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."
Timber
Phish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Get it 'cross the river 'fore the bars come down
Drag it on down that dusty road
Come on Jerry, let's dump this load
I said "Timber, ho!", timber, whoa this timber's gotta roll
I said "Timber, ho!", timber, whoa this timber's gotta roll
Been everywhere and he ain't no fool
Weighed nine hundred and twenty-two
Done everything a poor mule can do
[Chorus]
Jerry's shoulders stood six foot tall
Pulled more timber than a freight could haul
Workin' heavy old Jerry got sore
Pulled so much he couldn't pull no more
[Chorus]
The boss said "Jerry" and it made him jump
Jerry ran and kicked the boss on the rump
My old Jerry was a cool mule
Had it been me I woulda killed that fool
Boss tried to shoot old Jerry in the head
Jerry took that bullet and he stomped him dead
Stomped that boss til he heard him scream
Sure don't care he was so damn mean
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics of Phish's "Timber" talk about a hardworking man who's determined to finish his timber work before the end of the day. He wants to get it across the river before the bars go down, but the only way to do that is to work faster. With the help of his trusty mule named Jerry, they drag the timber down a dusty road. It's hard work, but they're determined to get it done. The chorus, "Timber ho! Timber Whoa! This timber's gotta roll," reinforces the idea that time is running out and they need to move faster.
The second verse tells us about Jerry, the mule. He's an Arkansas mule who's been everywhere and has a lot of experience. His achievements are highlighted, including his ability to pull more timber than a freight train, but the hard work has taken its toll on him. Eventually, he can't pull anymore, and the singer is left to finish the work alone.
The third verse speaks about the boss, who seems to be cruel and abusive. The singer sees his mule as a "cool mule," contrasting the boss's anger. When the boss tries to shoot Jerry, he takes the bullet and kills the boss instead. It's unclear if the singer regrets the death of the boss, but they certainly don't mourn his loss.
Overall, the song is about the importance of hard work and the relationships that can form between people and their animals when working together under difficult conditions. It also indirectly touches on themes of justice and revenge.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna pull this timber 'fore the sun go down
I'm going to haul this wood before the sun sets
Get it 'cross the river 'fore the bars come down
Get it over the river before the water gets too low
Drag it on down that dusty road
Take it down the dusty road by dragging it behind us
Come on Jerry, let's dump this load
Jerry, let's unload this timber together
I said "Timber, ho!", timber, whoa this timber's gotta roll
We need to move this timber, it's time to go
My old Jerry was an Arkansas mule
Jerry, my mule, comes from Arkansas
Been everywhere and he ain't no fool
Jerry has traveled widely, and he's smart
Weighed nine hundred and twenty-two
Jerry weighed 922 pounds
Done everything a poor mule can do
Jerry has worked hard and done more than most mules could
Jerry's shoulders stood six foot tall
Jerry was a big and strong mule, standing six feet tall at the shoulders
Pulled more timber than a freight could haul
Jerry was so strong he could pull more than a train loaded with timber
Workin' heavy old Jerry got sore
Jerry, despite his strength, would get tired and achy from his work
Pulled so much he couldn't pull no more
Jerry had worked too hard that day and couldn't pull any more timber
The boss said "Jerry" and it made him jump
When the boss called Jerry's name, he was startled
Jerry ran and kicked the boss on the rump
Jerry got revenge on the boss by kicking him in the rear end
My old Jerry was a cool mule
Jerry was calm and collected under pressure
Had it been me I woulda killed that fool
If it were me, I would have killed the boss
Boss tried to shoot old Jerry in the head
The boss attempted to kill Jerry by shooting him in the head
Jerry took that bullet and he stomped him dead
Jerry survived the gunshot and killed the boss by stomping on him
Stomped that boss til he heard him scream
Jerry killed the boss by stomping on him multiple times until he was screaming
Sure don't care he was so damn mean
Jerry didn't care that the boss was mean, he still killed him in revenge
[Chorus: x2]
Repeating the chorus to emphasize the need to move the timber
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSH WHITE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind