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."
Twist
Phish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pronouncing it in several ways
And moving letters all around
And substituting every sound
And when you heard the end result,
I told you it was not my fault,
If you were here more of the day,
Wouldn't twist around (wouldn't twist around) that way Whoo!
The lyrics to Phish's song "Twist" tell the story of someone trying to pronounce and spell another person's name correctly. The singer spends a lot of time playing with the letters and sounds, trying to get it right. When they finally present their efforts to the person in question, they take no responsibility for any incorrectness, instead suggesting that if the person were around more often, they would be able to pronounce and spell their name correctly without any issues.
However, it seems that the twisting and turning of the person's name is intentional. The repetition of "twist around that way" suggests that the singer isn't really trying to get it right, but is instead having fun with the idea of twisting and contorting the name into different shapes and forms. It's possible that this song is a playful commentary on the power of language and the way we use it to shape our understanding of the world around us.
Overall, "Twist" is a catchy, upbeat song with a bit of a mischievous edge. The lyrics are clever and playful, and the music is engaging and fun. It's the kind of song that might have you dancing around your room, trying to twist your own name into different configurations.
Line by Line Meaning
I spoke your name for many days
I spent a lot of time talking about you and saying your name
Pronouncing it in several ways
I tried saying your name in different accents and tones
And moving letters all around
I rearranged the letters in your name to create new words
And substituting every sound
I replaced some of the letters in your name with different letters to change the sound
And when you heard the end result,
After all my efforts, I finally revealed the new name I came up with for you
I told you it was not my fault,
I made it clear that the name I created was not a result of any intention to hurt or offend you
If you were here more of the day,
I suggested that if you had been around more, I wouldn't have had to occupy my time with changing your name
It wouldn't twist around that way
Your name would have remained unchanged and wouldn't have taken on a new, altered form
Wouldn't twist around (wouldn't twist around) that way Whoo!
Repeating the phrase 'wouldn't twist around' emphasizes that the altered name was not the desired outcome and the 'whoo!' adds excitement to the end of the song
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: TOM MARSHALL, TREY ANASTASIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Micah House
I’m just 10 years old and I love your music so much and I went to your concerts
NOAH M
That’s awsome
querecep
This free stream was a great 25th birthday present for me (: almost fell asleep but then they turned on the turbo boosters during fluffhead and i stayed up past my bedtime
Ben Moore
This is just smoking hot...Trey and the band caught and brought fire to this year's Bonnaroo!
Guybrush Threepwood
My expectations are high... Let's see.
EDIT: loved this song ever since it came out, heard many versions. Yes this is tier 1. Super version.
phil row
so bliss filled
Deerreading
Such a legendary show
Darin Lowney
Can only hope so many Broo people showed up with low expectations... and got they’re head flipped in... perfect closing show for the Bro roo... PHISH DOING PHISH
Billy Welker
I didn't show up with "low" expectations, I would say it was no expectations,,,and they blew my fucking mind. They are IMO the best live music act I've ever seen and been apart of
Brian McManus
The High Priests of Rock and Roll.