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."
Cities
Phish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dark, dark in the daytime
People sleep, sleep in the daytime
If they want to, if they want to
I'm checkin' 'em out
I'm checkin' 'em out
I've got it figured out
There's some good points, some bad points
But it all works out, I'm just a little freaked out
Find your city,
Find yourself a city to live in
I will find a city,
Find yourself a city to live in
A lot of bridges in Birmingham
A lot of ghosts, and a lot of houses
Look over there, dry ice factory
Good place to get some thinking done
I'm checkin' 'em out
I'm checkin' 'em out
I've got it figured out
I'm the one who got it figured out
There's some good points, some bad points
Find your city,
Find yourself a city to live in
I will find a city,
Find yourself a city to live in
Did I forget to mention,
Forget to mention Memphish
Home of Elvis and the ancient Greeks
Do I smell, I smell home cooking
It's only the river, it's only the river
I'm checkin' 'em out
I'm checkin' 'em out
I've got it figured out
I've got it figured out
There's some good points, some bad points
Are those things real? Denied!
Find your city,
Find yourself a city to live in
I will find a city,
Find yourself a city to live in
I will find a city,
Find yourself a city to live in
I will find a city
Find yourself a city to live in
The song "Cities" by Phish is a journey through the different cities the band has visited and toured in. The lyrics describe the band's observations and experiences in the cities they visit. The verses of the song begin with descriptions of individual cities, including London and Birmingham. The lyrics speak of the darkness in London during the day and the multitude of bridges in Birmingham. The song emphasizes the importance of finding the right city to live in and the individuality of each city.
The refrain, "I'm checkin' 'em out, I've got it figured out," shows the singer's confidence in his ability to navigate different cities and his willingness to explore and learn about them. The song touches upon different aspects of the cities such as the ghosts and dry ice factory in Birmingham, and the home cooking and Elvis Presley history in Memphis.
The song is a unique tribute to the different cities that Phish has performed in and the experiences they have had. It shows the band's love for travel and exploring new places.
Line by Line Meaning
Think of London, small city
Imagine London as a small city
Dark, dark in the daytime
The city is dark even during the day
People sleep, sleep in the daytime
People are sleeping during the day
If they want to, if they want to
They are choosing to do it
I'm checkin' 'em out
I am looking at the cities
I've got it figured out
I understand what's happening
There's some good points, some bad points
Some things are good and some are bad
But it all works out, I'm just a little freaked out
In the end, everything will be fine, but I'm a bit anxious
Find your city,
Find a city that suits you
Find yourself a city to live in
Find a place to live
A lot of bridges in Birmingham
Birmingham has many bridges
A lot of ghosts, and a lot of houses
The city has a lot of haunted houses
Look over there, dry ice factory
Observing a dry ice factory
Good place to get some thinking done
It's a good place to think
Did I forget to mention,
Did I neglect to say
Forget to mention Memphish
Forgot to mention Memphis
Home of Elvis and the ancient Greeks
The city is the birthplace of Elvis and the ancient Greeks
Do I smell, I smell home cooking
Do I smell the scent of home cooking?
It's only the river, it's only the river
It's just the river
Are those things real? Denied!
Are those things true? No way!
I will find a city,
I will find a city
Find yourself a city to live in
Find a place to call your own
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVID BYRNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Nina C
This is melting my face off and I'm not even fucked up. These guys are insanely good, I can't believe they are STILL playing and still this good. Wow. Thanks for putting this video up!
David Thomas, CHWC, LMT
Holy chitmon! I’ve been listening to phish for 27 years and the second half of this is absolutely one of my most phavorite jams ever. Dear lord, why did they just stop? Phish are masters of making us want more.
Dieter Dietmar
feeling the same about the second half of this :)
Max Flans
my first phish show at the garden.... this cities jam was life changing
Daniel Hillard
This was also my first show at the garden. Still revisiting it 9 years later
David Thomas, CHWC, LMT
Yes that jam is mind glowingly eggsellent
CaptainsOrders
amazing jam, and its great to see all the newcomers to msg revel in the magic. its good to see some love from the ppl aboard, its all about the love
NFAB
Giving this a thumbs down should disqualify you from ever listening to music again. Simply amazing.
Dieter Dietmar
once we overcome the part with semi-artistic vocals n lyrics we get to the inspired aethereal part variant - one of the best!
Briandrum
God damn, these guys are so fucking good....Love Fishmans face during the first verse and chorus...HUGE smile listening to the crowd singing along.