lesson

I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I should go see Mulcahey

I, Mulcahey
I am Mulcahey

I ought to see the Man Mulcahey
I should go see Mulcahey